Your window furnishings play a huge role in keeping your home cool in summer and warm in winter. In fact, did you know that 40% of your home's temperature is lost through uncovered windows? This is also where 87% of heat is gained.
Whether you're building a new home, renovating, or simply making some cosmetic updates, it's important to think about the role that window coverings can play in helping you passively heat or cool your home.
By cleverly insulating your windows with the right coverings - and investing in smart sun protection - you can cut your electricity costs, and keep your home more naturally temperate all year round.
Here's how:
Choose Quality Window Coverings
One of the most logical - but often overlooked - elements of heating and cooling is to cover your windows. By investing in reliable, high-quality window coverings, you can prevent heat from entering your home in summer, and also escaping in winter.
Cellular blinds are one of the most energy efficient and durable window coverings on the market. The cellular design creates air pockets, trapping air within the cell that acts as an insulator between the room and window and the air being transferred through the window. This helps with energy savings by keeping rooms warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
You can also create effective insulation with a covering such as ehi’s eco shutter - shutters will help reduce your home’s energy consumption by offering heat reflection during summer months and will act as an insulator an in the winter.
2. Create Shaded Outdoor Zones
We Australians love to enjoy the great outdoors - especially over summer, and having ample outdoor space can be a wonderful way to create that 'holiday feel' in your home all year round. By creating shaded outdoor zones, you not only create more usable living areas, but you also prevent radiant heat from entering your home via the windows during summer.
Designed with Innovation + Quality at the forefront our Weinor awnings are German engineered award winning shade systems. Designed specifically to suit our unique coastal environment. They also have inbuilt UV - protection, all parts are stainless steel, all are covered with water proof anti corrosion and scratch resistant coating and fitted with unique wind sensor systems.
In fact Weinor's fabric collection can eliminate up to 95% of solar heat. Enabling you to stay outside up to 80 times longer than the skin’s natural protective mechanism could allow. Bringing you long-term energy savings and helping you feel comfortable no matter what the weather's doing.
One of the easiest ways to control the temperature in your home is to open or close your window coverings at the right time of day. On a hot summer's day, for instance, it's wise to lower your coverings early in the day - and keep them closed until the temperature and air cools in the evening. This will prevent some radiant heat from entering your internal living spaces.
At ehi we offer a the full range of Somfy options when it comes to the operation of your blinds, shutters or awnings. Your shades can be opened or closed with the touch of a button - even those on the exterior of your home. You can use either the Somfy remote, voice control or the Connexoon app on your own smartphone or device. You can even set timers - so your blinds open at a certain time in the morning, or close at a specific time in the evening. Plus, smart controls let you program your window coverings around the movement of the sun and your holidays.
Of course, not all window coverings in the home need to be automated in order to help you regulate temperatures. In fact, ehi offers a range of options to make it incredibly easy and efficient to open and close the window coverings around your home.
To find out more about our range, visit our website or get in touch with us to discuss the options that are right for your home.
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