Conservatories can be a great place to enjoy uninterrupted views of your outside space, relax in natural light and soak up the sun during hot days. Unfortunately, conservatories can become a little too hot during the height of summer – with sunlight streaming in through the walls and ceiling, it's easy to see how a conservatory can become more like a greenhouse.
However, there are ways you can prevent that problem. For example, choosing the right blinds can make all the difference when you're trying to control the amount of heat that gets into your conservatory. Here are just four tips to make that happen.
1. Choose Perfect Fit
Most traditional blinds are hung either just outside or just above the window frame itself, so the blind will cover the glass and a bit of the frame to left and right. Perfect fit blinds are different – they clip right inside the frame to cover only the glass. This makes a lot of sense when you're trying to control heat levels, since perfect fit blinds sit much closer to the glass than traditional ones. When there's a smaller gap between glass and blind, there won't be as much space to heat up when the blinds are pulled down, resulting in cooler interior temperatures.
2. Opt for Honeycomb Pockets
Though any kind of blind is going to act as some kind of barrier against the heat, none will perform quite as well as honeycomb blinds. When they are put down, lots of horizontal pockets open up along the blind – looked at from the side, the appearance is a little like honeycomb. All those pockets act as additional insulation, so they'll keep heat at bay during the summer and keep the heat in during winter.
3. Take Advantage of Reflective Coating
Blinds generally absorb the sun's rays rather than reflecting them away, which isn't ideal if you're looking to keep your conservatory cool. Look for blinds with a reflective or semi-reflective outer layer. When sunlight hits them, it will be reflected away and won't create as much heat inside the room.
4. Consider Automated Blinds
Finally, think about having mechanical blinds fitted. You can set them to go up and down throughout the day at pre-set times, which means you'll never have to worry about your conservatory being unprotected from the sun during hotter parts of the day. You'll never have to come back to a boiling conservatory after forgetting to lower the blinds.
For more information about your options for blinds, contact a local blinds company.