Submitted by: Terry Schierer
“Baby it’s cold outside”. The line from that old song sure does fit the weather we have been getting. It’s been nothing but just plain cold and miserable.
As “Jet Blue” and the other airlines are finding out there’s not much we can do about the weather but, there are actions we can take to prepare for that cold weather.
One of the most important things we can do is to put an insulated covering over our windows and door ways.
There are several types of window coverings that will do the job and keep the fuel bills down.
Quilted Window coverings
Quilted window coverings are the most efficient type. Basically they consist of five or more layers of material quilted together to form an insulating barrier to keep the cold out and the heat in.
Usually one of the layers is waterproof to keep any moisture from coming through.
The quilts once they are sewn together, are stretched and stapled to a frame or else velcro is sew on all four sides of the quilt that is cut to fit the window. They are then put tight to the window to eliminate the cold coming in.
The draw back to this type of window coverings is that the it’s cumbersome to say the least. You completely lose your ability to see out and check on whats going on.
There are a couple of companies that are putting these quilted panels on a track system that mounts to your window or door frame and then the quilted panels are raised or lowered on a roller with a control on the side.
With the whole window or door being encased by these quilted materials you end up with an R-factor of around R-7 which is excellent and definitely worth taking a look at.
Honeycomb or Cell Shades
Honeycomb or cell shades – they are called both by different manufacturers. These type of shades are made to create cells when they are lowered. They come as single cell or double cell shades.
What makes them so insulating is that when they create the cell they are in effect creating a dead air space which is the best insulating factor there is. That dead air space is what keeps the heat in and the cold out.
The double cell shades have twice the insulating characteristics of wood blinds. A double cell shade has an r-factor of around R-5. Those dead air spaces work!
Hunter Douglas who invented the Duette shade (the original cell shade)has brought to market a new type of cell shade called the Duette Architella shade.
What makes them so special?
They have taken one cell and placed another cell inside of the first one creating not one or two but three dead air spaces. I can’t wait for the R-factor rating to come out on these shades. It should be fantastic.
Now is the time to check out what would work the best for your situation. With winter forecasted to stay cold and energy cost to continue to rise you could pay for your new blinds in savings in about a year or two.
About the Author: Terry Schierer, The Decorating Coach is a retired decorator, fabricator and installer of quality window treatments. To learn more about insulated blinds and which one would be right for you visit
windowblinds-guide.com
Source:
isnare.com
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