What Are The Best Blinds to Keep Your Home Warm In the Winter?

Posted on 21st October 2014 by Gemini Blinds

As the weather grows colder, you’re sure to begin to notice chills inside your home. You can turn up your heating to keep warm and cosy, but this will not stop the heat escaping from your home. However, installing the right kind of blinds on your windows can go a long way towards keeping the heat inside, and could even mean you can turn the heating down and save a little money on your energy bills too.

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. Plantation or solid wood shutters are also an excellent choice of window covering as they will keep your home toasty in two ways: they will create a barrier when they are closed, drastically reducing the amount of heat that can pass through windows, and insulate against cold air coming in from outside your home.

Venetian blinds may not be effective as their slats enable cold air to enter into your home, unless you choose a really well insulated material and keep them tightly closed.

Specify your choice of fabric

While no fabric will completely eliminate heat loss through your windows, some fabrics are better at conserving heat than others. Blinds made from high quality thermal fabrics are the ideal option for keeping the heat in your home, blackout blinds by their nature tend to be a thicker fabric so if you don’t want to go down the route of specific thermal blinds, blackout might be your next best choice. You may want to avoid less substantial materials, such as vinyl or plastic blinds, as these materials do not retain heat very well.

For greater energy efficiency, many people choose blinds that are highly reflective (white in colour) on one side and heat absorbing (dark in colour) on the other side and reverse them with the seasons.

Ensure your blinds fit your windows properly

For your blinds to retain the heat inside your home, they must fit your windows correctly. Your blinds should sit as close to your windows as possible and overlap them slightly. Any gaps will allow the heat to escape, reducing the effectiveness of your window coverings. Perfect fit blinds are a popular choice for our customers who want that exact match.

Do not forget about your conservatory

If you have a large conservatory, you may find that turning up the heating makes little difference to the heat of your home. Fitting conservatory blinds to your windows will help you to moderate the temperature of your home by controlling the amount of heat that is lost through your windows. Heat will also escape through the roof of your conservatory, so it is essential to install roof blinds that will retain the heat without blocking the passage of natural light.

Adjust your blinds accordingly

Regardless of the type of blinds you choose to install, remember to adjust them 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. Carefully selected blinds can cover your windows and reduce heat loss, helping you to keep your home warm without straining your personal finances.

Shutters

Have you considered plantation shutters? View our handy infographic to find out how shutters can reduce your energy bills. Just contact our friendly team if you have you any questions!

Written by Gemini Blinds, the leading provider of blinds in the North West.