Winter is settling in, and fighting off that chill can be a struggle. Undoubtedly, you have discovered a number of tricks to keep yourself warm during with winter, even in a cooler house. While sealing up leaks around your home and pulling on a sweater definitely help, consider redressing your windows this winter.
Around a third of the heat your house loses goes straight out the window, literally. Besides sealing your window seams, you can insulate your windows, and your home, by simply redressing them. Blinds and other window treatments can significantly warm a room and cut your energy costs substantially. A house with an average of 15 windows can save an average $150 in one winter when they’re dressed with energy-efficient window coverings.
There are a number of window dressings you can choose from. Curtains, shades, and blinds can all work well. But while blinds work best at shielding your home from sunlight and summer heat, they can also help retain heat in the winter. Most people think of heavy curtains first, but unlike other window dressing options, the slats are flexible and can be adjusted to control light and ventilation.
Choosing the Best Blinds
A whole host of options can make selecting the right material and style difficult when picking out blinds. When shopping for the right window treatments, start by considering the look you want, how convenient a particular style will be to use, and the quality and insulation properties of the design.
Both interior and exterior blinds are available, and both help regulate the temperature of your home. Exterior blinds are typically made of wood, aluminum, or vinyl. These are mounted above the window on the outside of your house, and they are guided by side channels. Interior blinds come in a variety of materials and are hung on a track over the top of the window.
The style and material matter a lot when it comes to choosing a type of blind that will insulate your home efficiently. The slats themselves may be vertical or horizontal, though horizontal are the most common. You can determine how well a material will insulate your home by checking their R-Value. The R-Value reveals how well a material resists temperature changes. In other words, the higher the R-Value, the better the material will insulate your home. For the best heat retention, choose a material with a high R-Value and overlapping slats.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds are slowly catching on. Horizontal blinds are the most common choice, but vertical blinds are actually lower maintenance. These are easier to clean than horizontal blinds and tend to be more durable. Provided they overlap with a leading edge when closed, vertical blinds form a sufficient barrier between indoor and outdoor temperatures.
Wood Blinds
Wood blinds are not as common as they should be. Blinds come in a variety of materials, but wooden blinds offer more solid insulation than any other material. In addition to being better insulators, wood blinds are also extremely durable and give the interior of a home an elegant, sophisticated feel.
Pleated Blinds
Pleated Blinds are another great insulator. There are usually made from dust-resistant polyester that’s anti-static and easy to clean. These work well because the honeycomb cells that make them up create a barrier of insulating air. These cells prevents drafts and maintain indoor temperatures. With their slightly puffy design, pleated blinds give an almost cloud-like impression and lend themselves well to a delicate, airy design.
Wooden Plantation Blinds
Wooden plantation blinds are arguably the best window treatment when it comes to winter. Sometimes called plantation shutters, these are not only attractive and versatile but extremely durable. Their heavy design provides the best insulation, and when they are completely closed, plantation blinds create a solid and durable wall of slats that keeps cold air out and heat in. While they are not the cheapest or fastest solution, they definitely pay off in the long run with energy savings and home comfort.
Wield the Wand
Blinds work well at regulating the temperature of your home, because they’re so versatile. With a twist of their wand, you can control how much light and air is allowed through your windows. To make the most of your blinds, open them wide during the day to invite warming sunlight into your home. As soon as the sun starts to set, seal them up. Keeping your blinds closed at night helps keep the heat in and the cold out. The better you monitor your blinds, the more you can maximize their impact on your home climate.
Regardless of how well you monitor your blinds during the day, the higher their quality, the better off you are at insulating your home. While the standard vinyl horizontal blinds help, investing in a higher R-Value material will pay off in the long run. All that money you’re spending on blinds comes back in energy savings and comfort. Even if you’re dressing every window in your home with high quality blinds, in most cases, they’ll pay themselves off in about 15 years. Blinds are an essential component in weatherproofing your home, and are as cost-effective as they are energy efficient.