How to Choose Drapery to Keep Your Home Cool in the Summer

Summer is pretty much universally loved. The sunshine, the animals, nature in full bloom— the season is beautiful. But that doesn’t mean we love everything about summer…certainly not the scorching heat that can turn your comfortable home into a roaring furnace. If you’re looking to buy curtains and drapery, you should know how important the right drapery for summer can be in keeping your home comfortable even as temperatures soar.

How to Choose the Best Curtains and Drapery for Summer

So we know that curtains and drapery can play a big role in how warm your house gets in the summer, but what are the actual mechanics at work here? In other words, how do they moderate heat, and how can you buy drapery and window curtains that will ensure that your home is as cool as it can be when the heat hits? Read on to find out. 

Light Colour

As you probably already know, lighter colours reflect heat while darker colours absorb it. That holds true for curtains as well as T-shirts. 

So if you were to get, say, medium-coloured draperies with white-plastic backings, you’re looking at a potential 33% heat-gain reduction. You want a shade that’s white on the side that faces the sun, but darker on the reverse side to keep light out. 

Cool Fabrics

Heavier fabrics are great at protecting your home from the heat. Cotton, for instance, makes an excellent choice. They’re also great at keeping out noise, which is a beneficial little side effect. 

Blackout Drapery

While you may enjoy soft, pastel colours and sheer curtains in the summer for the aesthetics, they are not the best at keeping your home cool. Instead, you should look for blackout curtains. These are great at keeping the sunlight from cooking the inside of your home, and can even help protect your furniture from the sun’s damaging rays. 

Lining and Number of Layers in Drapery

Summer curtains typically are best kept lining-free, as the lining will make them look heavier and actually block out the sunlight completely. And this is not what we’re trying to accomplish here. 

It’s worth noting, however, that lining does tend to make curtains last longer, so if you’re okay with the sunlight being totally blotted out or you have a room that you want to keep dark, then lining is the way to go. 

Custom Drapery in Mississauga and the GTA

If you’re looking to buy window curtains in Toronto, visit Texeuro Drapery Ltd. We carry the largest home and décor collection in the entire GTA, so whether you’re looking for curtains and drapery in Milton or custom drapery in Mississauga, we’re sure to have it.

Get professional help with your house’s blinds, shutters, drapery, curtains, custom duvets, pillows, headboards, and more. Contact us online or call (905) 629-9575, and find the perfect window curtains and window drapery for summer!