Advantages of Blinds
- acts as an extra layer of insulation helping keep heating bills down (but also acts to trap heat during the summer)
- come in a variety of styles, patterns and colours
- more hygienic than curtains
- external blinds or shutters (on outside of property) are the second best solution for controlling heat after air conditioning
Disadvantages of Blinds
- Blinds block out natural light. Natural light has well documented health benefits including producing dopamine, improving mood and aiding sleep. This is especially important in cities, where people spend upwards of 90% of their time indoors.
- Hard to clean, as each individual slat needs to be cleaned.
- Can fade, warp and distort over time.
- Many blinds are engineered to keep heat indoors.
- Blinds when closed block fresh air entering the space. External blinds or shutters may block your windows from opening.
- It would be misleading to suggest blinds will make your home cool.
Blinds Versus Aircon
Blinds can be an attractive way to control and modulate light levels and privacy.
In winter blinds can help keep heat in and reduce heating bills.
In summer blinds will block only about 25% of the heat gain from outside and will act as a heat trap keeping heat within the space.
Air conditioning allows you to enjoy the many hours of natural light during the summer months while allowing you to fully control the temperature (air conditioning can also be used in heating mode during the winter months).
Air conditioning can also minimise asthma and allergy symptoms by removing dust, particulates and pollen from the air, as well as promoting good health by filtering out airborne viruses and bacteria.
On a beautiful day, why live in the dark? Instead of having to keep the blinds shut, air conditioning allows you to fully enjoy your living space by controlling the temperature while letting natural daylight fill the room.
Research conducted at London South Bank University found temperatures in a newly renovated London flat reaching 47.5°C in September 2016.
Venetian blinds could reduce this temperature to 34.5°C.
Only air conditioning gives you complete control, allowing you to reduce the temperature as low as 18°C if you so desire. Aircon gives you the ability to set a specific target anywhere in the range between 18°C and 25°C.
