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Making window quilts

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Comments

  • Because I lived in the States for a long time, I have used window quilts since my children were small, because one of the kids used to wake up with the birds, also the quilts kept the heat out as well as the heat in.
    I never did find velco mutch good as the weight of the quilt is too heavy.
    I'm afraid the only thing that has worked for me has been a tension rod at the top.
    I have made a few for people since I have been in the UK and made some good money from it, all they did was buy an extra childs single quilt, that matched the bed quilt or the room, and I did it with that. with a fleece or wadding in the middle.
    If you can find cheap mattress protectors they are good as well, if small windows you can get a few out of each one.
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  • I aam watching this thread with interest, our house is old and still has the old wood frames and lead windows. Recently I brought some nice curtains from a charity shop,the have lining. Today I found an old matttress protecter , so if I get a mylar blanket and put it all together, I should have a window quilt ? :j
  • sandieb
    sandieb Posts: 728 Forumite
    I've just made a window quilt and am part way through the second one.

    I used blackout lining material bought at my local shop and then I bought a couple of quilted mattress protectors from Wilkinsons. I already had some patterned cotton material for the fronts.

    Fiddly to sew together but got there! I've used tension rods to hold them as they are temporary fixtures. I sewed on webbing to use as ties when I roll them up.

    Just checked on temperatures .. 12 degrees on the window side of the quilt and 18 on the inside.
  • sandieb
    sandieb Posts: 728 Forumite
    I'm not too worried about the condensation aspect as they'll be easy to wash and the windows are double-glazed.

    Possibly the acrylic backing on the blackout curtain lining may help? (Or not!)
  • Eliza_2
    Eliza_2 Posts: 1,333 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 11 December 2012 at 11:05AM
    Wow just found this thread, why didn't I see it before! I've had window quilts for years, since I moved to this rented house and there was some underlay left over from the new laminate floor. I just cut it to size and at first I covered it with a pretty fabric but can't be bothered now. The stuff is grey silvery spongy foam and folds up really well so I just take it down in the morning and fold it up and stuff it under the bed. It wipes down with an old towel if there's any condensation.

    Makes so much difference in this freezing house. I just wish I could use it on all the walls now, they're like ice to touch!
  • dlni wrote: »
    Was thinking about doing this too until I thought about the foam insulation boards with foil on either side. Fitted them to the windows, not as pretty as the quilts though! The vertical blinds hide them from the outside and the curtains hide them on the inside. Go to work during the week so don't touch them, but remove bathroom, kitchen and large window in sitting room during the day during the weekend to let light in.

    The house is now easier and quicker to heat but

    Downside is.. as the windows are now freezing the any warm air that sneeks onto the windows are immediately turned into condensation, so during the very cold nights lots of water to wipe off. Will have to purchase a dehumidifier to counteract that .. after Christmas as I'm now broke (Christmas presents)

    Hi, can you tell me how the insulation boards are actually fixed? Thanks
  • chipp
    chipp Posts: 141 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Does anyone have any advice regarding magnetic strip? I thought one mag strip was much like another, but it seems not, there are different widths, thicknesses and materials which presumably all have different degrees of magnetism. I'm considering using the mag strip/steel strip combination used for secondary glazing, because it's white faced so will be less obtrusive when the blinds are removed in summer, but unsure whether the magnetism will be strong enough through a layer of fabric. Also will a mylar (space blanket) interlining interfere with the magnetism?

    I'm sure someone on this board has the answers!
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  • jamesmcuk wrote: »
    Very flexible and less than an inch thick. Under the lightest press between fingers it compresses to a few millimeters. Its suppose to be the equivalent of 210mm of insulation.

    Jamesmcuk, Triiso is a great product, and I've used it in buildings before. However it's only going to achieve equivalent of 210mm insulation if installed to the manufacturers details. I have no idea how it would perform in another situation. It's probably as good, if not better than the traditional quilt layers, so you'd make a comparison on cost to see how MSE it really is!
    Please, please can any one confirm this? We are about start curtain making and I will definitely have this stuff in them if it works, our condensation is least bad on the windows with shutters, but the rest are appaling.

    A vapour control layer will only work to stop condensation if it is airtight. That means no air at all, so vecro fastening won't be enough. Putting it in a curtain (flappy round the sides) is almost completely pointless. But with the window quilt it should help, although it won't stop it all together.
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  • lostinrates
    lostinrates Posts: 55,283 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!



    A vapour control layer will only work to stop condensation if it is airtight. That means no air at all, so vecro fastening won't be enough. Putting it in a curtain (flappy round the sides) is almost completely pointless. But with the window quilt it should help, although it won't stop it all together.


    That is very helpful. We have been talking and talking about this.

    I think the best solution for us is to add quilts inside curtains as roman blinds, And only as the windows are replaced so that they are going in to a situation they have a good chance of performing well and a small chance of being damaged with mould. In the other windows I can use the more ad hoc type and get 'less hung up' :D about how they look for now.:D
  • Seakay
    Seakay Posts: 4,267 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I don't think that I can achieve airtight with my window quilt when i make it, but I think that I can do better than a lined curtain. Does anyone know if a mylar blanket is washable? If not I will use washable shower curtain material for a vapour barrier. I know that mylar blankets are cheap but once they are sewn in it would be a shame if they disintegrated or something!
    Interesting to hear about the causes of condensation though. My bedroom is unheated but every morning the windows are streaming. Obviously I heat up a room well even if I am hiding under a duvet with only a small portion of my head poking out! (sometimes that has a hat on, but still condensation on the windows!)
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