It’s that time of year again. The mornings are darker and there’s a distinct chill in the air that wasn’t there a few weeks ago. Most people’s instinct is to turn the heating up, but before you do that, it’s worth taking a look at your windows.
A surprising amount of heat is lost through poorly dressed windows, and the fix is often simpler than people think.
Why Windows Matter More Than You Think
Glass is cold. Even double glazed windows lose heat far more quickly than a solid wall. If your window treatments aren’t doing their job properly, you’ll be feeling that through autumn and winter whether you realise it or not. Draughty windows, condensation and rooms that just never seem to warm up properly are often a window dressing problem as much as a glazing one.
The right curtains, blinds or shutters won’t replace good insulation, but they make a genuine difference to how warm a room feels and how hard your heating has to work to get it there.
Curtains
Curtains are one of the most effective ways to keep heat in a room once the temperature drops. A well-lined curtain creates a layer of insulation between the glass and the room. This traps warm air and slowing the rate at which heat escapes through the window.
If your current curtains are unlined or on the thinner side, this is worth addressing before winter properly arrives. A thermal lining can be added to existing curtains in some cases. If your curtains are looking tired anyway, now is a natural time to replace them with something more substantial.
Fabric weight matters too. Heavier fabrics like wool, velvet or a thick woven material will do more work than something lightweight and sheer. That doesn’t mean your curtains have to look heavy or old fashioned. There are plenty of options that work hard thermally while still looking contemporary and well considered.
Fit also makes a difference that people often underestimate. Curtains that are too narrow, too short or hung too close to the window frame let warm air escape around the edges. Ideally curtains should be hung close to the ceiling, extend well past the window frame on each side and reach the floor. The difference this makes to how a room holds heat is more noticeable than most people expect.
Blinds
Blinds tend to be associated more with light control than warmth, but the right blind in the right fabric can make a real contribution to keeping a room comfortable through the colder months.
Roman blinds in a heavier fabric sit flat against the window when closed, which helps reduce heat loss more effectively than a roller blind with gaps around the edges. If your windows are dressed with blinds only and you find rooms feeling cold in winter, it might be worth considering whether a curtain alongside would help, or whether upgrading the blind fabric makes more sense.
Cellular or honeycomb blinds are worth knowing about if warmth is a priority. They’re designed with small pockets of air built into the fabric which act as insulation. They perform noticeably better than a standard roller blind in a cold room. They’re not the most well known option but they’re worth asking about.
Shutters
Shutters are probably the most underrated window treatment when it comes to warmth. A solid or solid-panelled shutter closed at night creates a substantial barrier between the glass and the room, and the difference in how a room holds heat with shutters closed versus open can be quite striking.
Beyond the thermal benefit, shutters are also draught proof in a way that curtains and blinds simply aren’t. If you have older windows that let in cold air around the frame, shutters can help compensate for that considerably.
They’re a bigger investment than curtains or blinds, but they’re also a long term one. A well fitted set of shutters will last the lifetime of the house and add to it aesthetically all year round, not just in winter.
A Few Practical Things
If you haven’t already, it’s worth going around your windows on a cold evening and just feeling for draughts. Run your hand around the frame and along the bottom of the window. If you can feel cold air coming through, your window treatments are working harder than they should have to.
It’s also worth thinking about your curtain and blind routine through winter. Drawing curtains and closing blinds as soon as the light fades outside, rather than waiting until bedtime, makes a noticeable difference to how warm a room stays through the evening.
And if you have rooms that you heat less often, keeping the window treatments closed in those rooms during the day helps stop the cold from spreading into the rest of the house.
If you’re thinking about updating your curtains, blinds or shutters ahead of winter, come and see us in the showroom. We can help you work out what would make the most difference in your home.