Keep your home warm, and your bills low this winter with quality window furnishings

May 20, 2022

With Autumn coming to an end, it’s time to think about keeping your home warm this winter. Good insulation can make your property far more comfortable to live in during the colder months and is useful in keeping energy bills down. Having a well-insulated home means you’re doing your bit for the environment; a win-win.

Here, we’re going to explore how quality window furnishings reduce heating costs. If you’re looking to make your home nice and cozy this winter, window furnishings should be somewhere around the top of the checklist. An easy and cost-effective way to make noticeable improvements to your home’s energy efficiency, it’s good to know the differences between the different types of window blinds, shutters, or curtains to keep your house warm.

Why quality window furnishings reduce heat costs

Windows are a hotspot for heat loss

Large windows can be a real asset in a house by letting in natural light and fresh air and providing you with views of the world around you. However, they’re a hotspot for heat loss. Various studies show that up to 40% of your home’s energy can be lost through windows.

Glass panes are influential conductors of heat and will draw in cold air from outside and cool the air that’s already inside your house. Poorly furnished windows can set up a cycle where warm air is cooled, so your heating systems will have to work harder to keep rooms warm. With the price of energy as high as it is, the costs of this cooling cycle soon add up.

2.Windows are a hotspot for heat loss

Stopping this cooling cycle requires trapping a layer of air next to your window, so more can’t be pulled in and cooled. The best way to achieve this is with practical window furnishings that create a seal around the window. But what makes a functional window furnishing?

Snug fit: if there are gaps between the furnishing and the window frame, air can still move freely, meaning the cooling cycle can continue, and heat loss will still occur. Preventing this means either having a pelmet at the top of the curtains or curtains that drop straight from the cornice. Full-length furnishings are also better at heat retention than those that don’t reach the floor.

Thickness: it should come as no surprise that heavier furnishings will provide more excellent insulation than lighter ones as it takes longer for heat to conduct through them.

Thermal properties: you can get thermal curtains made with insulated fabrics, specifically designed with heat retention properties. These often also function as blackout furnishings and provide optimum control over heat flows within your property.

Are blinds, shutters or curtains most effective at keeping your property warm?

Curtains will provide better insulation than blinds or shutters, as long as they’re high quality and installed correctly. However, it’s essential to understand that blinds and shutters can also be highly effective in reducing airflow around windows, thus improving the overall energy efficiency of your home.

The three points we covered above apply to whichever type of furnishing you have in mind. Namely, the fit of your furnishing will have a huge impact on how effective it is in keeping your home warm. While thickness and thermal properties may seem particularly relevant to curtains, both blinds and shutters can also come in a range of thicknesses and materials that will affect their ability to trap heat.

Having this range of options is significant because, as important as it is, heat retention isn’t the only factor that will dictate your choice of window furnishings. You’ll want something that fits your home’s overall aesthetic and is highly functional in the space you’ll be using it. Thick, full-length curtains, for example, might not be the most practical option in a relatively narrow area.

You can rest assured that, with expert knowledge, it’s possible to find a blind, shutter or curtain that will help keep your home warm and reduce your energy bills while also ticking all the other boxes you need it.

To learn more about the available options and get expert advice on what is suitable for you and your home, get in touch with the team at Empire Window Furnishings today.