How to cool your home with blinds during a heat wave | Make My Blinds (2024)

Summer has arrived in full force! The scorching temperatures have already soared above 30C in the UK, leaving no doubt that a blazing season lies ahead. According to a report from The Guardian, there are compelling indications that we may witness a rerun of last year's unprecedented heat wave.

Lot's of us will resort to running air conditioning and floor fans around the clock, causing energy bills to skyrocket. But by using your blinds correctly you can cool down your home and save on energy bills.

It's time to tackle the burning question: How should I use my blinds to keep my home cool during the summer? Read on for a quick exploration of how blinds can block heat, keep your room cool, and which blinds are best to transform your home from a sweaty sauna to a summer sanctuary.

Should I keep my blinds and windows closed during a heatwave?

A heatwave rages outside, and you're contemplating whether to close the blinds and seal your windows shut. Surprisingly, it might just be the coolest move you make!

By closing your windows and blinds, you can block or reflect the sun’s rays, preventing the external heat from infiltrating your home. It’s wise to shut out the scorching air during the hottest parts of the day. Once the outside temperature is cooler, mainly during the evening, that's the perfect time to fling those windows open and open the blinds to welcome much-needed air circulation and cool the room down.

How to cool your home with blinds during a heat wave | Make My Blinds (1)

Which type of blinds are best to keep your home cool in summer?

All blinds have different thermal and opacity properties, making some types superior at blocking the sun and cooling your home than others. Here we give our expert opinion on the best blinds to cool your home in Summer.

Blackout Blinds

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We often get asked do blackout blinds keep heat out? The short answer is yes.

The thick blackout speciality fabric combats the heat through the power of darkness. Keeping the room dark during the day will help prevent it from turning into a sun-baked oven, ensuring your room remains a chilled oasis. An excellent tip for bedrooms is to layer your blinds with blackout curtains.

Blackout blinds are available in a host of styles, from blackout roller blinds, blackout roman blinds, blackout vertical blinds and blackout pleated blinds.

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Electric Blinds

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Electric roller blinds can improve the energy efficiency of your home even further. By automating blinds to close during the hottest parts of the day and open when the sun disappears, you can maximise the ability to keep your home cooler.

These smart blinds can be controlled from anywhere in the world using a smartphone app, so even when away from home, you can still open and close them to create the perfect conditions for your return. You can also set automatic timers and connect your blinds to other smart home devices to create personal scenarios to suit your lifestyle.

Electric roller blinds teamed with a light-coloured blackout fabric are the ideal choice to prevent overheating and improve energy efficiency.

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Honeycomb Blinds

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When it comes to the best blinds for defeating heat, honeycomb blinds, also known as cellular blinds, claim the crown.

With their unique cellular structure, these blinds trap air, creating an impenetrable barrier against heat transfer. Plus, they come in a stunning array of colours and styles, ensuring you beat the heat with the utmost style and sophistication.

Not only can they be used on windows, but honeycomb perfect-fit blinds can be installed on uPVC and aluminium doors, including patio and bifold doors.

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Thermal Roman Blinds

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As well as lending a full look to your roman blinds our high-quality thermal lining protects against overheating. The specially designed thermal lining provides a further layer of protection and a barrier to the sun. Regulating the temperature of the room to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer.

Thermal blinds will make your home more energy efficient and help you save money on energy bills.

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How to cool your home with blinds during a heat wave | Make My Blinds (6)

Which colour of blinds are best to keep your home cool in summer?

Light-coloured blinds, particularly white are the best choice for keeping your home cool in summer. Dark coloured blinds, especially black blinds, can have the opposite effect. They'll do their job in terms of privacy and light control, but the dark colour will attract the sun and could potentially add to overheating.

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We hope you use our tips on how to cool your home so you can feel comfortable, sleep well, not to mention avoid running air conditioning and floor fans around the clock. If you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it and spreading the love.

How to cool your home with blinds during a heat wave | Make My Blinds (2024)

FAQs

How to cool your home with blinds during a heat wave | Make My Blinds? ›

Roller blinds with blackout lining and cellular fabric are the best option for windows or doors. These products will help keep your home cool during a heat wave by blocking out the sun's rays and keeping them from entering your home.

How to keep a house cool with blinds? ›

You may also need to make changes in the middle of the day, as the sun moves around the house. To keep the heat out with blinds, the blind needs to be closed; and for light-filtering blinds, they need to be closed fully and flush into one uniform piece.

How do I keep my house cool during a heat wave? ›

10 tips to keep you and your house cool this summer
  1. Close your blinds. Keep your blinds closed, especially on north and west-facing windows, to significantly cool your home. ...
  2. Block the heat. ...
  3. Just 1oCmore. ...
  4. Adjust ceiling fans. ...
  5. Close doors and seal gaps. ...
  6. Hang out in the evening. ...
  7. Chill out, not chill on. ...
  8. Hack a fan.

Should you close blinds on a hot day? ›

The short answer is yes, closing your blinds can help to keep the heat out of your home. When sunlight enters your home through windows, it heats up the air and surfaces inside. By blocking out the sun's rays, you can prevent some of this heat from entering your home in the first place.

Should blinds be turned up or down in summer? ›

TO HELP WITH SUMMER HEAT

Keeping out the harsh sunlight and UV rays will help prevent fading of furnishing, flooring and paint. If you want to allow some sunlight in, turn your blinds so the slats are facing upward.

How do you stop heat from coming through blinds? ›

2. Blockout Roller or Panel Blinds. Another option for blocking out solar heat is to install blockout blinds over your windows. Blockout blinds are opaque, which means they don't let any light pass through.

How do you position blinds to keep heat out? ›

When blinds are closed with the slats turned up and the rounded side facing out, the heat is directed towards the ceiling, which helps keep the room cooler. This is the ideal position for blinds in the hotter months.

How to cool your house in 100 degree weather? ›

Here are 8 tips to cool your home better during a heat wave!
  1. Set the thermostat higher. ...
  2. Turn the fan switch to the “on” position. ...
  3. Keep shades closed on extremely hot days. ...
  4. Close off unused rooms to conserve energy. ...
  5. Consider using ceiling fans to keep you cool. ...
  6. Don't use appliances on extremely hot days.
Jul 10, 2019

How cool should my house be if it's 110 outside? ›

Utilities do their own research, but also have followed the recommendations of a federal program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, which recommends that thermostats should be set at 78 degrees for comfort and savings. “When it's really hot outside, your AC feels it too.

What should I set my AC at during heatwave? ›

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, your AC temperature should be set at 78 degrees Fahrenheit for peak comfort and energy efficiency.

Should blinds be up or down for cooling? ›

Conserving Energy

In the summer, when A/C units are running to cool your home, turning your blind slats upward helps reduce heat levels. The convex edges of the slats against the window force light and heat toward the ceiling.

What blinds make your room cooler? ›

Cellular shades, or honeycomb shades, are one of the most energy efficient window coverings you can buy. They use a series of honeycomb-like cell pockets to trap air around your windows, keeping your rooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Does shutting blinds help AC? ›

Also, if you have air conditioning (or being as this is the UK, for most of us, a more relevant statement would be “ if you have a fan”), closing your blinds will help the air conditioning unit to work more efficiently and at lower cost, or make your fan just that little bit more effective in its support of your sweat ...

Do blinds make your house cooler? ›

Window blinds—vertical (Venetian blinds) or horizontal slat-type (louvered-type)—are effective at reducing summer heat gain and reducing glare, while providing good daylight indoors.

What direction should my blinds face? ›

For maximum privacy, you will want to close your blinds with the individual slats facing upward.

Does putting blinds down 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.

Do blinds keep your house cooler? ›

Window blinds—vertical (Venetian blinds) or horizontal slat-type (louvered-type)—are effective at reducing summer heat gain and reducing glare, while providing good daylight indoors.

Does a house stay warmer with blinds closed? ›

Smart Home Cooling Tips. Close your blinds and curtains. Keeping your blinds closed during the day will reflect a surprising amount of heat radiating in through windows, especially during the time of day when the sun's rays shine directly on your home.

Which blinds are best to reduce heat? ›

Blackout Blinds

The thick blackout speciality fabric combats the heat through the power of darkness. Keeping the room dark during the day will help prevent it from turning into a sun-baked oven, ensuring your room remains a chilled oasis. An excellent tip for bedrooms is to layer your blinds with blackout curtains.

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