Curtains can make a difference in room temperature by regulating the heat that comes through your windows as well as trapping the heat that's already inside the room. Curtains affect a house's temperature by reducing the sunlight that comes into a room.
The clever use of blinds, curtains, and other window treatments can help keep your house cool and your bills in check. The Department of Energy says the smart management of window coverings can reduce heat gain by up to 77 percent.
Because curtains fit the exact size of the window, they are the most efficient for keeping rooms cool. They won't let in gaps of sunlight or add the bulk of extra material to your interior.
Where do curtains come in? By restricting the flow of air between the warm and cold areas of a space, curtains aid in heat retention. Also, double-glazed windows will allow heat to escape, but heavy curtains will act as a barrier, preventing air from flowing from the main room to the window.
If you're trying to beat the heat inside your home, energy-saving window treatments will go a long way in reducing the amount of heat streaming into your home. Closing curtains can help cool the interior, save money on utility bills and lessen the wear and tear on your HVAC system.
If the temperature is higher outside than it is inside, you should keep your windows and curtains closed. This will shut the heat out, and help to keep your home cool. If, however, it's cooler outside or there's a pleasant breeze, then you should open the windows.
It's important to try to use as much natural - and free - heat (in the form of sunlight) as possible. Window shades and curtains should be kept open during the day, advise Age UK. Closing your curtains as soon as dusk falls will maximise your house's potential to retain that heat.
Curtains offer better insulation and soundproofing.
In warm weather, however, blinds beat curtains in energy efficiency. Because blinds leak more heat from a room, they also decrease indoor heat gain more efficiently in the summer, by around 45 percent, which can lower your AC bills.
These lightweight beauties could be considered the perfect window covering for many reasons. Not only do they offer daytime privacy, diffuse bright light and offer a degree of insulation against heat and cold, but they do it all at the same time as softening rooms with their floaty, textural appearance.
Black and white are the colours that you might be wondering about which colour will give your room a cooler temperature. Well, the answer is white curtain colours keep the room cooler than a black coloured curtain fabric because the colour white reflects the thermal energy and black absorbs it.
Blackout curtains can trap heat in during the winter and keep light and heat out during the summer. 10-25% of thermal energy loss goes out the windows. Blackout curtains can curtail this loss by a 25%, reducing your utility bills and greenhouse gases.
White or light coloured curtains and blinds are better at reflecting heat and light away from your home. If you have thick, dark curtains, closing them will only trap heat in the room.
Closing window blinds can also save energy in the winter. During cold winter nights, heat is lost through windows. Closing the blinds adds some insulation to the windows, reducing heat loss during cold periods. Some blinds also reflect heat back into the room.
If there is a cold room in your house, the problem has likely been caused by dirty vents, cracked ductwork, worn insulation or faint drafts. Read on to learn how to fix a cold room in your home.
You might have heavy furniture or items covering up your vents, absorbing all the heat. This is a very common reason why one room in a house is always cold, and it's easily solved by simply moving the items away from your vents, allowing an unobstructed flow of warm or cool air.
Hanging curtains over blinds adds extra depth and elegance to your windows, as blinds alone can look cold or unfinished. Sometimes hanging curtains on their own is sufficient, but occasionally you need to add extra privacy or light control.
Thermal curtains feature a layer of acrylic foam between the double or triple layers of fabric to provide insulation, making these curtains ideal for winter months or drafty windows. Thermal curtains can also dampen sound, block out sunlight, and reduce energy bills.
Close your curtains at night
During the day, your windows let in more radiant energy than gets out; sunlight can enter through the glass, but the window is opaque to the infrared radiation trying to escape.
Prevent heat loss in the winter
During the day: Open your window coverings during the day to let the sunlight warm your home naturally. In the evenings: Prevent heat loss in the evenings by closing the blinds and keeping the cool air out.
In simpler terms, the structure of your home suddenly becomes a source of heat at night, rather than being on the receiving end of the heat. It can take several hours for that brick or concrete material to cool down completely. During that time, the heat can make your room feel hotter than it is outside.
The basic rule of thumb is that you should close your windows when the temperature outside starts to exceed the temperature inside. It may seem counterintuitive, but as the temperature climbs, you'll often make your home warmer, not cooler, by opening the windows.