During summer days, you should close draperies on windows receiving direct sunlight to prevent heat gain. Studies demonstrate that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%.
When the heating is on, you ideally want to keep floor length curtains open. If the curtains are closed when the radiator is on, the heat will get trapped behind the curtains. So instead of the heat circulating into the room, it will likely leave through the cold window glass.
You're right. The heat ``getting in'' through your windows is due to radiation. The light side of blackout curtains is designed to minimize the absorption of that heat into your space, and also create an air gap to help minimize the effect of what radiation does come through.
Why is closing the curtains so important? That little air gap between the window and curtains acts as insulation and can cut the heat loss out your windows by half or more. This is pretty significant when you consider that the windows may be sucking more heat out of the room than the walls.
Sheer or Light-Colored Curtains
These are usually made of translucent, lightweight fabrics. You can also opt for white or pastel solid-colored curtains because lighter colors don't absorb heat like darker colors do.
Opening a window doesn't always mean you're cooling your home. In fact, if the air outside is warmer you could risk making it worse. During the hottest parts of the day, it's best to close windows to keep the warmer air out.
Because blinds require slats to function, heat can easily escape through the slats. Whereas, curtains don't require slats so heat is easily maintained. The thicker the curtain is the more insulated they are. However, in summer, blinds are better than curtains for energy efficiency.
Increase the Shade
You'll want to do what you can to block UV rays from entering a sun-facing room. Adding window treatments is one of the easiest ways to keep sunlight from heating your living space. Curtains or drapes with a reflective or light-colored backing would do the best job since they won't absorb extra heat.
The roof, the walls, everything exposed to the sun will absorb some energy and heat up through the course of the day. As the sun sets and temperatures outside cool down, the heat absorbed by the house will radiate back into the cooler air. This happens to the air outside and inside too.
Thermal curtains, also known as Double, Lined or Blockout Curtains, are a great way of providing insulation and maintaining a stable temperature in a room.
In general, yes, it's best for curtains to touch the floor, either by kissing the floor or floating just above it. The effect of long, floor-length curtains is a luxurious look that accentuates the height of your window and ceiling. Plus, it makes the drapery look tailored and curated specifically for your space.
Insulated cellular shades are typically considered to have the highest R-values of all window coverings. The air pockets in the honeycomb cross-sections act as insulators, increasing the R-value and reducing the conduction of heat through the window.
Improve Ventilation
Ensure cross ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of the house to create a cooling breeze. Keeping cooler air circulating throughout the night lowers your home's temperature — when the day beings, close the windows and blinds to keep that cool air inside during the day.
Solar heat absorption: The plastic film absorbs a significant amount of the sun's heat energy that would normally be reflected away by the glass. Heat trapping: The absorbed heat is then trapped inside the plastic layer, creating a warm microclimate between the plastic and the window glass.
Create cross ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of the house to promote air circulation. Close curtains, blinds, or shades during the hottest parts of the day to block out direct sunlight and heat. Utilize exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to remove hot air and humidity from these spaces.
You should put ice in front of your fan. Alongside its approval from Beatrice, Oleg Stepanchukovski, an interior design coordinator and home expert at Patio Productions, adds that this technique will offer relief from high temperatures quickly.
1. White. It's no surprise white came up as the color that stayed the coolest from the results. Temperature readings showed the surfaces of the white shirts wavered around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, which is considerably low compared to the 122 degrees Fahrenheit of the dark green shirts.
Cardboard and Aluminium Foil
Consider using cardboard and aluminium foil for a temporary and highly budget-friendly solution. Cut the cardboard to fit your window panes and cover it with aluminium foil to reflect sunlight.
Because blinds stack neatly when fully raised, they're suitable for rooms with limited wall space around small windows. Curtains main design drawback is that they require space for the drapery to stack when opened fully. This can be a limitation in small rooms or spaces with limited wall space around windows.
Close curtains and blinds
Something like 30% of unwanted heat comes in your windows so keeping curtains and blinds closed will help, especially during peak sunlight hours and on windows that face the sun. Some roller blinds are designed to let you see out while still blocking those rays.
Sleeping with an open window can negatively impact your health as well. While cold air itself can't make you sick — colds and flus occur because germs overwhelm a person's immune system — it can potentially dry out nasal cavities, resulting in increased mucus production and a possible sinus infection.
Generally, if your house is decently insulated, keep the windows and blinds closed when the sun is shining. Open the windows in the evening and at night. More specifically, keep the windows closed when the outside temperature is hotter than it is inside, and open the windows when it's cooler outside than inside.