Window Blinds Can Help Regulate Heat Transfer In Your Home
When you turn on the comfort system in your home, the goal is to warm or cool the inside, not the outside. If you aren't taking measures to prevent heat loss or gain through your windows, you're aren't accomplishing this goal. In terms of heat loss, it's estimated that the average home loses as much as 25% of its warm air through the windows in the winter months. Installing blinds over your windows can help minimize heat transfer and help you save money.
Blinds Minimize Heat Transfer
When it comes to not only keeping your heating and cooling cost manageable, but also minimizing excess wear and tear on your comfort systems, preventing excessive heat transfer is key. During the colder months of the year, this means keeping the warm air inside your home from escaping out. In the summer, this means keeping the warm air from outside from getting into your home.
Installing blinds can help you accomplish both of these goals. When installed over a properly insulated window, blinds serve as an extra barrier of protection that prevents air from passing in or out of your home significantly. Experts suggest that blinds have the potential to reduce the amount of heat gained from the sun by as much as 45%, having a positive effect on your cooling bills in the summer.
Choosing Blinds
Experiencing these benefits begins with choosing the right blinds for your home. Here are some helpful tips.
Material. While blinds are traditionally fashioned in a plastic material, wood and sheer, or solar, blinds make excellent choices for minimizing heat transfer. Given the superior heat blocking qualities of each of these options, they can both be installed on windows with high sun exposure, such as west or south facing windows. However, wood blinds will block out much of the natural light. If you want more light let in, solar blinds are better suited.
Slate Pattern. Blinds are available in vertical or horizontal slate patterns. The direction the window is facing will give you a clue as to which option will better regulate heat transfer. The reason for this is that the direction of the slate determines to what degree the blind is able to block the sun's UV rays. For north and south facing windows, choose horizontal blinds. For east and west facing windows, choose a vertical blind.
A blind retailer won't just be able to assist you with the installation process, but also help you with the selection process to ensure you are choosing the right blinds to minimize heat transfer in your home.
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