Do blinds keep heat in?

It's that time of year again when the temperature is dropping and buildings are becoming cooler. Consequentially, a lot of people are now asking the same question; do blinds keep heat in?

The amount of heat that is lost from a building is determined firstly by its insulation, but other factors contribute to net heat loss. Lost heat increases energy bills because more heating is needed to maintain an optimum temperature. Given that energy costs remain high, businesses pay a huge amount of money to heat workplaces during winter.

Do blinds keep heat in?

Businesses and homes nationwide use blinds as their chosen shading and screening solution. A lot of heat can be lost through windows, but blinds prevent some heat from escaping. Blinds essentially create a barrier between the warm air inside and the cold air outside, reducing the amount of heat lost.

Did you know blinds reduce heat loss by up to 33%?

The overall effectiveness of blinds preventing heat from escaping depends on the type of blind, its fabric and how it’s installed. A fully enclosed cassette blind with pile seals and a thick fabric reduces heat loss by around 33%!

Fitting a blind within a window recess will keep more heat in than if the blind was installed over the recess. If a blind is fitted over a recess, this creates a larger gap between the window and blind, allowing cold air to build up and heat to escape. The closer the blind is to the window, the more effective it’ll be in keeping heat inside.

Do roller blinds keep heat in?

Yes, roller blinds provide some insulation, but their effectiveness depends on the fabric and whether you have fitted a cassette roller blind with side channels. A standard roller blind reduces heat loss by around 13%, whilst the addition of side channels increases this to 22%.

Side channels prevent a lot of airflow on either side of the blind's fabric, helping to keep the cool air out and the warmth in. 

Do venetian blinds keep heat in?

We’ve established that blinds prevent heat from escaping, but some types provide small benefits and won’t reduce a company’s energy bills significantly. Venetian blinds have multiple gaps, which, even when closed, are not airtight. Heat can escape through the gaps between the slats, making them a poor choice if insulation is a priority.

Do vertical blinds prevent heat loss?

Vertical blinds are slightly better at preventing heat loss because there are fewer gaps between the louvres than venetian slats. However, air still finds a way through the gaps which is why we recommend blinds with a single, unbroken piece of fabric when it comes to thermal insulation for winter. Venetian blinds are generally worse than vertical blinds because they often feature aluminium slats which are not good insulators.

Our recommendation

Our Eden blackout blind fabric provides an excellent layer of insulation in cold months, plus the added bonus of complete darkness. Any roller blind that features Eden blackout fabric will help keep heat inside a building.

Due to their design, our blackout blinds provide the highest level of insulation. The blackout blinds come with side channels, pile-seals in the head box and baffles in the side channels and bottom bar, ensuring no light or draught gets through the blackout blind when fully closed.

If you need thermal insulation without completely blocking out daylight, we recommend our cassette blinds with side channels. We can create a cassette blind featuring fabric with a higher light transmittance. The cassette blind’s side channels will help keep the warmth in the building. Side channels also ensure that the window can be opened in the summer without the wind causing the blind to smack around and make a distracting noise.

Summary

Blinds can keep heat inside and prevent cold air from entering the window. To maximise the efficacy of a blind in preventing heat from escaping, we recommend a thick fabric that is positioned as close to the windowpane as possible. Side channels can also help to stop a draught coming in and cooling a room, reducing the need for central heating.

If you’d like to talk to an expert about which blinds and fabrics provide the most benefit during cold weather, please get in touch.

If you'd like to learn more about blinds and heat, you can read our new article titled "Do blinds keep heat out?" which is linked here.