Closing curtains at night can reduce heat loss by up to 17 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, using curtains with thermal lining can reduce heat loss by up to 25 percent. Using curtains with white plastic backings can reduce heat gain by up to 33 percent.
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.
Curtains help with heat retention by limiting the flow of air between the warm and cold areas of a room. Even double-glazed windows will afford heat with a chance to escape, but a set of heavy curtains will form a barrier that'll limit the flow of air from the main room to the window.
Curtains or drapes can help insulate your rooms as they reduce the amount of air exchange between a cold window and the rest of the room.
How Curtains Provide Insulation. Good curtains stop cold air from entering your home by creating an air gap between the room and the window. Ideally, they also prevent any flow of hot and cold air which would create a draft.
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.
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.
The main mistake that people make is to fit heavy floor-length curtains over both the window and the radiator below. This traps the heat in the window space and does not let it into the room. Correctly fitted curtains should not cover the top of the radiator, but should stop just below the window ledge.
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.
Select blinds that will suit your needs
If you want to use blinds to stay warm this winter, the choice is endless. However, blinds will only retain heat when they are not slatted, so roller and roman blinds should be at the top of your shopping list.
Radiator covers, long curtains and furniture can all prevent the heat from being pushed around a room effectively.
In the past, radiators have often been located under the window in a room because this is the coldest area in the room. Historically, older windows would be single glazed, and this type of window used to let a lot of cold air into 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.
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.
The reasons your house is cold even with the heat on could be because of poor insulation, your furnace not working properly, rooms with high ceilings, or your heating system doesn't cover the whole house. Each of these issues can prevent your home from properly heating.
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.
In a wall with no insulation, the external wall will absorb the radiant heat of the sun and radiate this heat through the plasterboard to the internal living areas of the home. . In winter, this situation is reversed with your warm indoor air moving through the plasterboard and outside of the home.
Exterior shutters and shades are usually made of a variety of materials, including fabric, wood, steel, aluminum, or vinyl. They are most effective at reducing solar heat gain. Shades are typically fabric or vinyl and the material may have openings that allow some visibility through the window.
Cellular shades are an especially effective window treatment, as they help provide a thermal buffer between the rooms in your house, keeping heat out during summer.
Venetian Blinds
The slats are wither wooden or aluminum. The aluminum Venetian blinds are highly recommended for heat control particularly in hot conservatories. The ability to tilt slats in Venetian blinds make them an excellent choice in heat and light control.