Blinds: How Opposites Attract (And Can Save You Money in Multiple Ways)
Anyone who has kept tabs on the blinds industry over recent years will be fully aware of the immense development that has occurred. Once upon a time customers were left to decide between roller and Roman blinds. Now, a whole host of other options have entered the picture, ranging from motorized, thermal and solar.
For the Average Joe, the name of these products suggests that they target a certain type of user. For example, in theory at least, the thermal shade should target the house that’s based in a freezing cold environment. At the same time, solar shades should mainly benefit houses based in a warmer setting.
While the above is true to an extent, it’s important not to get blinded (we’re sure there’s an awful pun there somewhere) by the name.
For example, let’s start with the thermal shade. Initially, manufacturers were desperate to come up with a product that could insulate a home and ultimately lower its energy bills. On this note, they succeeded triumphantly and anyone who is looking to curb their annual heating spend should seriously look into one of these products. Their honeycomb appearance prevents heat from escaping from a room whilst also stopping the cold from entering.
This doesn’t mean to say that all properties which are based in a more exotic climate should ignore them though. The science works the other way and if you do live in a home which seems to experience the greenhouse effect – where the whole house becomes an oven courtesy of the sun – these thermal shades can work like a charm. They can stop the sun penetrating through your windows and ultimately slash your air conditioning bills in the process.
Let’s now move onto one of the other blind types we mentioned; motorized blinds. These systems were once seen as the ideal solution for the lazy (we really mean for those that wanted a touch of extravagance) or for those households with windows that were simply inaccessible.
Never in one’s wildest dreams would someone have believed that these once-expensive blinds could act as a true money-saver. However, nowadays, they can be the sure-fire way to again slash your energy bills.
Most of the advanced motorized blinds arrive with programmable timers. As the name suggests, these are able to dictate exactly when the blind opens and closes. The beauty of this, from a money and energy-saving perspective, is that you can allow sunlight to seep through during peak hours, whilst blocking it out when darkness falls. In other words, you take true advantage of all sides of the weather and daylight.
As you can see, we’ve only taken a look at a couple of examples here. However, the message is that blinds don’t have one use and one use only – even those which are marketed for one use can work in a completely opposite situation. They’re flexible, and this is ideal for the savvy buyer.
I agree that window blinds are flexible and can be used in other situations. As a savvy buyer, you must be flexible.