In the past the Government's advice has been to tuck curtains behind radiators, to prevent the heat going up behind the curtain. A tidier way to achieve a similar result is to install a blind in the window recess and leave the curtains open (see left). Now the heat rises in front of the blind.
ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE IN SUMMER
With a blackout blind coloured white there is an advantage in very hot weather when all extra heat is unwanted. When the sun is shining on the window, the blind will reflect some of the sunlight back out again. For this the best colour is white, whereas for preventing heat loss in cold weather the colour doesn't matter. (N.B. Shutters outside would be best of all to avoid extra heat from the sun, as often used in Mediterranean countries.)
Janet: "We hadn't thought of the problem of being overheated when we had the window blinds put in several years ago. When the the weather was so hot last summer we desperate to keep the house cool. We had chosen white blinds for the look of the room but it turned out to be a lucky choice. We found that pulling down the blinds when the sun was on that side of the house kept the room quite a bit cooler. White is the best colour to use, because it reflects more light than any other colour. Blackout blinds are a bit thicker, so that helped too."
ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGE IN SUMMER
With a blackout blind coloured white there is an advantage in very hot weather when all extra heat is unwanted. When the sun is shining on the window, the blind will reflect some of the sunlight back out again. For this the best colour is white, whereas for preventing heat loss in cold weather the colour doesn't matter. (N.B. Shutters outside would be best of all to avoid extra heat from the sun, as often used in Mediterranean countries.)
Janet: "We hadn't thought of the problem of being overheated when we had the window blinds put in several years ago. When the the weather was so hot last summer we desperate to keep the house cool. We had chosen white blinds for the look of the room but it turned out to be a lucky choice. We found that pulling down the blinds when the sun was on that side of the house kept the room quite a bit cooler. White is the best colour to use, because it reflects more light than any other colour. Blackout blinds are a bit thicker, so that helped too."