DOOR CURTAINS

I have a lovely heavy one on the back of my living room/kitchen door, Nonu. Problem is, the cat can't open the door when it's drawn, and being a cat, wants to go in and out as soon as curtain's closed....

I have curtains over all my external doors. This is the time of the year when I start drawing them at night.

I've been doing it, but we think it is now time to buy a decent front door.

I have always done it, the first thing we do when we move is put up a curtain track above the doors. They are the same colour as the walls, to make the rooms seem bigger and lighter when they are drawn, and fully lined. They make a huge difference to how warm the house is.

We used to but had new windows and doors put in and its made such a difference we don't need them . The curtains certainly help though.

I have always had door curtains. In Autumn and Winter they are drawn at dusk sometimes before depending on the weather. In the warmer weather they are drawn during the day to keep the house cool.

The cat flap is fitted to the front door and it is very draughty so I have a door curtain fitted. Tara can find a way around it when I have gone to bed but during the evening, she makes such a fuss that I end up letting her out.

I have lined curtains at every double glazed window to try and keep the heat in.

Since the front and back doors were replaced there's been no need for curtains over them.

Last year I put curtains over the sliding full width doors that lead from the lounge to the conservatory, and this has made a huge difference.

No way would I be without my front door curtain and that is in a modern well insulated house.
It makes a very big difference. It keeps the cooler air hanging about the windows from getting into the room.

Oh yes ! I have one on the front door which lifts as the door is opened. The curtain rail is attached to the door and the door frame (at the hinge end) and as the door opens it lifts it a bit so it doesn't have to be drawn back out of the way. I have no idea what it is called but my mother had one 60+ years ago and I got mine about 25 years ago. The biggest problem is when guests automatically go to pull the curtain back before opening the door. Highly recommended.

Yes absolutely, we have one at our front door and It makes such a difference and definitely keeps the heat in. Hmmm does that mean I am getting older ha ha? Aah well, it's better to be warm and cosy I say.

I have been thinking about this as last winter my hallway was very cold. I live in an old cottage and it still has the original front door - although there is draught excluder around the door it doesn't seem to be working. Yet another job for the long suffering brother in law!

Yes they will make a difference, as will anything that keeps draughts out and expensively-heated warm air in. Lots of other ideas on this recent thread. Still wondering if anyone has had a grant this year under the new funding schemes

www.gransnet.com/forums/house_and_home/1202036-Energy-Saving-Tips

I have never understood why English houses don't have shutters. They keep the warmth in in winter, the heat out in summer and provide security. Also you then have to have windows that open inwards that are easy to clean and don't need a window cleaner. What's not to like?

Maybe its because their primary benefit is the heat out in hot weather. They are not really great insulation if you think about it.
New houses are built with all the features that make them energy efficient in this climate and shutters never figures on the list. They would if people were spending lots of money on air-con maybe, but they aren't.

They are certainly used here in Northern France to keep heat in. Also, surely in Switzerland, the Pyrenees, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria? I would have thought a tight-fitting shutter with a layer of air trapped between it and the window helped a lot. It definitely makes a difference in our house.

Agree with you Mamie. Certainly wouldn't be without the shutters in summer or winter. I find them very effective.

Mamie Our German relations had roll type shutters fitted to their windows. I thought they were a brilliant idea, they helped keep the warmth in and they were a good security measure.

Yes the roller ones are very efficient, but eye-wateringly expensive if you fit them after the house is built. I suspect the problem in the UK is to do with the windows traditionally opening outwards. If you think about it, historic houses often have those lovely internal shutters, which work with outwards opening windows.

I replaced my old, draughty door with a new, well insulated and draught-proofed one. My front door opens directly into the sitting room, as is the case with many older terraced houses and the new door made a huge difference to my small house. The back door is also well draught-proofed and the glass is double glazed.

A tight fitting pair of shutters would act as draught proofing but not insulation. Air is only a good insulator if it is trapped inside lots of little pockets. (the difference between a nice layer of feathers and no feathers on a little bird...)
Apparently shutters are very popular in London at the moment and people are paying silly prices for them (according to someone I know who is able to charge them!)
We had a newish house but decided to replace the rather tacky wooden (and rotting) french windows in the bedroom with new, high energy efficient UPVC. The difference was astounding in terms of the temperature of the bedroom.
Ordinary wooden doors are a load of rubbish in terms of energy efficiency (to use a technical term).

Mamie yes there are quite a lot of older houses in our little market town and they have internal wooden shutters with sash windows.

I know UPVC glazing is highly efficient but I can't bear the look of it, especially the faux Georgian style windows they look so ugly (imo)

I got rid of my faux Georgian double glazed front windows, but did have good quality double glazing installed.

My neighbour gave me two fairly thick white curtains about three years ago, and I sewed the two to make a front door curtain, double thickness at the bottom - works well on the track I put above the door.

Only thing was last year the cat went unhousetrained and started peeing on the front door mat.....yuk, as it got into the curtain

So THIS year she stays in a room at night, the curtain is washed and clean and useable again! - and up.