Are blinds good insulation? Yes, blinds are good insulation for windows, regardless of the type of blind you use. This is because the closed blind forms a barrier (that is permeable to various extents depending on the blind), which helps to keep heat in, cold out, and to take the edge off draughts from rattly windows.
Cellular blinds are some of the most innovative new blinds on the market and considered to be the best blinds available for keeping the cold out. They're excellent insulators, thanks to their ingenious design which uses hollow honeycomb-shaped cells to help control the temperature in your home.
Businesses and homes around the country use blinds as their chosen shading and screening solution. A large amount of heat can be lost through windows, but blinds prevent some of this heat from escaping.
Sunshine streams in through the window, and the gap in between the window and blinds captures the heat, producing a greenhouse effect. In the winter, this is a desirable effect, and in the summer, when you want it to be cooler in your home, all you have to do is raise the blinds to leave the window uncovered.
Good quality, lined curtains and blinds can make a real difference in keeping your home warm over the colder autumn and winter months.
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.
Curtains are soundproof and offer better insulation
The thicker the curtain is the more insulated they are. However, in summer, blinds are better than curtains for energy efficiency. This is because heat escapes easily through the slats.
In the cooler months, if you want to maintain a warmer temperature without letting in bright sunlight, it's best to close the blinds with the slats turned down. This would keep the rounded side of the blinds facing the room, helping direct the heat towards the center of the room to maintain a warmer temperature.
In the winter, if you have south-facing windows, let the light shine in. The sun will help heat your home naturally, which takes some pressure off your furnace. For other windows, keep blinds and curtains close during the winter to keep heat inside your home.
How Blinds Help Keep Cold Out. When blinds are measured and fitted properly they insulate your home by trapping a layer of air between the blinds fabric and the window. This effectively seals of your windows so that air can't escape from the windows.
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.
The honest answer is all window blinds will help keep the cold out, if you use them properly. It is very simple, close your blinds in the early evening and leave them closed until the morning. This will keep as much heat inside your home as possible.
Additionally, those bacteria that were kept in the dark were also more closely related to respiratory diseases than those that stayed alive even with exposure to sunlight. So not only are you benefiting from the vitamin D that comes from the sun, but it could also be saving you from respiratory disease as well.
Adjust your blinds accordingly
Open your blinds in the morning to allow the sunlight to warm your home. When the sun goes down, close them tightly to insulate your home and reduce the amount of heat that can escape. Turning up the heating may be one way to protect against the cold, but it is an expensive option.
"Blinds offer the most light control with a variety of tilting options. Blinds or shades can be paired with drapery to enhance windows in any part of the home." While each type of window treatment has its own unique set of characteristics, all of them can be used to transform any room.
Curtains will give better light control but blinds may be more practical in a smaller space. If you decide on a blind, have it made longer and wider than the window to minimise light drift. Curtains are best installed close to the ceiling or better still, with a pelmet above to stop light from escaping.
The best options for optimal energy savings are cellular, roller or roman shades. These window covering options are non-slated, so air cannot pass through as easily, creating an effective seal. Another fun fact about shades is that they can also absorb sunlight during the day.
Probably the best blinds to keep the heat in overall are Roman blinds; the good quality lined type. These are made of a very thick material, and are one solid piece of fabric without any gaps for air to get through. They'll be even more efficient at insulating if they come with a thermal blackout lining.
Nighttime. When nighttime hits, placing your blind's slats in the down position is best. When in the down position, your blinds block more incoming light.
In conclusion, closing your blinds or shades can indeed help to keep the heat out of your home, especially if you have thick, insulating blinds and windows that receive direct sunlight. However, it's just one of many strategies you can use to stay cool during the summer months.
Letting the cool, winter air in can also help you sleep better. Our body temperatures are several degrees cooler when we sleep than when we're awake, and studies have shown that making our environment cooler can help kick-start the sleep process, allowing us to fall asleep more quickly.
If the window is on the ground floor, the blind should be closed slats up. Otherwise, people can see in from the floors above. If, however, you are on an upper floor and the slats are up, anyone can see in from the ground floor. For that reason blinds on an upper floor should close slats down.
No, people outside would not be able to see anything of inside, not even movement close to the window, nor the shapes and outlines of things. They would, however, be able to see a diffuse glow of light if you have a reasonably bright light not too far from the window.
A roller blind that is too long widthways won't be the end of the world if your blind is intended to be hung outside of or over the window recess – and in fact, we do advise ordering your blinds with a buffer of at least 10cm over all four sides to minimise light leakage around the sides of the blind.