Sustainability Tip: Thermal Curtains

As we were moving some stuff to our new house last night, I made note of something my downstairs neighbors have done that just got under my skin.  They have foil up over the windows of one of their rooms downstairs.  Now, I have to admit, after living in this military town I see foil over the windows and think one thing, drug houses.  It's a common trait around here, but I didn't think our neighbors were that sort of people.  As it turns out, they're not, thankfully!  They're just using it as a quick-fix way to keep the sun from over-heating their game room.  This came with the additional warning that those front rooms get hot during the summer.

I started thinking about this whole thing.  It's winter, so I'm not too worried about keeping our house cool.  Yes, during the day Texas homes tend to get warm regardless of the time of year, though there are plenty of cool, rainy days too.  When I was in our apartment, though it was cool outside, it wasn't terribly cool inside even without heat, but it definitely wasn't a comfortable temperature for taking off coats and settling in.  We're definitely going to need heat in the winter, and air conditioning in the summer is a must all across Texas.  Of course, heating in winter and cooling in summer can get quite expensive and I don't know how well these homes are insulated.  We've already been informed that the boys room will likely have a tendency to get quite hot in the summer, so this is something I need to think about.  How can I afford to keep my family comfortable without spending a fortune on our electricity bill.

About a year ago I found the perfect solution.  There are some thermally insulated curtains for sale at most places you can buy household goods.  They do come with the down side of not allowing light through, but for napping children, or rooms you're not in at the time, these are perfect.  Yes, they won't help too much when you have them drawn away to let light in, but again, you can retain all the benefits of heating or cooling at night instead of dealing with drafty windows.

This is more than a benefit to creating comfort for our climate controlled lives.  This is also a huge thing for sustainability!  The less you have to make use of your heater or AC, the less electricity your house is consuming.  If you're running off strictly solar or wind energy, this may not be that big of a deal for anything but your wallet, but if you're running off of standard energy sources, you're doing your small part to benefit the environment and the world around you.

However, on the side of the wallet, these curtains are expensive, running a minimum of $60 per set for your average drape curtains.  I've been able to find a tie-up shade variety for $40, but that's still expensive for most families budgets.  I do have to say, there is a huge advantage to the tie-up kind, aside from the reduced cost.  Tie-up shades can still cover half the window even when they're opened   While they may not be trapping the heat or cool air so much at that rate, they are still performing the function of reducing the light that enters the room turning the space into a virtual oven in the summer.  The early darkness in the winter allows for much earlier use of the curtains during the day to trap in the heat, especially if you're in a further northern area that gets more cold than we do here in Texas.

Another advantage to these curtains is that, aside from the thermal insulation part, there are many varieties and colors available on the market.  While they may be pricey, they can match the decor of almost any room, so if having a home that's aesthetically pleasing is important to you, this is also a great benefit!  You can pick a style that really works for your home!

For those of you, like me, who would love to do this for their family, but simply don't have the money to spend on expensive curtains, you can always make the investment a room at a time.  Start with the rooms that need the benefit of these insulated curtains the most.  In my case it would be the boys' room, but there was one place I lived where the first choice would likely be the front entry way and living room.  This will give you the biggest benefit on controlling the climate in your house early on.  I would also avoid the area the thermostat is located until last as that will effect how regularly your heat or air conditioning comes on, which is a benefit, but could leave you with hot or cold spaces in your home.  Of course, in the winter that may be ideal if you prefer to sleep in a cool room, or if you spend very little time in the rooms you're not taking the time to insulate first.

While this investment may sound like a lot of money, in the long run it will definitely help save on your heating and air conditioning bill, and as a result, save on the resources that provide those services.  If you own your own home, this also comes with the benefit of only having to be done once, unless you decide to redecorate and the curtains no longer match to your liking.  For those of us who are in apartment spaces it can be a lot more tricky, especially as the number of windows you have in each room may change if you decide to move.

However, if you're so inclined and know how to sew, insulated curtains can be made just as easily as anything else!  Simply purchase some insulating material (often found in the home and garden section from what I've heard, but you may need to ask) and sew it on the inside of the curtains you already have!  You can also make your own curtains complete with insulating material.  This may be more cost effective for your family and allows for greater variety in color, texture, and shape.  Just avoid sheer drapes as they would show the insulating material below.  If you really want sheer drapes, you can always put insulated drapes over the sheer ones and simply pull them back when not in use.  Of course, I have no idea how well these would work for blocking out the heat as this would also require blocking out the light, but in colder climates this could be a good fix for the crafty people out there.

When trying to keep out cold and reduce drafts, here's a couple more things to think about.  Any place the air can seep through, there's a good chance it will.  A good way to minimize drafts is to attach the curtain to the wall on either side of the window.  Tacking the curtain down with tacks or nails just looks tacky and could damage the curtains, but there are alternatives, especially if you're in your own home and don't need to worry about removing things from the walls.  The first and least expensive is Velcro.  You can purchase Velcro strips at just about any craft store.  Even if you choose to sew them into the curtains, you'll want the ones with the sticky back to attach to the wall.  Another alternative, which may be more expensive would be the use of magnets.  Pretty much anything that will hold the curtain as closely to the wall as possible is needed.  This will minimize the draft allowed through when the drapes are in use.  Another thought is the length of the curtains.  A short curtain may look nicer with your decor and window size, but floor length drapes will minimize drafts at the bottom of the window as well.  Any draft that seeps through will then have to travel down the length of the drape to the floor.  As it's warm air that rises, not cool, there's little need to worry about the draft escaping through the top of the curtain.

Something as simple as insulated curtains may not make a huge difference for your energy bill, so it may or may not be a choice that you'll quickly reap the benefits of.  In some cases, insulated curtains really can start making a big difference right away!  It all depends on your home and your circumstances.  However, every little bit helps when combating the use of fossil fuels and reducing energy consumption.  Over time, this choice will also make enough of an impact to pay for itself, and even save you money in the long run.  Obviously, better insulated homes (like those that already have insulated windows) won't see as much of a benefit here.  Very poorly insulated homes may not see a massive change either, especially as the drafts are entering from more than just the windows.  It never hurts to truly assess your home to see what other changes may need to be made in order to best conserve energy in your home, but every little bit counts for something!