Lower Your Heating Bill And Keep Away Winter Drafts With Customized Drapes

Chances are, you only use drapes to cover your windows. While these beautiful treatments are wonderful on a window, their usefulness does not end there. Customized draperies can be made functional for blocking drafts in a variety of places in the home. Here are a few examples for you to consider.

Protection From Uninsulated Walls

Castles and palaces are common in fairy tales, but what those fantasies neglect to mention is how uncomfortable many of these lovely homes were when they were built. Two very important things were lacking in the middle ages: insulation and central heating. To hold out some of the chill of winter, many castle residents began creating tapestries and hanging them on the walls. This can be done in homes today. If your house is older and lacks adequate insulation, warm up a cold exterior wall with custom drapes. They can be designed to complement the space and can be easily removed during the warmer months.

Shield Against Leaky Door frames

Those long, tube-like draft stoppers are wonderful for stopping the air coming under the bottom of a door. Unfortunately, many doors that are drafty at the bottom are also drafty on the sides and top. It is not always possible to replace a door and door frame, but anyone can install an insulated drapery. With the drapery rod installed above the door frame, it will be easy to slide the cloth to the side when you need to use the door. It may not be a convenient solution for doors which are used multiple times every day, but for a back or side door which is only needed occasionally, it can hold back a lot of cold air.

Block off Unused Spaces

Unused rooms with doors can be easily closed off and will save the homeowner a lot of money over the course of a long winter. But if you have a room you rarely use which has only a doorway and not an actual door, it is still possible to close this space off. Hanging a drapery across the opening can prevent wasting heat on an unused room; and in warmer months the drape can be pulled back as a decorative accessory. Obviously, if the room is a bath or kitchen area, all plumbing should be drained to prevent frozen pipes.

Draperies can be beautiful and useful at the same time. With heating costs as high as they are, even a small reduction in fuel or energy needs can be a substantial savings. Best of all, draperies, from places such as F & R Interiors, are much more attractive than the plastic sheets and old blankets some people use to stop drafts.