# Thermal Curtains in the home.



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Does anyone have any experience of thermal curtains in the home. We are having renovations and alterations done that will result in some patio doors that will face West. This is where the weather comes from here and so was wondering about some thermal curtains to help with insulation (the windows will be double glazed) and reduce any wind/rain noise.


My worry is that condensation might build up behind the curtains :surprise:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Could you specify triple glazing Pat? not sure if you'd get condensation or not, we have blackout blinds in the bedroom, no heat on at night and the windows do get condensation, not sure it's happen in a lounge though.

Maybe hang a duvet up to try, before spending anything, unless you're going to put some curtains up anyway.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

We have had thermal curtains with blackout linings made to measure for our double glazed windows made by John Lewis - not cheap but in our opinion well worth it.

No condensation problem at all the extra layer of inslation has a notable effect on the gap between the curtains and the window you can feel that the heat does not go out through the curtains (we have other rooms without the blackout thermal linings.

If triple glazing was a possibility go for that too - enery efficiency is becoming ever more critical and it was the main basis for the house survey that used to berequired but has now dropped - here in France such things are still conisdered very important as energy loss reduction is a big selling advantage - that is one thing the French are careful about as energy is MUCH more expensive IMO.

I would STRONGLY rcommend them without any reservations except they are expensive but "buy cheap buy often" comes to mind and IMO it is an excellent idea to increase insulation wherever and whenever you can - it will undoubtedly reduce the loss of heat in winter or in our case the entry of heat during the 40C summer. We still pull them across in summer although the windows are open behind but the bedroom remains cool.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks Kev. It is too late for the triple glazing  Don't mind a bit of condensation but don't want problems with mould etc  Our fully lined, East facing, curtained windows did show some mould on the curtain lining when I took them down which is what made me wonder. Being new patio doors they may, however, have some sort of ventilation? I know the plastic windows do but these are hardwood. They are installed so I will go and check later.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Penquin said:


> We have had thermal curtains with blackout linings made to measure for our double glazed windows made by John Lewis - not cheap but in our opinion well worth it.
> 
> No condensation problem at all the extra layer of inslation has a notable effect on the gap between the curtains and the window you can feel that the heat does not go out through the curtains (we have other rooms without the blackout thermal linings.
> 
> ...


That sounds great. I am a big believer in investing in quality where possible. Nothing worse than looking at something and wishing you had invested a little more to get it right.
John Lewis here I come  Not that I am looking forward to all that choosing. It is so hard to transfer that lovely look in the shop to the entirely different environment of the home. Might have to wait for the carpets to go down so that I can take swatches home. I find making decisions so hard. My daughter suggested Pinterest but I can't get on with it


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Tiny suggestion Pat, take a swatch of the carpet, paint etc to the shop, saves a lot of time > >


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

My experience from over 40 years in the dry cleaning trade.
Thermal linings will attract mould given the right conditions. Curtains with thermal linings cannot be dry cleaned unless you go through the expense of removing the linings and re-attaching.
Best practice is to use separate thermal linings and replace if mould or condensation stains appear.
Not sure if thermal linings make that much difference as there will be many gaps around the curtains for cold air to get around.
Good, modern, gas-filled double glazing should be good enough in the UK climate.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We have gas filled windows, PITA on colder calm days, they look like they've blown but it's condensation on the outside.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> We have gas filled windows, PITA on colder calm days, they look like they've blown but it's condensation on the outside.


But that's good isn't it? Keeps the condensation outside where it can't do any harm.
BTW don't stand your wardrobe against an outside wall, you'll get mould on your clothes, probably.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Spacerunner said:


> But that's good isn't it? Keeps the condensation outside where it can't do any harm.
> BTW don't stand your wardrobe against an outside wall, you'll get mould on your clothes, probably.


Yes, but windows are meant to see through, and you can't, dunno what difference they make to insulation though, we didn't ask for it, just how they came.

Not just wardrobes anything closer than two inches to a cold wall, bed heads etc.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Spacerunner said:


> My experience from over 40 years in the dry cleaning trade.
> Thermal linings will attract mould given the right conditions. Curtains with thermal linings cannot be dry cleaned unless you go through the expense of removing the linings and re-attaching.
> Best practice is to use separate thermal linings and replace if mould or condensation stains appear.
> Not sure if thermal linings make that much difference as there will be many gaps around the curtains for cold air to get around.
> Good, modern, gas-filled double glazing should be good enough in the UK climate.


 Great insight, thank you! I will just have them lined with normal lining at first and see how we go.

Kev, we have just visited a local, out of town, store that is like John Lewis. It was great because it was all on one floor and you could walk around with bits of carpet, swatches from our three piece suite, that we bought there in the summer, and curtain samples. We could take them outside into daylight too. Once they have measured and the house has been plastered we will bring all the samples home just to make sure we are happy with the colours at home. All the staff have been there years and were very experienced and helpful.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Just to add my two pennath Pat.
We have triple glazing, heat 24 hours a day, have thick lined curtains ( a satin type lining not cotton) to the floor and still have to wipe the condensation from around the window frames when temperatures outside drop below + 2°.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

JanHank said:


> Just to add my two pennath Pat.
> We have triple glazing, heat 24 hours a day, have thick lined curtains ( a satin type lining not cotton) to the floor and still have to wipe the condensation from around the window frames when temperatures outside drop below + 2°.


Wow I,m shocked at that Jan with triple glazing and thick lined curtains.

How wide are the recesses/reveals around the windows, have they been insulated? People/builders tend to miss doing those areas and that's how condensation can happen(coldest surface)

We have a 2 year old extension and have triple leaf walls, insulation on the exterior of the inner leaf and insulation on the interior walls, triple glazing, as warm as toast and no condensation as yet. The house is high up on the moors and one of the most exposed places in Teesdale


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Its our life style I think Paul, we probably have the house too warm, temp right now is 24.4°C and humidity 38 outside -1° and the condensation is just starting on the bottom of the glass. Wooden windows and insulation all round.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

God Jan, liz would melt, I like it to be around 20, but find the rads dry the air too much, last house had underfloor heating, so much nicer, and nothing on the walls meant anything could go anywhere.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We have underfloor heating over the whole house Kev, only the bedroom is not turned on. I haven't worn a jumper in the house since we moved in 2006.
What are you doing on here at this time of night, you used to switch orf at 6 pm.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

JanHank said:


> We have underfloor heating over the whole house Kev, only the bedroom is not turned on. I haven't worn a jumper in the house since we moved in 2006.
> What are you doing on here at this time of night, you used to switch orf at 6 pm.


That's the problem with the site for me Jan, during the week most people are early birds and daytime posters, it dries up on here on evenings.

With working all day I find I am talking to myself.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> We have underfloor heating over the whole house Kev, only the bedroom is not turned on. I haven't worn a jumper in the house since we moved in 2006.
> What are you doing on here at this time of night, you used to switch orf at 6 pm.


I quite often watch Netflix on the tablet in bed, look in sometimes too.

Why do you have the temp so high though, do you feel the cold like me?


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Just like it like this, same temperature wherever we are, cept for the bedroom where we're covered up.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

At the moment when we get up in the morning, temp is around 13c in the lounge, I'll whack the stat up to 15c to warm it up a bit and it'll possibly get turned up another couple of degrees every few hours until teatime when we'll have it up to 19 or 20c, turn it off about 8pm for the night.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

From 0730hrs. our stat is set to 20°C. From 1000hrs it is set to 19°C until 1600hrs when it returns to 20°C through to 2230hrs when it reduces to 18°C until 0730.

The radiator Therm. controlled valves are set to 5 in all rooms bar my bedroom where it is turned off. 

On the Max – Min mercury thermometer that I reset every morning it constantly shows a minimum off 15° and maximum 25°. 

We air the house every morning, every window and outside doors are opened in turn and then closed in turn after the last door has been opened.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Can't see the sense in that Drew.
We are open plan, I open opposite windows, four altogether, for about 10 mins each morning.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We have a wireless stat, it isn't mounted anywhere, I want to set the temp at the level I live at, not half way up a wall, so it lives on the bottom shelf of our coffee table.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

We have 4 bedrooms lounge and dining room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms utility and hall. It takes about 10 minutes to open and close doors and windows. It seems to clear the air in all rooms and keeps the place fresh. The bedroom and bathroom doors are never closed.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Drew said:


> We have 4 bedrooms lounge and dining room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms utility and hall. It takes about 10 minutes to open and close doors and windows. It seems to clear the air in all rooms and keeps the place fresh. The bedroom and bathroom doors are never closed.


Thats a big house you have Drew, I wouldn't like to be the housekeeper.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> We have a wireless stat, it isn't mounted anywhere, I want to set the temp at the level I live at, not half way up a wall, so it lives on the bottom shelf of our coffee table.


Yes we do but it sits on a table in the hall, normally the coldest place in the house.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

They do say that the cure for condensation is to turn the heat up and open the windows. If you see them building modern houses now the windows are double or triple glazed but have vents all around them. Often the windows cannot be opened! How awful must that be in the summer and what about fire risk?


I think I will get lined curtains and think about adding some detachable thermal linings. We are not planning to spend the winters in the uk so it is probably all academic any way


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

JanHank said:


> Thats a big house you have Drew, I wouldn't like to be the housekeeper.


It is a bungalow Jan, just under 60ft long X 34ft wide at the narrowest point & 41ft max.

It was designed by the the original builder I redesigned it myself ten years ago, two of the bedrooms had en suites, I removed them and built a separate bathroom. The loft has been fully reinforced and plumbed in readiness for development if required, I certainly won't be extending.

Generally speaking, it is a reasonable size but I wouldn't say it was big.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

"Often the windows cannot be opened! How awful must that be in the summer and what about fire risk?"

I am not 100% certain as I have been retired for 17 years, but I'm sure there are building regulations stating that certain rooms in a house must have an escape route to exit the house, i.e. an opening window.

Perhaps someone will put this right?


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

I’m sure there is 

We have one upstairs window that opens fully and would allow in theory, escape via the roof onto the porch in the event of a fire 

Sandra


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

We thought the same thing but have seen several houses with no opening windows. Perhaps they have stone stairs or something? Or perhaps they supply a glass hammer?


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