Do blackout blinds keep the heat out? That's the question people have been inevitably asking over the last few days as temperatures soar to 30 degrees. The short answer is yes - blackout blinds block sunlight, making them one of the best ways to keep a room cool.
Blackout blinds or curtains
Blackout curtains or blinds work well for preventing sunlight from entering your room, and have the added advantage that they help to keep heat in during the colder Winter months, AND crucially save you money on your energy bills at a time when gas prices are rising rapidly.
Window blinds—vertical (Venetian blinds) or horizontal slat-type (louvered-type)—are effective at reducing summer heat gain and reducing glare, while providing good daylight indoors.
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.
Black blinds tend to hold onto heat rather than being a good insulator or barrier against it, so if you're trying to keep a room cooler in summer and are looking for blinds that can help to do this, black blinds aren't the best idea.
There's a lot to love about blackout curtains: They keep the light out so you get a great night's rest, they help keep your home cool in summer and warm in winter (saving you money and helping the environment), and they can even reduce noise if you live in a busy area.
The answer is 'yes', certain types of blinds will trap a layer of air between the fabric and the glass, helping to keep out the cold coming in from your windows. Professionally fitted blinds can be an energy efficient way to keep the heat in and the cold out.
Sealing up any cracks and crevices around the edges of windows and doors can be very effective in reducing cool air loss. Install newer insulation: Like sealing air leaks works for preventing both warm and cool air escaping, so does newer insulation in the home.
Ideally, you should use both types of curtains and change them from the cold to the warm season. Blackout curtains will keep your house cooler during the sizzling hot summer days, while thermal curtains will keep warmth from escaping out of the windows.
Yes. Emergency management agencies specifically recommend using “aluminum foil-covered cardboard” between windows and drapes to reflect heat back outside.
Your sleeping environment and the bedding you sleep on are the most common reasons people get so hot when they sleep. This is because your core temperature drops a couple of degrees during the night and sheds heat into your surrounding environment.
When completely closed, highly reflective blinds can reduce heat gain by around 45 percent, says the DOE. They can also be adjusted to block and reflect direct sunlight onto a light-colored ceiling, which diffuses the light without much heat or glare.
Close your blinds and curtains.
Keeping your blinds closed during the day will reflect a surprising amount of heat radiating in through windows, especially during the time of day when the sun's rays shine directly on your home.
While both blackout and thermal curtains have insulating and blackout qualities, the primary function of thermal curtains is to insulate the room.
For heavy-duty heat blocking, you'll want thermal drapes that are made with thick materials like polyester and microfiber. These also resist moisture and will minimize it from accumulating in between the window and curtain.
The benefits are significant. Honeycomb shades can block heat about as well as a 1/8 inch sheet of insulated foam. Their R-value (or, their ability to insulate against heat flow) ranges between 2 and 5. In comparison, a typical double pane window has an R-value of 1.8.
Install High-Quality Insulated Curtains
It might just be that the air around your window glass is cold. This is more of a problem with larger windows. If you have a home that has large, floor to ceiling windows, a lot of cold air is going to be coming in straight through the glass.
How do cellular shades block the heat? Cellular shades are generally considered to have the highest R-values of all window coverings and treatments. The air pockets in the honeycomb cross-sections act as insulators, increasing the R-value, thus, reducing the conduction of heat through the window.