Although we all use curtains for some sort of protection, quite often the curtain itself is not enough, and we need to strengthen its ability to shade our home. This is where lined curtains come in. Lined curtains play five major roles on our windows and doors. They provide insulation, block out light, keep draughts out, protect our home from damaging UV rays and reduce noise. If any of these things are an issue in your home, then a lined curtain is definitely worth investigating as a cost effective option.

It seems that the two biggest news stories for the last few months have been global warming and the financial crisis, and it’s sort of strange that one of the places these two issues intersect is window coverings. You may have no idea what I mean by that, but think about it for a second. Global warming means that our summers are getting hotter and our winters are getting colder every year. The financial crisis means that we have to be extra careful about how we spend our money. A decent lined curtain on your window will block a lot of the heat coming into your house in winter, and hold that heat in on those chilly winter nights. By providing your house with this extra insulation, you are reducing the amount of time that you need to run your air conditioner and heater, thus saving you a lot of money.

Another benefit of having your curtains lined is that you will be blocking out a lot of unwanted light in your home. For extreme cases you can get blackout blinds that will block everything out, however if you just want to tone it down a bit, a normal lined curtain will make a big difference. This is particularly useful for people that need to sleep during the day, such as shift workers. It’s also a good idea for the babies nursery, as your bubs will be able to sleep in peace without the harsh sunlight shining through their window during their afternoon nap. Having the ability of blocking out the sun will also have the added benefit of protecting your carpets and furniture from harmful UV rays. These sunrays can fade your fabric over time, and these items can be very expensive to replace.

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There are a couple of things you will need to keep in mind if you are considering lined curtains as a solution in your home. The first is that these curtains are a lot heavier once you add lining to the back of them. The bad side of this is that they are going to be putting more strain on your curtain rods, so you will need to ensure that both the rods and the brackets that hold them up are able to withstand the added weight. The good thing about the extra weight is that your curtain will hang a lot better, and not get blown around in the breeze as much. The other thing you need to keep in mind is the lining material itself. A lot of people don’t give the color or pattern of material a lot of thought, and are shocked when they first see the curtain from the outside of their house. It’s easy to forget that there are two sides to every curtain.

Lined curtains aren’t all that expensive, especially when you take into account the energy saving benefits mentioned above, but if money is really tight, then you could consider lining your existing curtains. It can be done with a little knowledge of a sewing machine and an understanding of what material to use, for very little cost. The most expensive material is the specially designed thermal lining, which is specially coated. However, a cotton or polyester material can work just as well as a lining.