Feeling the heat? The solution is blindingly obvious…

With the MET Office confirming that longer, hotter summers are the new norm, you may be wondering how you are going to keep cool when the mercury keeps rising.

Yes, you can always drink ice cold drinks all day long, open all of your windows and doors as far as they will go and stock up your freezer with ice cream and ice pops galore.

But, despite following all of these tried-and-tested tricks, buildings are still going to feel like an oven, especially during a heatwave (and especially upstairs because naturally always heat rises).

So what can you do? And more importantly, what can you do that means you can still enjoy the summer every year without having to swelter indoors during the day or struggle to sleep at night? 

External blinds are everybody’s best friend during the hottest of spells

Suitable for both commercial and residential buildings, external blinds are the ideal solution for keeping the heat at bay and reducing interior room temperatures by up to 18°, even when it’s a scorcher of a day outside.

Unlike curtains, blinds are specifically designed to block out the heat. And when they are installed on the outside of buildings, they act as the ultimate barrier, providing they are activated the moment the sun starts to rise. Tip: the sooner you close them, the sooner they can get to work preventing solar radiation from penetrating through the windows causing solar gain.

What is solar gain?

Solar glare is generated the second the sun’s UV rays start to penetrate through glass. As the solar energy is emitted through these glazed areas, the shortwave energy passes through into the interior areas where it is unable to escape. This increases the internal temperature and creates a ‘solar gain.’ 

What role do external blinds play in all of this?

They essentially act like a heavy duty shield, blocking out up to 97% of the rays and heat generated by the sun, reducing solar gain and effortlessly keeping offices and homes comfortably cool without the need for air conditioning.

Contrary to popular belief, external blinds don’t trap the warm air that’s lurking around indoors inside either. This is due to the way today’s pioneering external blind solutions are manufactured, i.e. the pocket of air between the blind and the window not only blocks out the heat, but actually gets rid of any heat that may be present.

Which external blinds work the best? 

Not all external blinds are the same. Once you start shopping around, you’ll soon find there are all sorts of different makes and models out there that have been produced by different manufacturers and come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours.

The options are endless which, if you’re new to the world of external blinds, can be overwhelming. Here at Greenspace Living, we only fit industry-leading external blinds that feature the very latest design details, including:

• Suitable for windows, doors, roof lights, garden pergolas and verandas

• Remote and app controls

• Wind and sun sensor options

• Face and side fix mounting options

• Wind resistance of up to 31mph (Beaufort 6)

What’s more, our external blinds are manufactured in a wide range of sizes, from 0.9m to 6m wide and between 0.5m and 6m deep, making them the ideal solution for most windows and roof lights. There is also a choice of hardware and fabric colours to choose from, making it easier for you to settle on something that matches your existing interior and is exactly what you had in mind.

Dimout or blackout fabric, what’s the difference?

Dimout blinds are designed to help reduce the amount of light streaming in through glass windows and doors. When fully closed, they make rooms cooler and maintain the view from the inside with unique Twilight mesh fabric.

Blackout blinds, on the other hand, are made from fabric that’s impermeable to light, i.e. the sun’s rays cannot get through. In turn, this means zero light and heat passes through them, making them a supreme sun and heat blocker.

Two more reasons to invest in external blinds…

External blinds are an investment that gives back on multiple levels. As we’ve mentioned above, they fundamentally keep offices and other commercial environments, as well as homes, shaded and cool, no matter how hot it gets. What’s more, they’re so effective, there’s no need for you to invest in other measures, such as air conditioning, generating valuable energy bill savings and helping reduce your carbon footprint in the process.

Last but not least, once your external blinds have been fitted, you’ve got them for life. You don’t have to worry about regularly maintaining them or replacing them every year or more frequently. Bonus reason: they also help keep buildings warmer in the winter by helping keep warm air inside and cold air outside. Impressive, right? 

Do you want to find out more about how our external blinds can you help you summer-proof your buildings and improve your carbon footprint? Get in touch with us today to discuss the options. In the meantime, check out our external blind FAQs.