There are several ways to cool and heat the house using economical and green solutions, but so few know about these tips and tricks. Instead of relying only on the air conditioner and the heater this year, explore the benefits of blinds and other window coverings to naturally cool off and keep your home warm. Blinds and shades do more than save on heating and cooling. Consider what they can do for your home.
Energy Costs
The High Desert can get extremely hot during the summer, but because of the desert’s climate, it also gets very cold at night and in the winter. Most people know about convection heating, but few people know about radiant heating.
The sun can and will heat up the windows of the house, which heats up the home indirectly, but sunlight will also heat up the things inside the home. The High Desert isn’t a stranger to the sun. The sun’s rays permeate objects, which causes them to heat up. This is great for people who are outside in the snow on sunny days because it warms them up. This can cause a house to heat up drastically, and the never-ending cycle of air conditioning does little to help cool off the house.
By using blinds and shades on the windows, furniture and other items won’t heat up in the same way, which keeps the home significantly cooler. Shade can decrease the temperature by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. For programmed air conditioners that turn on at certain temperatures, this can mean drastic savings on energy costs because the home will be naturally cooler. An added benefit to blocking out the sun’s rays is that items in the home remain undamaged.
Heating Costs
Blocking out the sun during the warm times of the year cools off the house, and allowing sunlight to enter the home helps to heat things up naturally. Another largely unknown fact about blinds is that they can help to preserve heat within the home. Because the windows of the home heat up with the sun, changing the position of the slats of the blinds prevents heat from leaching outside. This is due to the unique curvature of the slats. Opening blinds in the day helps to heat up the home, and closing them at night helps to keep the heat in.
It’s time to save a substantial amount of money on heating and cooling by choosing shades or blinds. It’s too hot in the High Desert right now not to.
