Window shades in Los Altos Hills, CA are one of the window treatments that can be an important factor in the energy efficiency of your home all year round. In both cold weather and warm weather, having the right kind of window treatments installed in your home will mean that your home is more consistently comfortable all the time.
In some parts of the country, where extremely cold temperatures during the winter are less common than in other parts of the country, energy costs can increase dramatically during exceptional cold snaps as people try to keep the interiors of their homes warm. This rise can often be attributed to window treatments that are not energy efficient.
Approximately half of a home’s heat loss is through windows, so any kind of window treatment is more energy efficient than no window treatments at all. However, some window treatments are significantly better at providing energy efficient than other window coverings.
One window covering that can be very energy efficient is window shutters. This is because window shutter frames fit tightly into window frames, which keeps air from coming in even if the window frames have damaged seals or cracks. The louvers of window shutters also minimize air transmission from the window into the house. The closer a window shutter is to the window, the better insulation it will provide, so an inside mount is recommended.
You can also layer window treatments to provide more insulation for your home. Adding thermal-lined drapes or curtains with a thermal lining window shutters, window shades, or window blinds, adds an extra layer that can prevent cold air from coming in through windows. Not only does a thermal lining give additional insulation, but it can also protect furniture, rugs, carpets, and wood flooring from the from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Thermal-lined curtains and drapes give the maximum amount of insulation when they are hung within one inch of the room’s ceiling and they hang so they are just touching the floor.
Oversized windows in your home can be the worst offenders when it comes to energy efficiency. That’s because they take up a lot of real estate in your home. To counteract this, you should consider using window coverings like thermal curtains to make windows like bow window, picture windows, and bay windows (in addition to doors like patio doors, sliding glass doors, and French doors) more energy efficient.
Thermal curtains are composed of multiple layers of thick fabrics, such as cotton, and a layer of foam that helps decrease the amount of heat flow, which maintains a comfortable internal temperature inside your home. Thermal curtains have an extra benefit because they will make your home more soundproof from external noises (however, they are not the same thing as blackout curtains).
One of the most versatile and best-insulating window coverings, however, is Hunter Douglas cellular shades. These cellular shades are made from two layers of fabric that are bound together, forming pockets in the shape of honeycombs.
These pockets work to trap air so that the amount of heat that is transferred through a window is minimized. Cellular shades are fantastic at decreasing radiant heat loss. Additionally, they double the R value (how much an insulating material can resist heat flow) of most standard windows (from 3.5 to 7).
If you’d like to learn more about energy efficient window shades in Los Altos Hills, CA, you can speak with our knowledgeable team at Windows & Beyond, Inc. You can visit our showroom at 4020 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303, or you can contact us at (650) 938-8822 for a free in-home estimate.