How to Insulate Shades & Curtains
Insulating your shades and curtains can help reduce your electric bill, especially during the winter months, but also during the summer months when the air conditioner is running. For slat shades you need to insulate the windows, but for curtains and roller shades you can do a couple of things to help insulate your home a little better. Even if you already have curtains and shades in your windows you can insulate those as well with a quick stop at the fabric store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Natural quilt batting
- Scissors
- Spray adhesive
- Insulated liner
- Measuring tape
- Pins
Instructions
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Roller Shades
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1
Make sure you have plenty of room at the roller shade brackets. Keep in mind you will be making the shade a little bit thicker, so lower the brackets a little if necessary to allow for the extra room.
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2
Remove the roller shade from the brackets. Unroll the shade and lay it out on a large work surface or the floor.
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3
Lay the natural quilt batting on top of the inside of the roller shade (this is the side that faces the window). Trim the quilt batting so that it is 1/4 inches less than the shade. Remove the quilt batting and roll it up to make it easier to work with.
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4
Work on a 12-inch section at a time and spray the roller shade with the adhesive. Lay the quilt batting on top so that it will unroll as you work. Keep spraying and unrolling the quilt batting until you cover the roller shade completely.
Curtains
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5
Insulate any curtains you have by purchasing an insulating liner fabric. Measure your existing curtains to determine the amount of insulated liner fabric you need.
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6
Cut your fabric to the necessary measurements. Fold under the edges 1/2 in. and then again another 1/2 in. all the way around. Use pins to hold the fabric in place.
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7
Sew all the way around the insulated lining fabric to form a hem. Use drapery clips to attach the insulated lining to the back of the curtain. Hang the curtains as you normally would.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use a natural quilt batting since it is much thinner than polyester batting. It will hold up better and will not be as bulky when you roll the shade up.
The drapery clips are great for those people who do not want to change their window treatments each season. Clip on the insulated lining for the cold months and simply remove them when you do not need them.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Red brick and white curtains image by MPfoto from Fotolia.com
