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Can thermal blinds truly revolutionize conservatory insulation?
Absolutely! Thermal conservatory blinds wield transformative powers over your conservatory’s temperature. Imagine a haven where you can retain warmth during winter and repel excess heat in the scorching summer months. The key lies in choosing the right blinds, and among the myriad options available, let’s explore the champions of insulation.
Pleated Blinds – Developed Specifically For Conservatory Blinds Thermal Insulation
A thermal backing absorbs heat and also repels the heat, ensuring that when the blinds are drawn, the heat is reflected back through the glass in the summer and absorbed in the winter. The blinds minimise exposed glass, ensuring you total control of temperature, maintaining comfort and privacy.
Pleated blinds are recommended specifically for conservatories that have complex and obtuse shapes, especially for conservatory roofs. Again, the fabric has been specifically developed to be cut easily for the unique shapes and design a conservatory has.
Honeycombe (Also Known By Their Brand Name Duette® Blinds)
A honeycomb structure traps air between its fabric layers, enhancing energy efficiency and insulating your conservatory.
Honeycombe fabric is great for windows and doors on a conservatory and is easily manufactured for lean too, rectangular conservatory roofs. Specialist hot wire cutting tools have to be used for shaped roofs on honeycombe fabrics in order to get a fine, straight finish.
Both pleated blinds and honeycombe blinds are offered in dim out and blackout fabrics. Your choice of fabric depends on where your conservatory is situated, North/South/East/West. The more southerly positioned the conservatory, the more protection you will require, which will be blackout blinds.
Thermal Blinds Conservatory Insulation – What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Dim Out And Blackout Fabric
Dim Out Fabric – Is great for most conservatory types and provide excellent protection from the excesses your glass may produce. Dim out fabric is great if you are looking for protection but don’t want to detract from the light. If you have a south facing conservatory, dim out fabric will not be as efficient at protecting your conservatory from the harsh glare and heat from the sun in summer and in winter, and blackout fabric may be more suitable.
Blackout Fabric – Consider blackout fabric where you feel you need more protection from the glare and heat of the sun. Blackout fabric will give you more protection as it has a foil backing when compared to dim out fabric and a foil lining within the cells on honeycombe blinds. As the fabric is thicker than dim out fabric, you may also find the room appears darker. Blackout fabric is also great where you may want to use your conservatory or sunroom for activities such as watching television, working on a computer screen or as a guest room.
Thermal Qualities Of Other Blind Types
Roller Blinds – invariably will not have the specialist backings required to protect your conservatory or sunroom in the way pleated and honeycombe does. Roof Roller Blinds will require specialist fabrics to operate in the same way as pleated and honeycombe fabrics. Most domestic roller fabric is not designed to provide these qualities. Roller window blinds are designed to fit away from the glass, face fixed at the top of the window frame and so will not provide the required gap between the glass and the blind to affect the levels of insulation you would need to experience to provide thermal compliance. Specialist fabric (Solar R) is available for conservatory roofs but fabric and colour choice is limited when compared to pleated and honeycombe fabrics.
Pinoleum Blinds – For timber conservatories where you want a traditional dapped effect, pinoleum blinds look great but aren’t effective at insulation or repelling the heat. You would need an additional pleated or honeycombe lining on the back of the pinoleum blind to affect this which would double the price.
Vertical Blinds– provide basic shade when used as window blinds. The gaps in the slats mean that vertical blinds won’t provide you with any useful means to insulate when required, plus the fabric has not been developed for specialist use.
Oakhurst manufacture in-house all pleated and honeycombe conservatory blinds. Our specialist service means peace of mind that our experienced team of designers and installers offer the right fabric for your conservatories needs. Don’t wait until you are sweltering in the heat of the summer to make your decision. Plan ahead and get your blinds running up to winter and benefit from the added insulation thermal blinds offer and save on your bills too!
