Hanging energy efficient window coverings with sunscreen-quality fabrics on windows in particular will reflect heat and UV rays, and will help drastically reduce a room’s heat gain, as well as help protect furniture from sun damage and fading. It is also advisable to purchase window coverings that have insulating properties for extra heat defence.
A report from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science shows that residential builds over the past few decades have tended to minimise or eliminate shading to walls and windows thereby making these dwellings less comfortable during our harsh summers.
Dr Alan Pears, in his review of the Government report, also suggests the decline in summer comfort levels may be driven by “the growth in the proportion of two-storey homes with insulated walls but poorly located and managed glazing. Top floor rooms are typically lightweight and have no linkage to the ground making them more sensitive to solar gains.”
“Stopping the heat of the sun from entering your home in the first place is much better than letting it in and cooling it down afterwards,” advises Jenny Brown, National Marketing Manager for Luxaflex Window Fashions. “When radiant energy from the sun touches an object inside, it gets hot, making the room hot.”
The revolutionary Luxaflex Duette Shades range is recognised as one of the most energy efficient window covering ranges on the market, featuring a patented honeycomb ‘cell’ structure, which traps air and acts as an insulation barrier for windows.
Additionally, the Luxaflex Architella Ménage range features three honeycomb cells nestled inside each other, which creates six fabric layers and five insulating pockets of air. These distinct air pockets have the ability to reduce the heat transfer through a window and reduce the average home’s heating costs by up to 49 percent* in the winter months.
For more information visit luxaflex.com.au
* Savings are based on the installation of fully-recessed, reval-mounted Duette® Architella® Menage Shades with 38mm blockout fabric in an average home in Sydney, compared with the House Energy Rating standard of Holland Blinds from AccuRate, in that home. These calculations have been modelled by an independent third party. Savings will vary based on the window type and installation.
