The five ways to keep your home comfortable in heatwaves and cold snaps alike

Remember when the UK used to be a country without extremes of temperature? Mild winters and temperate summers? That seems like a different era, now we have become accustomed to heatwaves and snowmageddons. The long-range forecast for September suggests an extended Indian summer but, as we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks, an autumnal cold snap can swoop in unexpectedly at any time.

Many of our homes are not equipped to cope with this changeabililty. In the cold of winter, it’s easy to lose heat out of the windows (which, in turn, leads to higher heating bills). And when the full power of the summer sun strikes, it roasts rooms. So how do you go about achieving year-round temperature control?

The solution: Appeal Home Shading insulates and protects

At Appeal this year, we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. Over three decades, we have developed products of the highest possible quality, specialising in home shading – from conservatory blinds and outdoor awnings to window shutters and electric smart blinds. Whatever the temperature regulation issue in your home, we have a state-of-the-art solution which never compromises on style.

When a room has SO much glass!

Appeal started life in 1988 as a conservatory blinds specialist, but 30 years on, architectural developments mean it’s less clear what is a conservatory, orangery, garden room or simply an extension with a lantern roof or glass walls. Appeal’s wide range of blinds are all tailor-made to fit your particular configuration, however idiosyncratic. There are even special pleated blinds for high windows or gable ends which appear as if from nowhere (actually from discreet cassettes).

Control at your fingertips

Never mind changeable weather throughout the year – often we get four seasons in one day. Instead of running around your house opening and closing shades, there is a one-touch solution for all your interior window blinds. Award-winning ULTRA Smart Blinds, exclusive to Appeal, are driven by a motor, discreetly hidden behind the headrail and powered by a rechargeable battery (charged like a mobile phone on average once a year). A handheld remote or wall-mounted control means you can open or close blinds in groups or individually. There is no need for wiring to the mains, nor for unsightly (and potentially dangerous) dangling cords. Choose from Roller, Pleated or Roman blinds and from over 400 fabrics.

Take temperature control with you when you leave the house by opting for ULTRA PLUS – all the advantages of ULTRA Smart Blinds, plus shading management via your smartphone or tablet – even if you’re abroad. With a tap and a swipe, you can raise or lower your blinds – individually, in groups or all at once. Come home to a pleasant ambience; instantly increase the insulation in your home to reduce fuel bills if the weather turns cold; protect furniture from unexpected bright sunshine; or make potential burglars have second thoughts. Add smart plugs or Philips Hue bulbs and the ULTRA PLUS app will give you control over lighting and blinds together.

If you don’t want to be fiddling with the app all day, there is a timer option, which can even track the changing sunset and sunrise times for your area (giving your home a better impression of being occupied). Alternatively, there are scenarios you can set to suit your daily life.

Classic Solutions

Appeal’s bespoke wooden shutters, handcrafted from superior materials, are a stylish and simple way to insulate windows, keeping in the warmth in winter and providing cooling in summer. Adjustable louvres allow you to control exactly how much sunlight comes in – and at what angle – the old-fashioned way.

Specialist Materials

Appeal has hi-tech solutions too – including a number of specially developed materials with temperature-control properties.

For conservatories and for floor to ceiling windows, Alu-Pleat is a translucent fabric which gives a room a light and airy feel, yet reflects up to 85% of the sun’s heat – more than any other pleated blind on the market. When the temperatures drop in winter, the blind’s unique insulation properties help to reduce heat loss, lowering your energy bills.

Part of the ULTRA Smart Blinds range, Honeycomb Energy Saver blinds are designed to trap air in double-layered hexagonal pockets to form an 80% thermal barrier and help you save up to 25% on annual fuel bills if fitted across the home.