The Best Curtains to Keep Heat Out Year-Round
If you’re looking for curtains to keep heat out, you want to keep your home cooler. Curtains are an excellent choice for insulation — from both the heat and the cold — thanks to their long panels of fabric that trap hot and cold air at your window. However, to optimize the insulating ability of your drapery, it’s important to choose the right customizations. Learn more about how to choose the best curtains to keep heat out.
Cover photo: Tailored Pleat Drapery, Victoria Hagan Tidal Line in Natural, design by Victoria Hagan
How to Choose the Best Curtains to Keep Heat Out
To choose the best curtains for your needs, it’s important to understand the specific features that contribute to their performance. Learn how to customize your curtains for heat management with the following steps that cover fabric type and color choice, insulation, panel length and more.
In this section
Step 1: Choose Heavyweight Fabrics
Denser, thicker fabrics are better suited to blocking heat than lightweight fabrics. Their tight weaves and weight effectively block air from the outdoors and trap it at your window for effective heat management.
Cottons
Cotton is versatile, offering a balance between weight and breathability. Its natural absorbency also means it can help in regulating humidity within your home, contributing further to a cooler, more comfortable environment. For the best heat-blocking ability, opt for tightly woven, medium-to-heavyweight cotton drapery.
heavyweight linens
Made with a tight, dense weave, heavyweight linens like Luxe Linen as well as linen blends, offer great heat blocking ability. Like cotton, they’re also absorbent, and so help to control the humidity in your home as well for a more temperate climate.
velvet
Velvet is a luxuriously soft fabric known for its dense pile (a raised loops or strands of yarn), which help trap air, making it an excellent insulator. It’s particularly effective in cold climates but also works well at keeping summer heat at bay.
Wool & Wool Blends
Wool is a natural fiber that’s been used for centuries for its insulating properties. Wool and many wool blends feature a complex structure that traps air in its fibers, which regulates your interior temperatures by preventing heat from entering a room during warm days.
Sunbrella Performance Fabrics
Sunbrella performance fabrics are incredibly durable and excellent at blocking UV rays, so your fabric remains richly hued and your interiors stay cooler. Sunbrella fabrics range in weight, but thicker options like Alma, a heavyweight-linen-like material, and Velarte, a durable canvas, are great choices for curtains to keep heat out.
Step 2: Opt for White or a Light Color
Light colors reflect sunlight, while darker colors absorb light and convert that light into heat. Choosing white or other similarly light colors can further improve the heat blocking performance of your drapery.
Explore a few white and light options from the heavyweight fabric collections mentioned above to get started.
CanvaS IN
oPTIC wHITE
A thick cotton fabric with great durability and a soft touch.
lUxE lINEN
IN oSYTER
A heavyweight linen with a luxe look and soft feel.
vELVET
IN wHITE
A plush, luxurious velvet with a soft, inviting touch.
Wool Flannel
in Glacier
A thick luxe wool with a brushed texture for a tactile experience.
Sunbrella Alma
in Dove
A heavyweight fabric with durability and a linen-like texture.
Step 3: Add Lining for Better Insulation
Lining refers to fabric added to the backside of your drapery panels. Lining is typically made with white, or off-white fabric, often polyester, that reflects light. If you add lining, you can choose a darker color without your drapery absorbing too much heat from the sun. Plus, lining helps block more light, with blackout lining giving you the best light-blocking effect, which means less of the sun’s rays to warm your home.
Step 4: Choose Floor-Length Drapery & Hang Them High & Wide
Taller, longer panels of drapery provide better coverage over your window by blocking airflow at the top and bottom of your window. For the best insulation for both the heat and the cold, follow these best practices:
- Hang your drapery high – A little more than halfway between the top of the window and ceiling is a good rule of thumb. Or, about 8-10 inches above the window frame if you have very tall ceilings. Since heat rises, this approach is especially effective at trapping the hot air coming in from the top of your window.
- Hang your drapery wide – Install your curtain rod so it extends about 12 inches on each side of your window. This allows full coverage over the sides of your window to block heat more effectively. It also allows you to pull your drapes fully off the window if you desire.
- Choose floor-length drapery – Floor-length drapery, where the panels float above or just graze the floor, more effectively traps hot air at your window, keeping the rest of your interior more comfortable.
Not only are these best practices great for heat insulation, but they’re also aesthetically pleasing. Hanging your drapery high and wide and choosing a length that grazes the floor creates a sense of height and spaciousness in your room. The tall, wide panels also make your window seem larger.
Step 5: Consider Functionality
When thinking about curtains to keep heat out, functionality is an important piece to consider. You’ll likely want to be able to pull your curtains closed easily to block heat and open them just as easily if there’s a cool breeze. Choosing functional drapey is all about selecting the right pleat style and hardware.
pleat styles
Drapery is available in several pleat styles, from sleek, modern designs to more classic, traditional looks. Pleat styles also vary in terms of functionality. Some styles like Ripple Fold and Tailored Pleat Drapery are very functional while others like Grommet and Goblet Drapery are less easy to move, making them better suited as stationary decorative panels.
Pictured: Outer Layer: Pinch Pleat Drapery, Shoreline in Reed and Inner Layer: Roller Shades, Alexa Hampton Corfu Blackout in Silver Spoon, photography by John Bessler
hardware
Drapery hardware comes in three main categories: rod and rings hardware, track system hardware and motorized track hardware. For the easiest functionality, choose a track system, either motorized or manual. Keep in mind as you consider drapery hardware that not all pleat styles are compatible with all hardware types, so make sure to choose the right combination.
Pictured: Assorted Drapery Hardware, photography by Gentl Hyers
Wondering if there are other options beyond curtains to keep heat out? Several other window treatments can help mitigate heat buildup in your home for a more temperate climate. Learn more about other window treatments that can help block heat.
Heat-Blocking Alternatives to Curtains
Beyond curtains to keep heat out, there are several other window treatments you can choose from that may better suit your style or application. While all window treatments will help to some degree with blocking heat, some are better than others. For the best heat management, Solar Shades and Cellular Shades are your best bet.
Solar Shades
Solar Shades are a type of Roller Shade made with unique material that blocks UV rays, the source of heat, while still letting natural light flood your home. Solar Shades come with different transparency levels that refer to the level of UV protection and how well you can see through them. For instance, 1% transparency means the shade blocks up to 99% of UV rays and is the opaquest. A 10% transparency means the shade blocks up to 90% of UV rays and offers the clearest view through it.
Pictured: Solar Shades, 10% in Black
Cellular Shades
Featuring honeycomb cells that expand and contract like an accordion when the shade is raised or lowered, Cellular Shades offer excellent insulation. The cells trap both hot and cold air coming through your window, which keeps your interior temperatures more comfortable.
Pictured: Cellular Shades, ¾” Single Cell Blackout
Find the Perfect Curtains to Keep Heat Out
With a better understanding of how to choose the best curtains to keep heat out — as well as insight into alternatives beyond curtains — you’re ready to consider making your final selections. Schedule a free design consultation at your nearest showroom, where you’ll be able to explore all your product options in interactive displays and connect with an expert Design Consultation. During your consultation, your Design Consultant will work to understand your unique needs and style preferences to guide you toward the perfect window treatment solution. Plus, they’ll be able to place your order for you when you make your final selections for a smooth ordering process.
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