window blinds to stop sunlight heat?

Question

what type of window blinds are the best to keep your bedroom cool, and stop the sunlight from directly shining in?

Answer 1

Blinds are a less than ideal solution for keeping your room cool. External shutters are much better. The reason is that while blinds can reduce the light coming in, they are not much good in stopping the heat which simply gets trapped between the blinds and the glass. Green houses depend the fact that sunlight passing through glass gets trapped inside -- that is why green houses are warm even in winter and awfully hot in summer. Your car gets really hot inside when exposed to the sun for the same reason.

The heat that is trapped between the blinds and the window will eventually diffuse into your room, heating it up.

External shutters shield the windows from the sun, thereby preventing the greenhouse effect. There are many kinds available. Some can even slow down convective transfer of the heat of summer air to your window. Some work like external blinds, permitting you to incline their "blades" to let in some indirect light while blocking direct sunlight.

Install shutters. They will reduce the heat load in your house and vastly reduce the need for air-conditioning, saving you money and doing your bit to reduce your carbon footprint. Every bit helps.

Answer 2

Bali, Levolor, Hunter Douglas, etc. all offer solar blinds that block the heat and sun. They are special order, of course, but they do the job.

Answer 3

Honeycomb (also called cellular) blinds are the best for insulation, and they offer 75% to 99% UV-protection. You can also get ones with a room darkening or blackout option.
http://www.homedecorators.com/window.php?category=502