The South West Homebuilding & Renovation Show took place at the Bath & West Showground on 17th & 18th November. This Show is one of our favourites, lots of great stalls, talks, networking and it’s close to home!
Stand at the Show
Sample blinds at the Show
Next week we will be exhibiting again at Ecobuild, catch us on stand N1050 with the marvellous ModCell guys. Click on the ecobuild logo to register for free tickets.
Thermal blinds on the Modcell Stand
The thermal blinds received a lovely accolade today via the Sunday Times – see http://thetim.es/ThermalBlinds (firewalled) – it says;
It’s curtains for cold
“Heavy lined curtains are a tried and tested way to keep in heat, but there are more effective options. “A clever solution is thermal blinds,” says Julia Kendell, an interior designer and TV presenter (juliakendell.com). She recommends a new product by the designer Katy Duke. Her thermal blinds lock onto the frame with magnets and are made with materials used in skiwear. The panels, pictured above, are as effective as triple glazing, Duke says. Made to measure, and available in nine colours, the blinds start at £145 a sq metre, including fittings (thermalblind.co.uk).” Continue reading
Very much looking forward to showing the blinds at the Somerset Homebuilding & Renovation Show at the Bath & West Showground (near Shepton Mallet) – it will be my third show this year following Ecobuild & Earth Week. We will have STALL 126a, ground floor, just turn right at the main entrance – do come & find us (see below). Continue reading
The standard fabric we use is a 100% polyester blackout fabric, the swatch below shows the full range – from the left they are; Rose (pink), Red (crimson), Terracotta, Cafe (brown), Caramel (dark beige), Spice (warm beige), Oyster (pale cream), Bamboo (creamy yellow), Receda (mid green), Blue. … more.
Ten colours available
See the gallery for a variety of blind images. Also available is our 100% UK recycled fabrics. For sash windows check out how to measure up & read about Listed Buildings – how to fit blinds in historic buildings.
Leaflets & information packs here, Magnet information here. Read more on retrofit projects, Ecobuild & the Sunday Times article.
One of the key elements to reducing heatloss using thermal blinds is to get a good edge seal between the blind and the frame when they are down. This is achieved using high-performance magnets which are sealed within the blind along the outer edges. Each ‘internal’ magnet is then paired with a self-adhesive magnet attached to the window frame, which ‘click’ tightly together when the blind is lowered. They are described by the manufacturer as “Ultra High Performance Neodymium Magnets” – the most powerful permanent magnets known. They are supplied in nickel finish but can be painted on site (we’ve used Humbrol enamels) to match your frame.
We use 10mm diameter N42 Neodymium Magnets. The NORTH pole is on the showing magnetic face and the SOUTH pole is on the face covered in adhesive. These Magnets are plated with 3 layers of protective coatings – Nickel + Copper + Nickel (Ni-Cu-Ni). More technical details are below; Continue reading
I’ve been asked many times for a brochure & have finally prepared a simple leaflet which you can DOWNLOAD HERE (or see the image below) – its just a single A4 sheet with some images from the Retrofit projects and a small amount of information. If you want the full (large file) technical report you can download it HERE and if you’d like fitting instructions they are available HERE. Typical fixing details can be downloaded HERE.
I’ve also made up some sample packs, so if you’d like to see fabric & component swatches or know someone who might like a pack just email me on info@thermalblind.co.uk Continue reading
As a newly qualified architectural student Katy was involved in super-insulated homes built in the 1980’s, when working for Feilden Clegg Design. In some properties roller blinds were velcroed to window frames, and she has been searching for a better version of this idea ever since. As a Conservation Officer in the 90’s & a Conservation Architects’ Assistant in the 00’s she worked on many old buildings with sash windows. As these are protected from change, a non-invasive solution to heat loss is needed. The idea of a magnetised edge led to some prototype blinds and thermal testing in late 2010 and by February 2011 the business was ready.
After a period of time during 2010 struggling to import alternative blinds from the US she now makes the thermal blinds in Somerset. The workshop is a converted school toilet building, fondly known as The LoobyLoo.
We have supplied thermal blinds for five of the Retrofit for the Future properties, a national programme of whole-house refurbishments on a wide range of typical UK homes funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).
Prince Rupert Road thermal blind fitted
The aim is to cut CO2 emissions by 80% & establish which specifications are best and most cost-effective for each type of home. A virtual meeting with Mark Elton, Associate Director and Head of Sustainability at ECD architects at the Sustainability Now conference gave us the opportunity to discuss how thermal blinds might be used where the existing windows couldn’t be replaced with high performance new windows. Continue reading
Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings
The UK has a glorious range of beautiful and protected old buildings, many of which are difficult to heat. The target for C02 reductions in the UK are ambitious and organizations such as the National Trust are beginning to identify a strategy to deal with heat loss & energy efficiency in their buildings.
Listing currently protects 500,000 or so buildings. Many of these have windows which cannot be altered and thermal blinds may be a good solution to some of the heat loss and thermal comfort issues. Continue reading