Our homes are our private spaces and give us sanctuary every day of the year. Whether it’s a warm place to snuggle up in winter or somewhere to sit in peace and tranquillity through the summer, we all want to know how to keep the temperature comfortable at all times. Did you know how much of an integral role windows play in all this? Let’s show you how they regulate the temperatures in our home.
A window on the world of temperature regulation at home
Far from being something that we adjust with window openers to let in fresh air – windows do so much to help keep the climate in each of our rooms temperate and comfortable. Here are three ways they do this
The first is through air flow regulation. If you open all the windows at the front and back of your home you get cross ventilation. This naturally moves the air along and provides cooling breezes and reduces the temperature inside. To get maximum benefit from this, always make sure multiple windows are open in as many places as is safe to do so. Some people assume that having just one window open will make a difference – this can have the opposite effect.
Our second way in which windows regulate home temperature is through the glazing itself. How a window is constructed plays a huge role in how well it will control the temperature of your home. Unfortunately, in winter time they remain the biggest factor in heat loss in a house, but double glazing – professionally installed, of course, reduces the amount of heat lost by quite a margin.
How does it work? It’s the coupling up of a gas buffer and an additional pane of glass that work together to reduce the amount of heat loss – and in summer, make rooms feel cooler.
Next is how your windows are positioned. This affects how they regulate temperatures at home. For instance, if they face the sun, they can let in an awful lot of heat during the summer. Fixing blackout curtains or blinds can help with this – as well as considering solutions such as electric window openers to control climate quickly and effectively. In winter these options can also help keep in heat too – reducing energy bills.
Handy money-saving tips for your windows
It might be worth taking a look at your windows to see if any remedial work needs to be undertaken on them to allow for better energy efficiency at home. For instance, if your home has draughty windows that allow cold air in, and you also have an HVAC system it might be working too hard – and thus bumping up your energy bills. Check for too many drafts and look at either upgrading and replacing them or finding ways to insulate better.
We’ve already discussed blackout blinds and curtains to help with heat loss, or trapping heat in – but some people choose to invest in window shutters that block heat from coming into the home in summer, and leave it warmer in winter. These are worth thinking about if your home faces the sun and you require an all-year-round solution to help regulate the temperature in your home.
