Thermal Insulated Drapes
While window drapes can beautify your home, they can also serve as a thermal insulator for your home. Your windows are the primary source of heat loss and heat entry in your home. During the summer months, your windows allow direct sunlight to heat up your room which can make your living environment unbearably hot and uncomfortable. During the winter months, your windows allow the heat to escape through your home which makes your heating costs rise. Thermal insulated drapes can help mitigate
this effect.
A thermal insulated drape is not like any standard heavy curtain or drape. Thermal drapes have a special barrier designed to block out the transfer of heat. Usually but not always, thermal drapes are also blackout drapes in that they block out light completely. Although many people do make their own drapes, it is probably more difficult to find thermal drape material and try to weave them together with some other material. If you are looking for drapes for thermal insulation, your best bet is to buy them directly
pre-made. The thermal insulation material is typically a silver lining that prevents heat and light from passing through. You can find thermal drapes online as well as many retail stores.
Now before everyone runs out to get thermal insulated drapes for the winter, you should know a few things. First of all, if you really need insulation for the winter, you should consider double glazed windows. This is your best line of defense in cold weather. In extremely cold climates, thermal insulated drapes may actually be a detriment. Here’s why. The air between the thermal drapes and your windows can drop to very low temperatures causing extreme condensation and possibly leading to rotting of the wood
around your windows. Second, the gap between your thermal drapes and windows can create an air draft that leads to more heat loss. This is especially true when the air in the gap is very cold compared to your room temperature. So the moral of the story is that thermal drapes are good but for very cold weather, make sure your windows are doubled paned.
When you are looking for thermal insulated drapes, you should look for material that is resistant to mold or rot. This is important because thermal drapes typically face differing temperatures on either side which will create moisture buildup. Also try to find drapes that are breathable and does not keep moisture in.
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