Blinds can be a simple and effective way to make your home more sustainable and your family more comfortable in your home all year round. hile you’ve probably considered indoor blinds as an obvious option, outdoor blinds are a less well known home improvement, that can help your home be more eco-friendly too.
To help you understand how outdoor blinds can help improve your home, let’s take a look at what they are, their benefits, and what type of blind might be the right choice for you.
What’s the difference between outdoor and indoor blinds?
Outdoor blinds and indoor blinds both do a similar job – shading and insulating
your home, so you keep cool in summer and toasty in winter. They also offer you privacy and come in a range of stylish options, enhancing the look and feel of your home, and may increase it’s value.
Aside from the obvious difference between indoor and outdoor blinds (where they are placed), one important distinction to make is durability. Outdoor blinds are often made with more heavy-duty materials to protect them from Australia’s harsh climate, and extend their shelf life.
Many of these materials are eco-friendly, made from recycled plastics, hemp or aluminum. What’s more, outdoor blinds can do wonders when it comes to boosting your home's energy efficiency. Here’s how.
How outdoor blinds can increase energy efficiency :
For most Australians, heating and cooling accounts for around 40% of your household energy use. So anything we can do to make our homes more energy efficient is a win.
Windows are a good place to start, as up to 40% of your home’s energy can be lost (and 87% gained) through windows alone. In fact, when it comes to heat, direct sunlight can produce as much heat as a one bar of a heater . No wonder we reach for the air con remote on a hot summer’s day! The good news is, external shading like outdoor blinds, can block as much as 90% of this heat.
This is why outdoor blinds are a clever way to keep your home better insulated. You’ll be less inclined to resort to climate control, so you can reap the benefits of a more energy efficient home, and reduce your energy bills while you’re at it.
The importance of climate and outdoor blinds:
You can also design your home to align to your specific climate. Australia has eight climate zones – by identifying your climate zone, you can consider important factors to keep your thermal temperature just right. Shading, such as outdoor blinds, has an important role to play here.
Adjustable outdoor blinds can help to block the sun in summer and let it shine through in winter, which is important in subtropical, humid and hot arid climate zones. It’s also helpful to use outdoor blinds to shade all east and west facing windows in summer. As a bonus, a house designed with your specific climate in mind, could cut it’s energy use to almost zero! That’s another great reason to consider how outdoor blinds and other shading can help insulate your home all year round.
Types of sustainable outdoor blinds
So, which sustainable outdoor blinds might be the right choice for you? To help you make an eco-friendly choice, here are a few options you might like to consider.
Organic cotton: Organic cotton is grown with natural fertilisers. You can rest easy knowing these outdoor blinds are produced in a way that’s kind to the planet and won’t expose your family to nasty chemicals.
Hemp: Hemp is an environmentally friendly fibre. It’s mould-resistant, ages well, and is strong enough to withstand the elements.
Plastic or PET: Outdoor blinds made from recycled plastic, such as polyethylene terephthalate (or PET), offer a great sustainable choice.
Aluminium or steel: Look for outdoor blinds made with stainless steel or aluminium elements. These are super durable and can often be recycled at the end of their shelf life – helping to reduce waste.
If you're thinking about adding outdoor blinds to your home, Brighte can help. We can assist with financing your sustainable home improvements and connect you with a trusted installer.