1616 days ago

Consumer's curtain investigation; how to keep warm this winter

Owner from Curtain Clean BOP Ltd

Keeping your home this winter doesn't have to put you in debt, but you will have to be creative.
Consumer have revealed the best curtains to invest in as temperatures begin to cool down to help stop nearly two-thirds of a home's heat from going out its windows.

Honeycomb blinds - which have hexagonal shaped cells in its structure - were the standout performer of the five different blinds tested. Others involved were roman, roller and aluminium and wooden venetians. Both thermal and heavy-lined curtains were also tested.

Consumer head of testing Dr Paul Smith said the heat loss test was measured through an aluminium-framed single-glazed window with each curtain hung for at least three hours. He was pleased to find the honeycomb blinds topped the test having put them in his own home about nine years ago.
He said the hexagonal cells in the curtain, which when extended trap the air in the cells, "acting like a down jacket; trapping still air".

"It was good for me seeing this because anecdotally I thought 'oh these are doing a great job' because when you open the curtains in the morning you can see all the cold air fall out from behind the window."

In the test, the honeycomb blinds retained more than 60 per cent of the heat lost through a bare window.

Roman blinds were the second best performing blind, followed by roller blinds. As for wooden or aluminium venetians, wooden were proven the better insulator, he said. If curtains were preferred, people were urged to go "heavy" and long.

Heavy-lined curtains were ones which had two layers which again acted as an air trap. To get the best result, they needed to go down to the ground, no matter the size of the window, to keep the cold air out.

It was best to keep the gap between the curtain or blind and the frame of the window as small as possible.

Thermal curtains - a curtain which has a thermal layer stitched to the back - did not perform as well as the heavy-lined curtains, he said. However, Dr Smith had come up with a few cheap hacks for people not bothered about what there lounge or particular room looks like for a few cold nights over winter. One was hanging a blanket over the top of your curtains.

"It is less convenient because you've got to hang a blanket and take it down each time.

"We pinned it up where the railing was, so we just pinned it up above the window and just let it hang down and cover the whole window."

The other option was to roll up towels and sit them above your window railing which again prevented cold air circulating around the room.

"It stops the air being sucked in to the top. So when the hot air rises up to the ceiling. If the curtains aren't well-fitted, that warm air falls behind the window.

"They call it the reverse chimney so it's like the air coming down past the window and all the heat being lost, so if you put something across the top it stops that from happening."

TOP TIPS FOR HEAT RETENTION
• Mount curtains as close as possible to the window frame,
• Position nets as close to the window as possible,
• Use floor length curtains and ensure they touch the floor,
• Make curtains a generous width so they overlap the window frames at the sides,
• Using net curtains help with heat retention, especially on wooden frame windows,

• Using a fan "significantly" reduces heat loss.

www.nzherald.co.nz...



ENSURE YOUR CURTAINS ARE CLEAN THIS WINTER

Your health is ALWAYS important, but now more than ever we need to stay on top of it, especially in our environment. Check your curtains regularly for live mould and visible dirt. Curtain Clean can take care of any contamination and ensure your curtains return to you clean and sanitised!


www.curtainclean.co.nz...

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More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.

This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.

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Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
  • 84% Yes
    84% Complete
  • 14.7% No
    14.7% Complete
  • 1.3% Other - I'll share below
    1.3% Complete
837 votes
23 minutes ago

Do you know what a Conditional Agreement means?

Matt from Matt Wineera - Thats Real Estate with Matt Wineera

Do you know what a Conditional Agreement means?
A conditional agreement is an agreement for the Sale & Purchase of real estate and is a legally binding agreement, but it is subject to certain conditions being satisfied.

These might relate to:
1️⃣ the purchaser arranging suitable finance to complete the purchase,

2️⃣ receipt of a satisfactory builder’s report and/or valuer’s report;

3️⃣ receipt of a satisfactory Land Information Memorandum (LIM);

4️⃣ or the purchaser’s solicitor approving the title to the property.

The Sale & Purchase agreement may also have conditions that require the seller to do something by a certain date.

Once all the conditions are satisfied the agreement becomes unconditional.

Whether you're the savvy buyer or the strategic seller, remember the golden rule: legal advice is your guiding light. 🌟 Legal advice ensures the conditions are crystal clear, paving the way for your seamless real estate journey!

So, next time you're navigating your real estate journey of property transactions, remember: knowledge is power, and legal advice is your compass!💡

Contact me for more real estate advice. My advice is given freely and without obligation. ✨

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1 hour ago

Spring gardening tips

Bob Owens Retirement Village

Dreaming of a garden bursting with colour and fresh produce? Shane Fairbairn, Ryman Healthcare’s Landscape Manager, shares his top tips to make it happen. You’ll be set to create a gorgeous, relaxing space in no time - grab your trowel, and let’s dig in.

Click read more for more information.

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