Thermal Solar Reflective Blinds
Keep COOL in the summer and WARM in the winter with our huge range of thermal solar reflective blinds. Say goodbye to unwanted light, glare and temperature fluctuations. Say hello to year-round comfort and privacy.
Cassette Blinds
Cassette blinds with side tracks are a fantastic solution for creating total darkness and controlling the temperature in your home. With a top cassette and brush side channels the BlocOut™ blind is guaranteed to not only keep you cool in the summer but also warm in the winter. This blind is the belt and braces of thermal blinds.
Thermal Roller Blinds
Thermal roller blinds offer an excellent solution for you if you are looking for a contemporary and affordable thermal blind. Featuring a thermal backing that creates the perfect physical barrier against heat loss and gains through the windows. Options include cordless roller blinds, decorative cassette roller blinds and no-drill roller blinds.
Thermal Vertical Blinds
Thermal vertical blinds are ideal for any window in the home but are particularly suited to large or long windows and are therefore perfect as thermal patio door blinds. With the added benefit of being able to tilt so, you can control precisely control the amount of sun rays that enter and leave the home. Available in both 89mm and 127m slat sizes.
Replacement blind vertical slats
Are you ready to enhance your window blinds? Consider the numerous benefits of upgrading to thermal vertical blind slats. Thermal replacement blind slats are designed to revolutionise your home environment. With a reflective backing, these slats preserve warmth during winter months by reducing heat loss and keep you cool during scorching summers by minimising heat gain.
Prepare to be amazed by the significant improvement in your home's comfort levels. The best part? Our thermal vertical blind slats effortlessly integrate with most vertical blind headrails, making the upgrade a breeze. No complicated installations or expensive modifications are necessary. It's the simplest and most cost-effective way to transform your windows and elevate your living space.
VELUX Thermal Blinds
Upgrade your VELUX window (or any skylight window for that matter) with our remarkable blackout thermal blinds. These clever blackout thermal skylight blinds effectively prevent heat from seeping in during scorching summers and keep chilly drafts at bay during the colder months.
There are 3 types of thermal blind fabrics
Block out the light with thermal blackout blinds. Featuring a white blackout backing that repels the sun's oppressive heat and light whilst darkening your room. These thermal blackout blinds keep your room dark and cool in the summer but lock the heat in during the winter, this makes the ideal bedroom blinds and nursery blinds. Available in all of our roller and vertical blind fabrics.
Let the light in with thermal translucent blinds. Allowing you to manage your internal temperature without blocking out the light. These clever solar reflective blinds feature a solar-reflective pearlescent backing which reflects away the heat and glare of the sun and also keeps the heat in during the winter. Ideal for living rooms and conservatories where you want to enjoy the filtered light.
Let the view in with thermal transparent blinds. Featuring an open weave, these intelligent blinds provide you with views to the outside and reduce glare and heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. Each blind has a different rating for glare reduction and solar-gain performance. Check out the climate control information on each product to work out which fabric is best for you.
Why is my house so hot in the summer?
During the summer, the suns Ultra violet and Infrared rays enter the home through the windows. The rays get trapped by the windows in the form of long-wave radiation and it makes the home very hot. The only way to cool the home during the summer once the sun's rays have entered is by mechanical methods either forcing the heat out with air conditioning or pushing the heat out with a cross breeze. Cooling via opening windows and a cross breeze can only be achieved when the heat of the day has passed and there is a breeze! Cooling a hot room is therefore reliant on air conditioning or fans which can be expensive and produces carbon thus creating a vicious cycle and ironically contributing to the greenhouse effect and compounding the problem for future generations. That is why thermal blinds are the green choice for a sustainable environment.
Why is my house so cold in the winter?
During the winter you have the opposite problem where you want to stop the warm air from inside your home from leaving. Warm air rises so it can escape through roof windows and when it eventually seeks out the cold surfaces of your windows it cools the warm air that you have spent money on. Your money and heat literally go out the window. The trick is to stop the warm air inside your home from touching the cold surface of your glass. This is where thermal blinds come in.
- During the winter: Open the blinds in the day open them to harvest free solar energy & close them when the sun goes down
- During the summer: Close the blinds & windows as soon as the sun rises & open them when the sun goes down
Why Do We Need Thermal Blinds?
Windows and glazed areas are a major weakness in a building's overall thermal performance and a major source of heat loss and gain through drafts, convection and conduction. On average 18% of household heat is lost directly through windows. Because of this, we need to heat and cool our homes to keep them comfortable.
Drafts can be solved by having your windows fitted professionally and using sealant to fill in any gaps. However, convection & conduction will happen regardless of how well your windows are fitted. Warm air passes through cooler glass surfaces, passing outdoors and disappearing into nature. If you don't have an effective window covering, you're likely losing a lot of heat through your windows. Losing heat directly correlates to spending more on your energy bills.
The right thermal window blinds create a physical, reflective barrier between the outside world and your home and will minimise heat loss & gain, lock in temperatures and keep your home at a more consistent level throughout the year.
Insulating Blinds
We insulate our lofts and walls, but why are we not insulating our windows with thermal blinds? Blinds have traditionally been used for privacy and light control with extra consideration for aesthetics. But following several harsh winters and boiling summers we are coming to realise that we need to take more control of the energy entering and leaving our homes and blinds need to work harder than they ever have before.
Mechanical cooling and heating methods such as air conditioning and central heating are expensive to run and now the long-ignored thermal benefits of blinds are finally being recognised.
Blinds are like "thermostats for your windows", you adjust them with the seasons. If you use your blinds correctly they can have a very positive effect on your comfort at home and your energy costs. You create a home that locks heat in during the winter and works to prevent heat build-up during the summer too.
Of course, you could automate your blind by using motors and sensors to ensure you are always maximising your energy savings.
The Climate Control Collection
A blind's thermal and optical performance comes from a combination of the design of the blind e.g a roller blind versus a cassette roller blind, and the composition of the fabric (as discussed above).
By understanding the different properties of each blind type you can make an informed decision that will help you get the best thermal blind for you! To help you with this we have created a classification system which details the characteristics of the fabric in an easy-to-understand format.
We have compiled this information from various sources including our fabric wholesalers together with our training and certification from the BBSA (British Blinds and Shutters Association) and ES-SO (European Solar Shading Organisation).
Each blind in our Climate Control Collection has a classification as per the below banner. This will help you make an informed choice when choosing the best blind for your home.
Thermal Blinds FAQ's
The best thermal blinds available on our site are the Total Blackout Cassette blinds with side channels which are proven to reduce heat loss by 22%. * Results from product tests at the University of Salford’s Energy House Laboratory.
Yes, thermal blinds can be effective in a conservatory. Conservatories are often constructed with large windows, which can result in excessive heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. Thermal blinds can help mitigate these temperature fluctuations and provide insulation for a more comfortable environment.
Thermal blinds and blackout blinds are not exactly the same, although they can share some similarities and many thermal blinds are also blackout. Here's an explanation of the key differences between thermal blinds and blackout blinds:
Thermal blinds are designed to provide insulation and regulate the temperature in a room. They are typically made with materials that have thermal properties, such as reflective coatings or layers that help to minimize heat transfer. The primary purpose of thermal blinds is to reduce heat gain during hot weather and prevent heat loss during colder months, thus contributing to energy efficiency. While thermal blinds can offer some degree of light control, they may not provide complete darkness.
Blackout Blinds: Blackout blinds, on the other hand, are specifically designed to block out light and create complete darkness in a room. They are made of opaque or heavily lined materials that prevent light from passing through. The primary function of blackout blinds is to darken a space, making them especially useful in bedrooms, media rooms, or spaces where you want to eliminate outside light entirely, such as streetlights or early morning sunlight.
We offer many blind types that are both blackout and thermal so you can have the best of both worlds.
Ultimately, the choice between thermal blinds and curtains depends on your specific needs, including your desired level of insulation, light control, noise reduction, aesthetics and budget. In most cases, a combination of thermal blinds and curtains might be the best solution to maximise energy efficiency, light control, and overall comfort in your home. But curtains can cover a radiator if the radiator is in front of the window and this can prevent heat from circulating the room. If you opt for a thermal blind your radiators will be free to radiate heat whilst the blinds will ensure no heat leaks out of your windows.
Thermal blinds can be worth it if you value energy efficiency, improved comfort, UV protection, noise reduction, and privacy. Evaluate your specific needs and budget before deciding which thermal blinds to choose. Have a look at the thermal blinds we have on offer and order some free samples of the fabrics that match your decor.
