Consider Blinds to Keep Your Home Warm This Winter - By: Jamie Simpson

If you love the atmosphere of a warm, toasty home in the winter but you hate the high price tag that comes along with heating your house, look into installing a window treatment to help keep the warmth in your house this winter season. Just as window treatments help keep the heat out and the cool in during the summer, it pushes the cold out and reserves the heat in the winter. It is a natural and inexpensive way to take advantage of Mother Nature and keep some dollars in your wallet this season.

There are two main types of window treatments. There are curtains and there are blinds. Curtains are a great option if you are looking to keep a modern look and you main concern is staying warm. Curtains do a great job trapping in heat, but it's hard to allow sunlight in and they become somewhat useless in the summertime.

Shades will mostly likely be your best bet because they are versatile during all of the seasons. Shades are made of a series of strips of plastic; the strips slightly overlay each other, preventing the heat to escape the home. Most blinds can be rotated at different angles to let different amounts of sunlight in if you wish, and a lot feature an ability to roll up if you want the whole room to be lit by the natural light.

Utilize the sun during the day by opening the shades to allow the sunshine to pour into the house. This is even more effective if there is snow or ice outside, because the sunlight magnifies off the white/clear colour and is strengthen. When the sun starts to set, close the shades to block in all of the energy and use it to warm your home. You might consider putting a rug or carpet in the room as well, because this will also maintain heat and work with the shades to create the warmest environment possible.

These shades can also be made from wood, but wood tends to be slightly more expensive and not nearly as easy to clean as plastic shades. Shades act the same way in the summer as they do in the winter, because they trap the cool air and push out the hot. With shades, you get more for your money and a longer lasting purchase. Curtains often discolour and trap smell. Shades tend to be more easily cleaned with a sponge or wipe.

In addition to utilizing window treatments, block drafts with blankets and pillows. Make sure to seal or block off any cracks to make sure no heat is escaping and no cold air is coming in. Also consider blocking off doors with pillows at the base to stop cold air from seeping in. Use blankets in the stairwell to block the heat onto whatever level of the house you sleep in so you can stay warm during the night.

Blinds are an inexpensive way to spruce up your home and put more money back in your bank. Consider installing them this fall so you are ready to go when the cold winter sets in.

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