ᐅ Are honeycomb blinds with an aluminum coating sufficient for thermal insulation?

Hello everyone,

We are planning to install a roof window (triple-glazed, U-value around 1.1) on the northeast side of our bedroom. Since the exterior roller shutters tend to freeze shut in winter and become difficult to operate, we are considering whether internal honeycomb blinds with an aluminum coating (for example, from Velux) would provide sufficient additional insulation in winter.

In summer, we are less concerned about the room overheating through direct sunlight due to the northeast orientation (more north than east). However, in winter, we want to be sure that the room does not lose too much heat through the window area or suffer from cold drafts, especially since we plan to place our bed under the roof window.

Has anyone had experience with honeycomb blinds as an alternative to exterior roller shutters?

All systems installed on the interior only take effect inside the room. Heat or cold is already present within the space.

After 5 years with roof windows equipped with electric exterior blinds, I can report that, at least here in the Rhineland on the east side, nothing has frozen so far.

The performance in both summer and winter is significantly better than that of our neighbors who use an interior Velux solution.

I don’t think you need to worry about triple-glazed windows causing cold spots or drafts. Where does that concern come from?

Niloa schrieb:
Where does the fear come from?

I know my parents’ roof windows. Okay, the windows are only double-glazed and over 30 years old. But with those windows, you can definitely notice that they cool down especially in winter.

@hampshire: It’s good to know that nothing has frozen at your place so far. How about your neighbors? Which interior solution do you compare the effect of your exterior roller shutters with? Simple blackout blinds don’t really insulate well. And overall, are you satisfied with the insulation performance despite the interior solution?

Strahleman schrieb:

Simple blackout blinds don’t really provide insulation. Are you generally satisfied with their insulating properties despite being installed on the inside?

Comparison is quite straightforward in terraced houses.
Our neighbors have slightly thicker silver-colored roller blinds that they pull over the windows. I can’t say for sure whether they actually insulate or not. They experience a lot of condensation on their roof windows, which indicates a cold spot. We also had this condensation problem, causing our Velux windows to deteriorate within 13 years, so we replaced them with plastic windows and then added external roller shutters.
Both our neighbors and we have our bedrooms under the roof, also beneath the roof windows. Neither of us experiences drafts from cold windows. During summer, our house stays noticeably cooler. The houses were built in 2001.

Strahleman schrieb:

that the room does not cool down too much over the window area or that a cold draft occurs

The chances of that happening are 0%, provided the installation is done properly (I can tell you this from personal experience). Only consider it if the sun shines directly on it. If the sun does shine on it, it will get very warm.