The hot Australian sun can drive up the temperatures in your home, making it feel hot and uncomfortable. Blinds can help to keep the sun at bay and improve the efficiency in your home. The first choice you need to make is between internal and external blinds—here are five signs you may want to consider the external option.
1. You Want Extra Insulation
Blinds and other energy efficient window treatments can help to keep your home cool as the blinds block the sunlight. However, if you want to maximise the energy efficiency, you may want to opt for external blinds in particular.
Because these blinds go outside the windows, sunlight doesn't hit the glass. As a result, windows stay cooler. As glass holds heat and releases it even after the sun has dropped, keeping the sunlight off the glass can have effective results.
2. You Like to Keep the Windows Open
External blinds can be hung directly against the outside of your windows, but they can also be spaced a bit away from the windows. If you like to keep the windows open, that can be ideal. The space between the external blinds and the window allows air to pass through.
Of course, you can leave your windows open with internal blinds, but the air doesn't pass through as easily. It typically gets blocked by the blinds.
3. You Want the Blinds to Also Cover an Outdoor Living Space
In some cases, you may want your external blinds to hang over a patio or a balcony. In that case, they can do double duty, shading both your windows and your outdoor space.
Alternatively, you can even orient external blinds as needed to just provide shade to an outdoor area, without respect to the windows. Interior blinds don't work for that—they can't do double duty, and they aren't weather resistant enough to use on their own outside.
4. You Want to Add Colour to the Outside of Your Home
Most manufacturers can add colour to external blinds. Depending on the material of the blinds, adding colour may involve dyes or even powder coatings. If you want a fun contrast or complement to your home's siding or brickwork, external blinds are a great way to do that. For commercial buildings, they can add a colourful splash to mostly colourless construction.
5. You Like the Look
Finally, you may just like the look of external blinds. In that case, you should contact a blinds expert. They can help you choose the right style for your home.
Share27 June 2017
As the parent of five children, I've picked up some tips over the years when it comes to childproofing the garden and creating an outdoor space that's safe and can be enjoyed by everyone. I started focussing on safety in the garden after my first child had an accident that could have been prevented. Thankfully, they recovered pretty quickly, but I realised how easy it is for young children to get hurt when playing outdoors. I started this blog to share what I've learned as a parent, and topics I post about include creating safe swimming pools, identifying toxic garden plants, choosing child-safe gates and maintaining outdoor play equipment. I hope you find my blog interesting and useful.
