Is the summer weather getting you down? Is your air conditioning compressor always on, and yet your house isn’t cool enough?
Most houses lose 10% of their heat through their windows, more if you have floor-to-ceiling windows, or windows that face the sunlight – particularly in the middle of the afternoon.
How?
There are many ways. Radiation from the sun goes directly through the glazing, and conduction takes place in the space between the two window panes.
Air from outside can leak in around the frame, and hot air can be conducted directly through the frame.
So all your hard work and keeping your house cool can be ruined by windows -but it doesn’t have to be.
You don’t have to be remodeling your home to invest in your windows. Small treatment ideas can keep your home cool all summer long. Check out these top summer inspired window treatment ideas to help you stay cool and refreshed.
1. Window Treatments with Shutters
If you want to start from the outside, you can invest in shutters.
Most windows don’t have any type of cover on them; however, shutters affixed to the outside of your home can give you a great way to close everything up when the sun is at its highest, and keep your temperatures cooler.
Even investing in small shutters with wooden slats can go a long way toward keeping out some of the excess heat.
2. Window Treatments with Rolling Shutters
If you want something even fancier, for a long-term solution to keep your house cool, European-style rolling shutters are installed to the outside of each window.
Used for over a century in Europe, these are retractable, automated rolling shutters made of metal.
With the Press of a button, especially on larger windows or floor-to-ceiling windows, the shutters come all the way down and latch in place, forming a solid barrier.
This barrier reflects heat and sunlight back where they came from, so it doesn’t get in your house.
Note: In addition to providing great heat deflection, when these rolling shutters are completely closed, they connect in place and provide a complete barrier against break-ins – increasing the security of your house.
3. Windows Treatments with Film
Not all of the changes have to take place outside. Some of them can take place inside your home.
If you don’t own your property or you live in an apartment or condominium, there are still many great ways to keep your house cool.
Sun controlling window film is a sticky film that you attach like a decal to your window.
You can find non-adhesive static decals if you want them in place only for the summer, or you can invest in reflective, anti-uv soil that is more permanent.
Blackout static film can be used to completely block the sunlight. In any case, the design behind this window film is not only to give you extra privacy when your windows are open during the summer, but to reflect the sunlight and the heat back outside.
These films are very easy to install, and you can add them to a window of any size temporarily.
This is particularly advantageous if you don’t own your home or apartment, but you still need a way to control the sunlight during the summer months.
4. Window Treatments with Long Curtain Rods
You can get a long curtain rod installed over each window, particularly those in the bedroom. Longer curtain rods will get you better coverage.
Instead of the current window treatments you have fitted directly into the window frame, extra long curtain rods that extend beyond the edges of the window frame allow you to pull curtains all the way around, enclosing the window and blocking sunlight when and where you don’t want it.
Not only does this directly block the Sun, but it directly blocks a great deal of heat that can alter the temperature of your home.
5. Window Treatments with Blackout Curtains
Furthermore, as you are investing in extra long drapery rods, consider updating the actual curtains.
Outdated drop-down window blinds made of plastic are much too thin to protect against excess heat waves emanating through your windows.
The more windows you have, the worst this problem can be – especially if you get direct sunlight.
Even thicker wooden slats, if painted white, can still project heat into the room like an oven. For that reason, thicker, heavy or blackout curtains are worth considering.
These curtains are designed to literally block out any sunlight, particularly useful for people who work during the night and have to sleep during the day.
But in the summertime you can use them in rooms where you aren’t working or relaxing, to block out as much of the excess heat as possible.
Overall, there are many things you can do to improve the temperature of your home just by modifying your windows. There are solutions that you can invest in for long term savings or short-term savings.
You will find window treatments that work in small apartments also do wonders for large homes with floor-to-ceiling windows. It is up to you to decide if you want to invest in summer-inspired window treatment ideas for the outside of your windows or the inside.
Don’t overpay for air conditioning when you can invest in simple window treatment ideas to save each month.
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