pleated blinds

‘What are the best blinds for thermal efficiency?’ That's a question we’ve been asked a lot recently at A1 Blinds! In today’s world of rising energy costs, many of us are looking for ways to keep those bills down! And yes, blinds are certainly a great option.

There are, of course, other options you could consider. You could upgrade the UPVC doors and windows across your home... Sounds expensive! Or you could wear extra layers of clothes and buy a thicker duvet… Which sounds a little uncomfortable!

But by simply upgrading your window blinds to our thermal range, you’ll be able to reduce your home’s energy costs by up to 16%! Impressive, right?

We’ll explain more…

What are The Best Blinds for Home Energy Efficiency?

All blinds will help improve your home's energy efficiency in one way or another. Blinds add an extra insulating layer up at your windows which helps to keep the warmth in and prevents it from escaping through the windows.

Perfect-fit

Made-to-measure blinds come with a long list of benefits. They are superior to their off-the-shelf alternatives for many, many reasons. But first, let us explain exactly what they are!

Made-to-measure window coverings are made to fit your window and your window only. Using your measurements, and the fabric and lining that you’ve chosen, we go off and make your blinds, exactly as you’ve asked. No two made-to-measure blinds are the same. And that’s their beauty.

The alternative option is off-the-shelf blinds. These are the ready-made option. You’ll find them packaged up on the shelves, in set colours and sizes. Whilst they’re a quick solution to window coverings, off-the-shelf blinds are unlikely to fit your windows and meet your requirements as they should.

Stay with us whilst we take a closer look at the benefits of made-measure-blinds to help you make the best decision possible…

Discover 6 Benefits of Buying Made-to-Measure

Pleated blinds come with a long list of benefits. This makes them one of our top choices for window dressings! They’ll provide you with the ideal combination of performance and style. Here’s why…

Pleated Blinds Explained:

Pleated blinds are naturally beautiful thanks to their elegant folds which will add a soft textured effect to any interior. 

Pleated blinds are made up of a ‘honeycomb’ structure. A series of hexagonal cellular ‘gaps’ between two layers of fabric that are joined at the top and bottom of each shape. The gaps are flattened when your blinds are open and expand again when your blinds are closed.

The cellular composition of pleated blinds allows them to sit neatly and discreetly at the top of the window frame. They are cordless; operated manually or via motorisation. This makes them totally child-safe, especially when paired with our Perfect Fit system!

Pleated

As the cold months draw in (which they certainly are!), you’re probably already thinking of ways you can make your home warmer… without having the heating on 24/7 that is.

There are of course the usual ways of getting warmer. Putting a jumper on. Thicker socks. Warmer blankets. Winter Duvets. But have you thought about improving the place where much of the cold air is coming from? Your windows!

Let us introduce you to window insulation using thermal blinds and our top tips for energy efficiency…

What are Thermal Blinds?

We define thermal blinds as blinds that are designed to conserve energy in both winter and summer. Either helping to trap heat in your room or reflecting the sunlight off the windows. So, investing in new blinds for winter will benefit you in the summer months too! Thank us later!

Some blinds are naturally ‘thermal’ by design, some have a specific thermal lining, and some have a thermal treatment applied to the reverse. Either way,

Privacy is something we all want and expect in our homes. But if your home is closely facing another, or you live on a busy road, this can be difficult to achieve. So, whilst beautiful large windows are a desirable asset to have, finding the perfect blinds for privacy is essential.

Blinds provide the perfect window dressing solution for privacy, and with so many styles on the market these days, it’s easy to find the perfect set! But since you’re here you’re probably wondering, ‘What are the best blinds for privacy?’. Let us tell you…

A1’s Blinds for Privacy in Your Home...

All blind styles will provide you with a degree of privacy and at A1 we have 13 styles to choose from! This includes vertical, Venetian, pleated, panel, allusion blinds and many more! However, if total privacy is what you desire, A1’s top picks are roller, Roman, or pleated blinds. Here’s why…

Choosing the best blinds for living rooms can be tricky. There are so many options with different functionalities! Plus, it’s probably where you spend most of your time, so you’ll want to make sure you make the right decision.

Rollers, Romans, Verticals, Venetians, Vision, Panel, Pleated, Velux, Perfect-Fit, Shutters, and Allusion are all suitable blinds for living rooms. But to find the best blinds for your living room, you’ll need to consider what you want the blinds for! This is because all styles and fabric choices offer different benefits.

What to Consider When Choosing Blinds for Living Rooms

1) Blinds for Living Rooms with Light and Privacy Control

Is your living room facing the main road, another house, or a busy park? Do you often catch passers-by peering in? If the answer to any of the above is yes, privacy control should be a key consideration.

If it is privacy control you require, we recommend three different blind styles: Vision,

A1 Blinds are renowned in the North East for producing beautifully made to measure blinds including blinds for Velux windows. More and more homes are having Velux windows installed. Be it in the bedroom, kitchen, or a converted conservatory. They’re certainly in demand in recent years as we all strive for more natural light.

One of the best ways you can brighten your home is with natural light. It’s warming, natural and of course completely free! But whilst natural light in the home is a bonus, there will be times when you’ll want to block out that light.

Light control is a day-to-day necessity. When your child is sleeping, you’re having a lie-in or watching a film – you’ll want to be able to dim the light wherever necessary. It’s also key for protecting your furniture from sun-fading on brighter days.

If your home has Velux or Skylight windows, you’ll probably be wondering what your options are.

Blinds for Velux

At A1 Blinds we have a variety of conservatory window blinds that are ideal for conservatories and orangeries alike. A conservatory can be home to a whole host of issues caused by the weather outside, so it’s important to have the correct window dressings to counteract them!

With over 30 years of experience in manufacturing window blinds, we’re well placed to advise you on the best solutions. Our range of conservatory window blinds is designed for purpose - tailor-made to make your conservatory as comfortable and stylish as possible.

Blinds are a great way to regulate the temperature in window-heavy spaces. Does your conservatory become too warm in the summer and too cold in the winter? A set of made-to-measure conservatory window blinds from A1 is the solution. You can filter the sun rays during the summertime and in the winter, trap in the heat. Enabling year-round usage of your conservatory.

With so many windows