Keep your Home Warm with Window Shutters this Winter

With recent news forecasting that winter 2013/2014 is set to be the coldest one we’ve experienced in years, it’s time to get your home prepared and protected for the colder months ahead.

A study taken out by The Edinburgh World Heritage Trust captured thermal images of houses demonstrating how much heat is lost from houses via windows. The results showed that those windows with shutters, blinds and curtains appeared in a blue colour, showing little heat loss compared to those that had curtains and shutters open (or none at all) that casted orange and red glows showing major heat and money loss.

Further to this, figures indicate that up to 30% of the heat lost from your house is lost through draughts, and in particular 20% is directly lost through doors and windows. Yet draught proofing is one of the cheapest ways to insulate your house and lower your energy bills.

How can window shutters and blinds can help?

Window dressing can not only make your windows look pretty and liven up your interior, but it also offers a much more practical function of helping eliminate draughts in the home. Blinds provide a layer between the window and the room, therefore helping reduce heat loss. Roman blinds and Venetian or wooden blinds are the best options to go for as they’re made from thicker materials, plus the slats from Venetian and wooden blinds give you more control as you can fully close them, helping retain heat in your room.  Similarly, curtains made from a thick, heavy material can significantly reduce any draughts. The earlier you close your curtains in the evenings the more benefit you’ll receive from them.

But more effective than both blinds and curtains are traditional window shutters.  Once discarded during the 20^th century due to cheap heating, the shutter is now back to offer us its full benefits once again, as research has brought to light just how effective they are at retaining heat. To highlight just how efficient they are, curtains have proven to reduce heat loss by 15%, whereas shutters reduce by an impressive 50% or more!

With figures like this, whether you go for internal, or both internal and external shutters, when fitted properly against a window frame they create an air space that insulates your window, meaning you’ll be guaranteed to notice a warming improvement – plus you can benefit from added security for your house too!  Just be aware that with internal shutters, you need to have a clear space either side of the window for when they’re opened during the day.  Now available in a selection of materials and colours, you can find the one to complement your interior, creating a classic look.

It simply boils down to the fact that when the temperature outside is colder than the temperature inside, your property will begin to loose heat but you shouldn’t overlook the important of protecting your house against unwanted draughts this winter. And with Edinburgh researchers claiming that window shutters can be just as effective as double glazing, it could provide you with a much cheaper way to insulate your house this winter.