If your bedroom gets full (or even partial) early morning summer sun that brings unwelcome heat to your bedroom.  This is the first thing to tackle. But it needs to be done carefully so  that you still allow the sun through to warm your bedroom in winter – free warmth!  

Why it matters: Early summer sun is mostly radiant heat – it soaks into the glass, floor and bedding, then re-releases heat into the room for hours. That means you wake too warm, sleep quality tanks, and your AC (if you have some!) has to fight stored heat later in the day resulting in higher bills. It also fades fabrics and floors. Light control alone won’t fix it.  Its important that the solution you choose needs to still allow winter sun through. 

First thing, run a finger along the bottom of the inside window pane, peek at your window frame corners and the back of curtains for damp or black spots.  Also check the air for that dank musty smell in your wardrobe.

Why it matters: Cold inner glass creates condensation. Water + dust = breeding ground for mould and musty air leading to poor indoor air quality and respiratory issues.

During the day, look at the sides and top of your window coverings. Do you see streaks at the edges or a light bloom over the top curtain rail?

Why it matters: Light leaks fragment sleep. This is especially true for anyone who works shifts and needs to sleep during the day.  You’ll need to stop the light spill.  If this is tackled effectively, it will also reduce / eliminate the convection current behind your curtains.

With the window shut, can you hear traffic clearly or smell the street?

Why it matters: Sound and smell follow air paths. Seal the gaps and the room gets quieter,  cleaner and easier to control the temperature.

If your ensuite opens straight into the bedroom, check after showers: fogging on the bedroom mirror, or bedding that feels faintly clammy?

Why it matters: Steam is drifting into the bedroom, feeding condensation and mould. It’s very unhealthy and avoidable.  Read this article.

Pop the hatch:  Inspect (safely).  Is there insulation above the bedroom?

Why it matters: Missing ceiling insulation batts = constant heat gain/loss.  You will find your comfort is forever elusive in a room without adequate ceiling insulation.

Walk barefoot around your floor.  Can you feel hot / cold spots, see hairline cracks or can you find gaps between floorboards or skirting boards? Watch  this video to find the cracks.

Why it matters: Gaps pull cold / hot air up from the subfloor and draws dust, stale air and  bugs – classic with homes on stumps with timber floors.

Are your timber floor freezing in winter?  If your home is on stumps, is your sub-floor insulated?

Why it matters: Just like ceiling insulation, missing underfloor insulation means you will never be warm in winter.  It’s like not wearing socks on a frosty day. 

Do you have a ceiling fan?  If so, is it smooth and silent or wobbly and grumbling?

Why it matters: A balanced fan helps comfort by distributing the temperature evenly around your room without noise.

When to choose:  If your bedroom becomes really hot on a summer’s morning, you will be on the back foot trying to cool your home from the get-go.  Read here for your external / internal shading options. The ultimate solution will be based on aesthetics, budget and ownership.  A quick fix is to have a look at popping up Renshade as a cheap, temporary solution to a high summer heat load.

When to choose: If you felt draughts or saw daylight at the frame, hear whistles, or see dust lines at the sashes.  Not sure what kind of windows you have?   Check here first. 
What it does: Closes the air highway so temperature stabilises, dust, pollen, cigarette and bushfire smoke reduce, and the room gets a little quieter.
Choose:
• Timber Double-hung/sash windows: Draught Dodgers for Double-Hung Windows
• Timber Awning windows: EMV Window Seal or Draught Dodgers for Awning Windows.
• Aluminium windows — Sliding: EMV Sliding Aluminium Window Seal.
• Sashless/Shugg — Shugg/Frameless Seals (GCE6).

 Shop All Window Seals

When to choose: You wake with light strips on the wall, or feel a chill rolling down from the window at night.
What it does: Proper block-out curtains or drapes plus a pelmet stops side leaks and the top “chimney” effect, trapping a still air layer for darkness and warmth.  The Ultimate (No-Nonsense) Guide to Window Coverings is a useful guide to help you decide, or upgrade to more helpful, thermally efficient window coverings. 

Choose:
• Invisible Pelmet Kit + your existing block-out curtains/blinds (clean look, big result). Please note that this kit is suitable for curtains on tracks, while it is not suitable to curtains on rod.
• Traditional Box Pelmet if you prefer a classic finish.

When to choose: Morning moisture on glass/frames, black spotting, or a musty smell behind curtains.
What it does: Warms the inner surface so condensation doesn’t form; frames stay clean; air feels fresher.  Read this article by Tim Forcey.  There can be many sources of condensation that need to be remedied to solve this problem in your bedroom.

Choose:

• ecoGlaze® secondary glazing (best overall for comfort, noise and condensation).
  
• Gap Filler Kit to seal trim joints where moist air sneaks behind architraves.
• Habits that help: 10-minute morning purge (cross-breeze); keep the ensuite door shut during showers.

Fix cold glass → Check out ecoGlaze which will insulate your existing windows 

When to choose: Bedroom fogs after showers or feels clammy in cooler months.
What it does: Stops cold air falling back in your bathroom from the exhaust fan and lets out  steam in the bathroom.  Read this article on exhaust fans.

Choose:
• DraftStoppa for the exhaust fan (adds a one-way flap).
• Simply keep the door shut during showers and ventilate extensively afterwards

When to choose: The room bakes in summer, it cannot maintain warmth in winter, or there are no batts above.
What it does: Ceiling insulation is the biggest single stabiliser of bedroom temperature.

Choose:
• Polyester Ceiling Batts (match joist spacing and R-value for your climate).

When to choose: Cold ankles near the perimeter, visible board gaps, or a ventilated subfloor under the room.
What it does: Underfloor insulation lifts surface temperatures; sealing the skirting/floor junction blocks draughts and dust lines.

Choose:
• Polyester Underfloor Insulation
• Gap Filler Kit for skirting/floor junctions.