When winter comes, or simply colder temperatures, one thing many people forget is how the construction and decoration in your home can affect how much of the heat escapes your home. No house is insulated completely, and there's always going to be a certain amount of heat escaping. Doors and windows are prime locations where hot air can escape allowing the cold in, and in the case of windows, there's things you can do to help out. Insulating your home by dressing your windows is a good way to keep the interior warmer, whilst lowering your heating bills in the process.Most windows have a single glass, and that's just not enough to keep all the cold air outside. Condensation happens along the sides, and the heat is sucked out. Then, if you don't have anything else to help insulate it, then cold air invades your whole home, forcing you to turn up the heat. One solution would be to double glaze the whole house. A feature which most new builds will include anyway. This works by trapping air between two panes of glass which acts as a very poor conductor thus slowing the heat from its escape.
Instead, dressing the window in a fashionable and functional way can really help insulate the home. For example, blinds can be a good start for this. There are many types of blind, made of various materials, each with their own inherent properties that will insulate your home differently depending on how they are used.
One type many people use is wooden venetian blinds. These are great because wood is a natural insulator, which gives a big help to your windows and house insulation. The real benefit is created by the fact that venetian blinds can be left down all the time and then tilted to allow light in so that some benefit is always there. Any type of wooden covering will help in a similar manner such as shutters or wooden vertical blinds.
Another option is using blackout roller blinds, something you find in more homes lately. The fabric used is generally made from a 3 pass fabric, where a base fabric is effectively painted twice, once black and then again with the colour desired. This extra weight gives the fabric excellent insulating properties and retains heat more effectively. The limitation is that when the blind is up there is very little benefit as the blind is completely out of the way. Next there are roman blinds which can be made with interlining between the face fabric and the lining. This then offers a very luxurious feel and brilliant insulating properties. This will stop the heat conduction and also help your home keep warm.
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Overall, insulating your home by dressing your windows is something that really works whilst adding to the aesthetics of your home at the same time. Some blinds will add more of a benefit than others so it is important to choose your blinds carefully not only considering their aesthetic appeal or the price they are being sold for but also the insulating benefit they can create. A better quality blind can pay for itself over time so buying quality products over less expensive ones becomes a better option that are likely to last longer as well.
About this Author
Matthew Forde writes on behalf of Order Blinds Online an online UK based shop offering all styles of blinds as well as design tips, useful hints, tips and how to guides in order to help consumers choose the correct window dressings and extend the life of their current blinds.http://www.orderblinds.co.uk
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