Blinds are popular window coverings. They are modern, functional, and practical. And they can look very stylish too. Blinds also look very neat, which is great if you are going for a minimalist design theme in your room.
In general, blinds are made to add shade to a room by blocking the light. But blinds can also largely affect the airflow and in turn, the temperature in a room.
Depending on the type and the material that they are made of, blinds may or may not restrict airflow.
Here’s How Blinds Work with Airflow:
Rollers and Roman blinds can restrict airflow as they are composed of one piece of fabric. The vertical and the Venetian blinds allow airflow into the room as they are composed of several slats that are connected to each other. The air flows in between the slats.
Do Blinds Let Airflow Into The Room?
Blinds may or may not let air flow into the room, depending on their type.
There are four main types of blinds. Let us take a look at each one of them and how they work with airflow.
1) Roller Blinds
Roller blinds are simple window coverings that are usually composed of a single piece of fabric with a roller attached to the headrail. These blinds look clean and simple. And they are easy to operate too.
These blinds are operated by rolling the piece of fabric up or down around the casing until it reaches the desired height. The blinds stay there until you want to lower or raise them again.
These blinds provide precise control of light.
Roller blinds can restrict airflow depending on the fabric used.
A lot of roller blinds, especially the blackout ones, use thick and tightly-woven fabric. This type of fabric blocks airflow and prevents it from circulating freely in the room.
2) Vertical Blinds
From the word itself, vertical blinds are made of several vertical slats. These slats are attached to a track at the headrail and have a system that is operated by a wand.
The wand lets you slide the slats out of the way to let the light in. You can also control the angle of the slats so you can adjust the amount of light that comes in.
Because of how vertical blinds are made, they let air flow into a room.
The slats have enough space in between them to let both light and air in, allowing for good airflow and circulation in the room.
3) Roman Blinds
Roman blinds are similar to roller blinds in the way that they are made of a single piece of fabric. The difference is with how these blinds work.
Roman blind has one piece of fabric but it is pleated and it gradually folds or unfolds itself when the strings are pulled. They create clean folds that have a neat and minimalist look.
Since roman blinds are made of one piece of fabric, they tend to restrict airflow.
Most roman blinds use fabric that is similar to the ones used in roller blinds. They also use fabric that is thick, sturdy, and tightly woven so that there is very little air coming in and circulating in the room.
4) Venetian Blinds
These are the most common ones back in the day. These are the traditional blinds that most people know about.
Venetian blinds are the ones that come to mind when people mention blinds. They are made of horizontal slats that can be lowered or raised by pulling a cord. The angle of the slats can be adjusted by a wand or a rod, and this is to control the amount of light that goes in.
Since there is space between the slats, even when they are fully closed, these blinds do not restrict airflow.
They allow air in and let it freely circulate in the room.
Are Wooden, Fabric, or Plastic Blinds Better for Airflow?
The materials used for blinds can also affect how they work with airflow.
Generally, vertical blinds and venetian blinds are the best choices when you want blinds that do not restrict airflow. These blinds are commonly made with either wood or plastic.
The slats of vertical blinds and venetian blinds can be wooden or plastic. And either works just fine to let air in the room, allowing it to circulate properly for good ventilation.
Roller blinds and roman blinds are made with fabric, particularly thick ones with tight weaves. That being said, fabric blinds generally restrict airflow.
Do Blinds Keep The Heat In?
Generally, blinds can keep the heat in.
There are certain types of blinds that can trap air between the glass window and the fabric. This helps in keeping the cold out and keeping the heat in, so your room stays warm especially when the weather is chilly.
Take note that this only applies to blinds that are made of fabric, specifically roller blinds, and roman blinds.
Roller blinds and roman blinds can keep the heat in as long as the whole window is covered by the blinds.
Vertical blinds and venetian blinds do not keep the heat in. This is because the space in between the slats allows the cold air in the room thus making it chilly inside.
Blinds with slats do not help keep the room warm when it is cold outside.
What Blind Materials are Best for Keeping Warm?
If you are looking for blinds that will keep the room warm, especially during chilly months, then it is best to stick to roller blinds and roman blinds made of fabric.
These blinds are very effective in keeping the room warm.
These blinds are normally made from thick fabric with a lining, that helps insulate a room. The fibers are woven tightly to create this thick fabric.
The tight weave of the fabric does not allow cold air in so you stay warm indoors.
So for cold months, especially during winter, it is best to put up roller blinds or roman blinds.
They are so easy to operate and they are very functional for adjusting the lighting in the room while keeping the room warm.
Do Blinds Let The Cold In?
Some blinds let the cold in. Slatted blinds like vertical blinds and venetian blinds are those that let cold air in, so they are essentially not effective in keeping the room warm.
This is because there is space in between the slats that let the cold air in. Even when the slats are fully closed, there is still a tiny gap in between them that is enough for cold air to pass through.
If you are looking for blinds that will keep your room warm, then do not get vertical blinds or venetian blinds.
If you already have these blinds at home, you can layer them with thick blackout curtains.
The thick curtains will warm up your room when needed. And when it is warm outside, you can simply pull the curtains back and let your blinds do the work of blocking in light while letting some breeze in.
What Blind Materials Are Best For Keeping Cool?
If you want blinds that help keep your room cool, go for slatted blinds. Vertical blinds and venetian blinds are very good options.
These blinds can keep your room cool even on a hot summer day. When it is bright and sunny outside, you can simply close these blinds to darken your room a bit without restricting airflow.
These blinds ensure that there is enough air to go in and circulate in the room to ventilate it and keep it cool.
The best materials for blinds are wood and plastic. Slatted blinds made from these materials are very functional in terms of controlling the light that comes into the room while still keeping it cool.
Plus, they are stylish because they have a clean and minimalist look.
Generally, how blinds work with airflow depends on the type of blinds and the material that they are made of. Different types of blinds interact with airflow in different ways.
The best thing to do is to have two sets of blinds – one for keeping the room warm during cold months and one for cooling down a room when it is hot outside. Then you can just switch out the blinds depending on the season.
Sources:
What Type Of Blinds Suit Your Home?
Blinds vs. Shades: Finding the Best Window Treatment
Do Blinds And Shades Keep Heat In?
Considering New Blinds And Need To Know If Blinds Keep Cold Out?