With the arrival of darker nights and colder evenings your thoughts may turn to creating a warmer look and feel at your windows. Luckily, we have just the guide you need to help you choose the best thermal solutions for your home.
With the arrival of darker nights and colder evenings your thoughts may turn to creating a warmer look and feel at your windows. Luckily, we have just the guide you need to help you choose the best thermal solutions for your home.
Why are thermal window dressings something you should think about? Well firstly, short of installing heat exchangers in your home, any form of heating has a level of inefficiency to it, so you need to look at areas where you can combat heat loss more than simply turning up the thermostat. Any thermal product will add an extra barrier of insulation between the window and your room. This means that the amount of heat within your room that is lost through your window will be reduced, so your room will stay warmer for longer. It also means that the amount of cold air coming in from outside will also be reduced, so the temperature within the room will be more regulated. With around 20% of all heat being lost at windows, plus the continual steep rising costs of energy being big business, it makes both environmental and economic sense to do what you can to counteract this.
A specialist blind that’s both innovative and energy efficient, the secret of Duette® blinds lie in its engineering design that features a honeycomb shaped cellular structure that prevents heat loss by trapping the warm air in the room and can help cut heat loss by up to 55% during the winter. Duette® blinds can be electronically powered by remote and come in a range of fabric styles including sheer and DimOut and are available in more than 90 colours.
The difference that a lining can make to a window furnishing should never be underestimated, both in terms of functionality and looks. You can opt for an interlining on most Roman blinds which is a polyester / cotton lining that has an extra later of wadding added in manufacturing, on the reverse. This gives Roman blinds an extra thick, padded appearance as well as additional thermal properties. The only consideration with an interlining comes around tall windows, as the interlining increases the thickness of the blind, so a long drop of fabric can create a large stack of material when the blind is fully raised.
Shutters are an excellent window insulator and the wide variety of different styles gives you a wealth of choice. With Solid shutters you’ll create a real visual barrier, while Full Height create a similar look while still allowing you to control light flow through the louvres, and Tier on Tier gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to keep the bottom section closed to create a snug feel and the top section used to control the light.
But it’s not just about the practical difference that shutters can make; both the visual appearance of the shutter closed against the window pane, plus the actual act of closing the shutter itself adds to the sense of enclosing the room, and keeping that heat inside, plus from an eco point of view they offer great durability.
Layering different window dressings is very much in vogue, but it is also a practical solution to combating heat loss. Energy enhancing Duette® blinds can be paired with shutters, allowing you to enjoy a combination of old and new that will create a serene and welcoming look.
If you're looking to increase the energy efficiency of any room in your home then there's a wide variety of solutions, from basic thermal linings to technology to help you in supporting your journey. Book a consultation with our experts and they'll explain the wealth of quality products that can help you have a more pleasant winter this year.