Curtains in rentals

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Wellington (The Wash House)

Curtains are essential for a warm, healthy home. Here's what to know as a renter to get the most out of your curtains.

Whether a green paisley swirl or a modern muted linen, curtains are essential for a healthy home. More important than the material is the way they’re installed.

When warm air hits cold glass, two things happen: the warm air escapes and the newly cooled air forms condensation on the window pane.


The best way of dealing with this is by keeping warm air away from the window with curtains and blinds, which creates a pocket of air between the window and the window covering.

Getting the most out of curtains:
• Ideally, they should touch the floor and the track and curtain should be wider than the window frame. The most important part is to cover the whole window and create a seal against the cold air.
• They should fit tightly against the wall or window frame. Sometimes changing the type of track they’re hung on can close a gap between the window and the curtain. For example, rods and rails are often installed a few centimetres out from the window, which means there can be big gaps and no seal created.
• Pelmets can help to decrease heat loss, but won’t stop it completely.
• Curtains with two layers can increase heat retention, but how they’re fitted is most important.
• Net curtains, installed very close to the window and in contact with the window frame, can be effective.
• Blinds need to be installed snugly inside the window frame to be effective. If they sit out from the window, or if there are gaps between the blind and the frame, they’re not going to keep the heat in.
• Remember to open curtains every morning to make the most of the sun’s heat, and close them at sundown to keep that heat in.

Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...