The Right Window Treatments Help With Energy Efficiency
Often times, when people are choosing window treatments for their homes, their principal concern is privacy or beautification. But, window treatments can also be a key factor in how energy efficient your home is. Choosing the right treatment can help lower energy use in your home which is good for the earth and your budget.
Honeycomb shades can be extremely helpful in preventing heat loss in the winter if they are installed the right way.
• They should be installed as close to the glass as possible and the sides should be held close to the wall. This makes it difficult for the heat to escape because it creates a sealed air space.
• Opening the shades on sunlit windows during the day and then lowering them at night will help maximize the energy efficiency of the shades.
• You may also want to consider dual shades as they are highly reflective (white) on one side and heat absorbent (black) on the other.
When it comes to preventing heat gain in the summer, blinds are your best option. Blinds aren’t ideal for preventing heat loss as the openings between the slats make it hard to control how much heat you are losing. However, when it comes to reducing heat gain, these slats give blinds an advantage over shades because they can be adjusted to control light and aeration. Highly reflective blinds can decrease heat gain by around 45% when completely closed and lowered on a sunlit window.
The window treatment’s material is also a very important factor when it comes to energy efficiency. The best way to check a treatment’s energy efficiency is to look at the R-Value and Shading Coefficient. The R-Value tells you how effective the material is at preventing heat loss while the Shading Coefficient tells you how much heat is allowed through the window. So, for instance, if you are more concerned about heat loss than you are about heat gain, you would want to choose a material with a high R-Value and a low Shading Coefficient.
There is no single treatment that is the most energy efficient for every situation. It depends mainly on the region you live in and what your primary insulation needs are. But as long as you keep all of these things in mind, you’ll be able to choose a treatment that looks great and is energy efficient as well.
If you have questions about your window treatments please give us a call at 866-284-8604, fill out the form to the right to get your Free Energy Analysis, or leave a comment below.
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Yes, windows can be both beautiful AND energy efficient!