We’ve discussed the necessity of conservatory roof blinds in one of our past articles. We are going to take a deeper look today at a few creative ideas of conservatory roof shading.

First of all, you need to be aware that the conservatory roof needs special treatments, because it’s exposed to the winter chills as well as to the summer heats, much more than ordinary windows in a home. This is why conservatory roof shading solutions should be more than simple, decorative accessories, but also very good thermal insulators, resistant to UV rays and easy to handle from a distance. Their function is to offer you a comfortable space in your conservatory and to protect the carpets and the furniture, which otherwise would fade and get damaged by UV in a very short time. This functionality comes with a high price tag, so adding a conservatory to your house is not the cheapest thing you can do in this world.

Shades with reflective backings: this is maybe the most inexpensive solution for covering your conservatory roof. Basically, window shades made of common fabrics are lined with a reflective coating which won’t be visible from the inside, but which would act as a barrier for the thermal exchange and as a temperature regulator. One of the most efficient backing materials is Aluminized Mylar, which is a thing that was firs used by NASA for reflecting the solar heat. I found an interesting article on how to make your own sunlight reflective linings for window blinds. I don’t know if you can apply it for the conservatory roof shadings, but at least you could save some money on the other windows in your home.

External shade netting: this is a kind of plastic net which is wrapped around the conservatory roof, dimming the light transmission with 50%. Personally, I don’t like it very much, because I like to be able to allow full light to enter at special occasions, but there are people who think this solution is better than interior shades.

Polycool Solar Control Inserts: these are suitable for polycarbonate conservatory roofs and they reduce up to 85% of the solar heat amount and up to 87% of blinding glare, without a significant light loss. These inserts are available in two finishes: silver and gold. I know Polycool is a trademark, but I don’t know the generic term for this kind of shading. However, if you’re interested, you can search the net and see it for yourself what brands are available within your area. I think it’s called window film technology.

Do you know any other unusual conservatory roof shading solutions? I’d be happy if you shared them with all our readers in the comments. Thank you.

We’ve got a question from one of our readers who wishes to install window treatments for some very big windows and he wonders whether to buy roller blinds or to get a retractable awning instead and live the windows as they are.

Personally, I think that there’s no connection between the two methods, as they are completely different. Retractable awnings are surely beautiful and extremely functional, but if you don’t have a balcony or a terrace, they prove to be an expense with very little functionality. Why pay more if you’re not going to use them at their fullest anyway? So, in case you have a terrace, you could consider installing retractable awnings, because you’ll love to just sit there are sip your morning coffee fully protected from the sun light. Beware that awnings can be manually operated or electric, the price depending very much on your choice.

If there’s no terrace, but only the big windows, roller shades are better, because they offer an elegant look to your room. Besides, the don’t get dirty when it rains, like retractable awnings do. Go for those cool, sheer, electric roller blinds and you’ll be satisfied with the effect and with the light filtering such window treatments provide. Your shop assistant will surely help you in choosing the most appropriate fabric depending on your specific needs.

Kitchen window treatments are very important, because some families spend a lot of time in their kitchen on a daily basis, therefore the look of this room matters. On the other hand, kitchens are subject to tough conditions, because of the steam and food odors that may penetrate decorations and accessories and remain there, being very hard to get rid of.

Here are a few tips to help you choose your kitchen window treatments wisely:

1. Kitchen window treatments need to be washable. If you like to cook, your window treatments would get dirty very easily, therefore you need to be able to clean them often. Machine washable fabrics are the best, as you don’t have to invest time and energy in cleaning them.
2. Sheer cotton cafe curtains or Venetian aluminum blinds are the best. Cotton is easy to clean and aluminum doesn’t retain odors. Besides, you can find them for cheap.
3. Thick fabrics should be avoided. Thick fabric drapes or pleated curtains aren’t suitable for kitchen windows because they’d soon become the home of mold and mildew, because of the steam and high humidity, so you’ll end up with stinky window treatments. Molds are not good for health.
4. Kitchen window treatments need to be easy to take down for cleaning. You don’t want to need a specialized person to help you each time you want to wash your window curtains or shades, would you?
5. Swags, privacy tiers and valances are nice in every kitchen. Remember to keep them as simple as possible, and you’ll be able to obtain the look you’re after without cluttering your windows.
6. You don’t need complete blackout in the kitchen. If you cook, then why would you want to do it in the dark? Choose merry, light shades of color and sheer fabrics for your kitchen windows coverings.
7. Light fabrics with cheerful motives are a good, inexpensive choice. Fruits, veggies, rabbits, plaid patterns, everything goes here. If you have kids, you can let them choose the fabrics for your window kitchen treatments.