A lot of heat goes out through the glass - or the cold comes in and one side of you is nice and warm from the heater and the other side feels as if you need three layers of jersey.
Insulating curtains can help keep the heat inside for those of us whose houses date from the days before double glazing was available.
Besides making the room more comfortable, good insulating curtains will also save heating costs and even cut down some of the traffic or other noise from outside.
According to Don Lee, furnishings manager at Arthur Barnett in Dunedin, there are several options for insulated window treatments, from Roman blinds with an insulated backing or blinds with a honeycomb structure, to various grades of thermal lining for curtains.
Some of the thermal linings include a blackout layer which is useful in children's rooms, particularly in summer when they go to bed while it is still light.
Then there's bumf, an interlining - a thick, light fabric that goes between the curtain fabric and the lining - to improve insulation, deaden sound and improve the drape of the curtain.
It means you can use a lightweight curtaining fabric and still have the advantage of insulating curtains and the luxurious drape of heavier ones.
To be effective insulators, curtains need to cover the window well, preferably from floor to ceiling, or at least with a pelmet at the top to stop the circulation of cold air.
It's also important to have them extend past the sides of the window, he says.
Just as heat goes out through glass at night, warmth can come in on a sunny day.
A useful tip is to draw the curtains before it gets dark, especially in winter to keep in the warmth.
Hang 'em High
by Terry Sapienza of the Los Angeles Times
Besides picking paint colours, the one topic that consistently seems to stump many people is window treatments. To get to the bottom of the issue, we consulted Claire Schwab, a window-treatment consultant with more than 20 years' experience.
Q. What are the most common window-treatment mistakes you see?
A. The one I see most often is not hanging [curtain] panels high or wide enough.
Other mistakes I see are: bad measuring, buying retail curtains and not pressing them before they are hung, and having drapes that are not long enough. They should at least touch the floor.
Q. Why should homeowners resist the urge to mount drapery hardware on the window moulding?
A. When it comes to hanging panels, we need to go up and out. If you have room to install hardware closer to the ceiling, you should. It has much more impact and gives the room a taller, loftier feel.
It also makes the windowsill look bigger, the ceiling look taller, and you're not covering your light or your view.
If you are installing hardware yourself, make sure you're using the proper support screws that can carry the entire weight of your treatment.
Q. Are there things to keep in mind when buying hardware?
A. The one slip-up I see often is when people don't buy enough support brackets. Sometimes you need an extra one for the centre so your treatment won't sag.
Q. What are your thoughts on tiebacks?
A. I don't use them I prefer the long, flowy look.
Q. Floor-length or windowsill-length curtains?
A. Windowsill-length went out of fashion in the '60s.
Q. What is the best fabric to use for curtains?
A. Silks are hard to beat because they hang so nicely. Then I would say a medium-weight upholstery fabric because it looks substantial. Cottons and linens wrinkle more easily and are more casual in appearance.
Q. Is a bare window ever best?
A. No!
