As the chill of winter approaches, it’s a great time to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. Areas often overlooked when it comes to heat loss prevention are windows and doors. The theory behind achieving insulation is to form spaces to trap the air flowing from ‘A’ to ‘B’. When you minimise heat transfer through glass, you keep the warmth in and keep the cold out. This results in keeping heating costs down.
Here are some of the most effective window treatments you can use to do this.
- Curtains and Roman blinds: Keeping warmth inside
Curtains and Roman blinds add warmth, softness and style to a space, with a huge variety of fabrics available. They also serve a practical purpose during the winter months. Choosing the right lining is important. By incorporating thermal lining, a layer is created trapping the air between the lining and the curtain, forming a barrier to airflow. Cold air sinks and hot air rises, so it is best to run curtains to the floor. Floor to ceiling curtains have become an extremely popular look which seals air movement top and bottom. Roman blinds are best mounted around the edges of the internal window frame, leaving minimal gaps for air to escape.
- Shutters: Seal the window
Shutters have a timeless louvred look that works well in old and new homes. They provide sun control as well as block-out and privacy within a single window treatment. Shutters seal the window when closed and their louvres are made of a cellular structure that forms pockets of air, resulting in excellent thermal resistance. The unique design of shutters allows them to cover unusual-shaped windows, making them an extremely versatile option.
- Duette blinds: Honeycomb insulation
Duette blinds have a honeycomb cell construction which acts as a highly efficient insulator, effectively trapping air within the cells. Duette blinds can feature either a single or double honeycomb cell – with more cells, comes greater insulation. On average, homeowners can reduce their heating and cooling costs by an impressive 43% with Duette blinds, which is better than that achieved by traditional curtains.
All of these options have the flexibility to be motorised, which is ideal if your window is unreachable or you want to add a touch of luxury to your home. They offer year-round benefits, keeping you warm in winter and cooler in summer.
It’s smart to invest in insulating window treatments that contribute to a cosy, energy-efficient home. Drapes, shutters and Duette blinds all offer unique features to help you achieve this goal.
If you are interested in knowing more, talk with the team of curtain consultants at Guthrie Bowron Whitianga – they’re there to help.
Visit Guthrie Bowron’s website here.
