Your goal in choosing window treatments is of course to find the ones that look best in the space, yet, thinking about energy savings is also a good idea. Fortunately, energy-efficient window treatments look just as beautiful as those that are not!
Understanding a little about heat transference will help you to find energy saving window treatments. Heat from the sun’s infrared light wave easily passes through glass. Heat transference happens much more easily when an object is more conductive, meaning it more readily absorbs the heat rather than resisting it. Metal and glass are two examples of highly conductive materials.
When it’s warm outside, the heat transfers through the glass and into your home. When it’s cold outside, the heat transfers from inside your home to the outdoors. Finding the best window treatments for energy savings involves looking for materials that resist heat transference.
The Natural Insulation of Wood Shutters & Blinds
Wood is a natural insulator, so any type of natural wood shutter or blind is definitely going to help with your energy saving goals, most often by about 20% at the windows. Our Houston shutter company recommends finding a good quality wood shutter or blind that’s custom made to fit the window. This will give you more control over the gaps at the side or top where the heat can enter your house.
Woven Wood Shades, Another Natural Insulator
A tighter weave of natural materials is going to produce even more energy savings for your windows. Woven wood shades are made of heat-resistant natural grasses and reeds like bamboo or jute.
Solar Shades for Sunny Windows
Many people use the term solar shades, cellular shades, and honeycomb shades interchangeably but there are some difference. Solar shades are most often made of just one layer of insulating material while cellular honeycomb shades are made of layers sandwiched together to create pockets that trap air. You’ve probably heard of solar screen shades for patios, right?
The idea of solar shades is to reduce the glare and the heat at the window. They filter sunlight rather than trap the heat, and most can be seen through to preserve the view. While they’ve been used commercially for decades, new styles in energy-efficient solar shades are attracting homeowners.
Designed for Even More Energy Savings – Cellular Honeycomb Shades
Out of all the window treatments you could choose for energy savings, the cellular honeycomb shades are at the top of the list – especially the triple layer style. The amazing Duette® window shade by Hunter Douglas has a honeycomb within a honeycomb construction that offers superior insulation for your windows.
