Save on Heating Bills with Window Dressings
Posted by Becky on 05 Aug 2010 | Tagged as: Local News, Programs, Quinte, Re/Max Quinte, Trish Belford, design, real estate, tips
Trish Belford and her team at Re/Max Quinte Ltd. would like to share an article, from the Real Estate Today paper printed August 5, 2010, with you.
Did you know that the decorating choices you make for your windows can have a major impact on your energy bills? That’s because most window treatments have excellent insulating values that keep your rooms warm in the winter and heating costs low.
We asked Yasmin Siboldi, Manager Visual Merchandising at Blinds To Go, the country’s leading manufacturer & retailer of blinds & shades, to breakdown today’s window treatments that have insulating qualities.
Siboldi lists vertical and horizontal blinds, wood blinds, metallic finish roller shades and pleated and cellular pleated shades as products that can significantly increase the level of comfort in your home during the cold winter months.
“The insulating value you get from these treatments is immediately apparent,” said Siboldi, “If you cover a window, even a thermal window, with these blinds and shades you will notice that you are more comfortable than when the window was uncovered.”
She added the degree to which this increase in comfort saves you money depends on how many windows you have in your home, how much the outside temperature varies where you live, and how much you pay for heat.
How Does It Work?
Insulation works by slowing the transfer of heat, which is measured in R-values – the higher the R-value the better the insulation material’s ability to resist the transfer of heat.
Window treatments like pleated shades create a wall of air to provide insulation. With an average R-value rating of 1.92, pleated shades with metalized backings can reduce heat loss in the winter by as much as 50%, according to Siboldi.
The cellular pleated shades’ honeycomb like structure offers even more improved insulation capabilities, increasing the R-value factor from an average of 1.92 to 3.5, by adding an extra wall of insulating air. In fact, depending on the structure of the shade, a cellular shade can create two or more walls of air to provide insulation. According to Siboldi, R-value ratings can range from 3.5 for a single cell shade to 4.8 for a double cell shade.
Shades are available in fabrics ranging from sheer to opaque or black-out. Opaque shades blackout light almost completely. As the shades becomes more opaque the insulation and light protection properties improve.
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