Published 17 February 2019

The truth about curtains

Did you know that even if you have an insulated house, you can still lose over 45% of your heat through your windows?

This is why it's important to know the difference between curtains that are doing the job, and curtains that aren't. 

How you can tell if your curtains are working properly:

• When pulled closed the curtain covers the whole window frame

• When pulled closed, you can not feel a draft coming from the sides or bottom of the window frame

• The bottom of the curtains drop well below the base of the window frame (curtains that drop to the floor keep more heat in)

• The curtains feels thick and heavy (and have multiple layers)

• The curtains are not cold to touch.

Thermal / Thermal-backed curtains vs heavy lined / double-layered curtains

• Thermal curtains feature a layer of acrylic foam between the double or triple layers of fabric to provide insulation. While they will keep the warmth in, the acrylic makes them impossible to wash.

• Heavy lined curtains / doubled layered curtains, on the other hand are easy to wash. These curtains are made of heavy pieces of fabric (usually cotton, poly-cotton, wool, cotton-wool that have an extra bit of fabric lining them from the window side.

Consumer NZ recently completed a study that tested thermal / thermal backed curtains and heavy lined/ double-layered curtains.

" You might have expected the thermal curtains would perform better, but the extra layer of fabric in the pricier heavy lined curtains make them better insulators. If you are getting fitted curtains, opt for floor-length as they keep heat in better than ones that sit on the sill". Says Consumer NZ. 

If you are not sure if your curtains are doing a good job of keeping the warm in and the cold out and have a Community Services Cardholder living in your home or household, get in touch.  

We will replace all your curtains with up-cycled heavy lined / double-layered ones for free. 

For more information, head to Wellington Curtain Bank