It's curtains for ya, Bugsy!

January 11, 2010 11:49 AM

Looking for advice and documentation on different kinds of energy efficient curtains.

My home seems especially drafty this winter (Westchester, NY), and I am looking for ways to insulate it better. One of the more obvious heat leaks are the windows, which currently only have venetian blinds on them.

While at BB& B, I saw a display for energy efficient curtains, and was intrigued - I hadn't realized they designed curtains specifically for this purpose. I looked online, but couldn't find any 3rd-Party reviews covering efficiency ratings, brands, etc. - only sales sites that proclaimed how well they worked (which I always take with a grain of salt). I also tried Consumer Reports (I have a subscription), but no dice there, either.

I'm looking for hard data on the effects and efficiency of good curtains designed to help insulate windows, best practices for using them (in conjunction with plastic wrap or storm windows, etc.), and if they will also make an impact in the summer when the AC is on.

posted by GJSchaller to home & garden (2 answers total)

This is a sideways answer to your question, but do you have the option of getting an energy audit in your area? You know, the thorough kind where they hook up a blower to your front door, etc. That would give you some hard data on your house's actual inefficiencies -- it would be a pity to spend a ton of money on window coverings if you were really losing most of the heat via the ceiling.
posted by Forktine at 2:32 PM on January 11, 2010

I can, I just *know* they are drafty, because you can feel it when you walk by...
posted by GJSchaller at 3:57 PM on January 11, 2010