Blinds and Shutters: keeping your home cool this summer

Whilst the warm weather is a blessing outside, it can be a burden inside if your home is not geared up to keep out the heat. To stop you from blasting out the air conditioning all season, sometimes just choosing the right blinds can make a huge difference to the temperature of your home. That’s why we’ve put together this simple  guide to the best blinds and shutters to keep you home cool this summer, along with some general tips about how you can conserve energy using your blinds and shutters.

Best blinds and shutters to keep out the summer heat

Plantation shutters

These window treatments keep the stuffy heat out in summer, whilst retaining heat during winter, improving the energy efficiency of your home during all seasons. Not only that, but they also give your windows a clean, stylish look.

Vertical blinds

Vertical blinds are often used as curtain substitutes, as they draw across the window in a similar way. As well as being ideal for privacy purposes, these blinds are great at reducing glare and heat and their effectiveness can be improved depending on what fabric is used.                                                

Venetian blinds 

The main advantage of this style of blind is that they are slatted, and can be tilted, allowing the user to easily control the amount of light and heat that enters a room. They are commonly made from aluminum or wood.

Roller blinds

Roller blinds offer total light and privacy control, they are not slatted and consist of a sheet of fabric that can be rolled down the length of your window. They are very effective at reducing the amount of solar radiation travelling into a room. Also, because they are flat and hang straight down, their design means that they will cause less obstruction to items on your window sills.

Perfect fit blinds

Popular because of their no-drill, easy-fit features, these blinds are also available in a variety of styles that offer heat reduction qualities, such as Venetian or roller styles. They can also be tailored to avoid gapping, ensuring that no beams of light filter into the room.

More heat control tips:

• The colour of blinds and shutters can also have a big effect on heat retention in a home; lighter colours will reflect solar radiation, helping to cool a room, whereas darker colours will have the opposite effect.
• To sleep easier in a cooler room, keep your blinds and shutters completely closed at night.
• Use blackout fabrics for your blinds. This is the most effective way to stop the sunlight from heating up your home. Additionally, they have a double benefit of also keeping your home warmer in winter. But blackouts don’t have to be black; they are available in a range of colours and prints, ideal for any decor.

At Angel Blinds and Shutters, we understand the need to keep your home cool and comfortable in the summer months. We are a family run business, offering a wide range of made to measure products to Newcastle and surrounding areas. To discuss your individual requirements or arrange a free home visit, simply give our experienced team a call today.

All images from stock.