Blinds for Colder Climates – What Are My Options?
Because a large amount of the heat in a home can be lost through a house’s windows, it is important to choose the right blinds to improve the insulation in a home. This improved insulation will result in less heat loss and a more comfortable home in the wintertime. Once these windows have been weatherized, if they still feel drafty, this means heat loss is still occurring, and the house will not be as comfortable as it could be. So it is important to look for blinds that are specifically made for insulating purposes.
The R-Value Factor
One of the factors to look at for blinds is the R-value of the window treatments. The higher the R-value is, the greater the resistance to the transfer of heat. The window treatments that have the highest R-values have been built to provide the highest level of heat conservation. The R-value number represents all of the space taken up by the material of the window treatments, including the inner layers of window dressing and the air that can get trapped between them.
Types of Insulating Blinds
Some of the different types of blinds to purchase for insulating a home include honeycomb shades, which are manufactured using polyester and are made specifically for insulation purposes. These blinds feature two layers of fabric. Pleated blinds are set up to be tight against the window frames, and because of this tight fit they trap more heat. Roman shades are another option, because this kind of window treatment can be purchased with sturdy, thick fabric to offer extra insulation to homes, and therefore represent an excellent choice for people who live in cold weather climates to help keep their houses warm.
Another option is shutter blinds which are great for wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, and where condensation can build up during Winter.
Keeping Cool in Summer with Roller Blinds
The same problem with keeping cold air out in the wintertime can occur in the summertime when it comes to keeping warm air out. Some of the best blinds for keeping the air cool in the summertime are roller blinds. These blinds have become more popular than vinyl shades, and have started being used to replace them. These blinds are made of woven fabric and have slits in them to keep the room cool, but also keep the sun’s rays from becoming too oppressive. Window treatments like roller blinds that are specially designed for sun-blocking purposes are good choices for the summertime.
Sun-Blocking Shades
Sun-blocking shades usually have air pockets for keeping the heat out. Honeycomb shades, in addition to insulating the house in the winter, also have options for keeping cool in the summer, and the sun-blocking honeycomb shades have the air pocket feature. This is sometimes also referred to as a still air barrier, which helps keep the warm air from outside from circulating into the room.
Solar-Reflective Blinds
Other kinds of blinds that can be used to cool a house or a room are solar-reflective blinds, which are made of special solar-reflective material, a kind of polyester film that has been laminated. Some of these blinds are also treated with aluminium to increase the ability to reflect the glare and the heat of the sun.
