How Blinds Help Reduce Heat in Summer

Maintaining a comfortable work environment during those stuffy summer days can be a challenge, especially when the heat creeps into your office or workspace. While there’s no specific law in the UK setting exact temperatures for workplaces, the government recommends maintaining a temperature of around 16 degrees – or a cooler 13 degrees for physical work. With recent summers reaching temperatures in the mid-30s, it’s a constant challenge. And of course, many businesses are looking to avoid overusing air conditioning, as it’s costly and not always environmentally friendly.

Fortunately, our blinds can be a fantastic solution. 

Blinds really can make a difference

Blinds are one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to reduce heat build-up in a space. Some of Yewdale’s fabrics are designed specifically to help prevent heat accumulation and help maintain a cooler temperature. For example, blinds with white backs reflect more light, meaning they don’t absorb as much heat and help keep the room cooler. It’s simply basic science. 

Let’s break this down a bit. Sunlight is a mix of all colours and comes in different wavelengths. White fabrics reflect all those wavelengths, meaning they absorb very little of the energy. Essentially, they reflect the light and the associated heat away from the room, preventing it from seeping inside. On the other hand, black fabrics absorb all wavelengths, causing them to heat up quickly due to the energy they capture. They then slowly release that energy – some of it back outside, but some also into the room itself, making the space uncomfortably warm during the hotter parts of the year. 

This is why light-coloured fabrics, or fabrics with a white exterior-facing backing, are such a powerful tool in maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures. They do a great job at reflecting the sun’s rays and keeping workspaces cooler for longer, which is especially important in the height of summer.

White-backed fabrics: a dual-purpose solution

At Yewdale, we offer several white-backed fabrics that do more than just look good; they also serve a functional purpose. For example, our Roe White Back fabric is often chosen for its ability to provide a uniform white-backed exterior, but it’s also highly efficient at reflecting heat and sunlight away from the room. The same is true for our Eden Blackout White Back fabric. It’s highly popular because it provides a uniform appearance on the outside, but it also contributes to maintaining cooler temperatures. 

Bold, colourful alternatives

If your customers aren’t keen on light-coloured or white-backed fabrics, don’t worry. If these fabrics aren’t quite right, there are still easy ways to make smart, efficient choices. The key is understanding each fabric’s unique ability to reduce heat – and we make it easy to find the best fabrics for the job.

Our fabric selectors come with detailed data sheets, allowing you to fully assess their thermal qualities. Each selector includes specs that help you understand how a particular fabric will perform when it comes to controlling heat, helping you guide your customers towards the best solution. 

Here are the key qualities and characteristics to pay attention to:

1. Light transmittance

This is the ‘pass-through’ rate. It’s the amount of light that sneaks through the fabric. The lower the transmittance, the better the fabric is at keeping the hot sunlight from shining into your room.

2. Light reflection

This is how much sunlight the fabric bounces back. A high reflection percentage means the fabric is doing a great job of keeping the sun’s rays (and their heat) outside where they belong.

3. Light absorption

This is the tendency to soak up light. The more it absorbs, the warmer it gets – and that energy is eventually released back into the room. Look for fabrics with low absorption to keep things cool.

4. Solar transmittance

This is how much solar energy passes through fabric. The lower the percentage, the more effective the fabric is at blocking heat. Look for low percentages to prevent offices turning into greenhouses!

5. Solar reflectance

Solar reflectance measures how much solar radiation the fabric is able to reflect away. A higher percentage indicates better heat-blocking performance. This is your fabric’s solar superhero.

6. Solar absorption

This is how much solar energy is absorbed by the fabric. A high percentage means the fabric absorbs more heat, making it less effective at cooling the room. A fabric with low absorption is your ally.

7. UV transmittance

This shows how much UV radiation is allowed through the fabric. Lower is better, as less UV means fewer harmful rays getting into your space, protecting both your people and your furniture.

8. Shading coefficient

This measures how much solar heat is blocked by the blind. The lower the result, the better the fabric performs at preventing solar heat gain, keeping spaces cooler and more comfortable.
 

Helping you to help your customers

At Yewdale, we believe in helping installers and businesses guide their customers towards the best solutions by providing clear, easily accessible information on our products. Our detailed fabric selectors and technical specifications empower you to find the most effective blinds for heat reduction, ensuring you can offer the best advice, recommendations and service to your buyers. 

If you have any questions or need further advice on selecting the right blinds for heat reduction, get in touch. We’re here to help you find the perfect solution to keep spaces comfortable year-round.