The beauty of Drapes.
There are window treatments, and then there are draperies. There is something quite dramatic about drapery cascading down your windows that make it stand apart from shades, blinds or shutters. You can have your drapery fall straight down, hover near a sill, or puddle on the floor – whichever way you want it, adding glamor and giving personality to a room. The advantage of drapery fabric is its sturdy construction allows it to take on any amount of pleats, the flat profile of a classic tab, the modern look of grommets or the ruched gathers of rod pockets to make it aesthetically more appealing. You don’t have so many options with other window treatments, do you?
Like every other window treatment, drapery will help in bringing down your cooling costs, can reduce the load on your air conditioning, will help reduce glare and fading of home furnishings, but they do so with dramatic flair! With the wide range in drapery available on the contemporary market, it is difficult to estimate how much of heat gain they can prevent during summer – it can range anywhere between 25-35 percentage, depending on the product and how you use it.
Why Drapery for Summer.
When the heat is building up, your air conditioning proves blissful but only until you have a look at your utility bill for the month! You cannot expect to run your AC non-stop during summer without paying highly for it. The other option for you is to make use of your draperies and window coverings to enhance the beauty of your home in addition to keeping your room cool and also the utility bills in check.
When the sun rays start hitting hard on the window treatments during summer, it is tough for the products not to get heated up. Modern Draperies with their graceful pleats and folds have the ability to lose heat through convection to retain cooler interiors than many other window treatments. When you draw drapes closed on the windows that are tormented by the sun, you will be considerably reducing heat gain. When installing your drapery, take care to hang them as close to the window as possible for the maximum effect of their function. It is also advised to let the drape fall to the floor or the window sill for increased efficiency. You can check out various options like hanging two drapes together for creating tighter airspace or using magnetic tapes or Velcro to hold them in place.
When you add liners to your drapery, they hang more beautifully to provide body and substance. Many top brands offer a wide range of lining options to protect sophisticated drapery fabric from outside elements, regulate the light, and to insulate your windows. It also helps to keep the temperature inside a room constant, even during the summer.
Drapery Fabric.
Since drapery takes up a considerable amount of visual space in many rooms, it will definitely have a huge impact on the interior decor. Hence, you have to pay careful attention to the color and pattern you pick for your drapes.
You may have to pay special attention to drapery fabric because of its ability to control heat gain during summer will depend highly on the fabric type and color. Innovative technology in textile manufacturing, today provides you today with the option to choose from an eye-catching comprehensive collection of sophisticated fabrics, including solids, prints, stripes, jacquard, and sheers. The best visual effects can be created by adding a designer element to your decor with coordinating top treatments or fluffy pillows with the drapery fabric.
When it comes to fabric materials, cotton is trusted and preferred by customers for its flexibility, versatility, and easy maintenance. Velvet, on the other hand, is luxurious but can be a bit heavy for some rooms, though it can highlight a lavish decor. Maintenance is not as easy with velvets because you just cannot throw them in the machine for a wash; they need careful handling, so it’s best to dry clean. Sheers fabrics used for window dressings are light and graceful, but they do not function as effectively as other materials in insulating your home, protecting it from the outside temperature, or increasing privacy. They have great visual appeal, though. Another commonly used drapery material is wool – it’s heavy and strong enough to hold embellishments like tassels and fringe. Thermal Drapery panels made from materials like cotton or voile with a layer of insulation prevent hot air from entering your rooms through a drafty window more commendable, besides giving you great control over light.
When it comes to insulation, there is no doubt that closed-weave drapes are way ahead of open weaves. The thread count also makes a difference to the effectiveness of your drapes – the higher thread count, the more efficient the blockage of light and solar gain. You also have to pay attention to the overlapping in the center, without which you could gain heat quickly.
The Colors.
When we think of the summer heat, we automatically think of white drapery that is very attractive for summer designs and decor, but today they’re not the only option. White is undeniably the best option for drapes because of its heat-reflective nature. Any material in darker shades would absorb more heat, making the room hotter eventually. Studies conducted by DOE (Department Of Energy) in the USA have demonstrated that medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%. If your home has a rustic setting, the white drapery will look out of place whereas some natural colors could create a warm, earthy tone. Drapery in natural accents with gentle, untouched aesthetic appeal would be your best choice here. Natural drapes that are made from renewable sources like jute, bamboo and grasses create a blend of the natural and modern in your environment, connecting you to colors and textures of the landscape.
Pay a bit more attention to your drapery to see a dramatic change in the ambiance of your room and your utility bill as well this summer.
