As fall draws to a close, many are gearing up for the colder winter months ahead. Homeowners are finishing up home improvement tasks and they may be considering methods to increase their house’s energy efficiency throughout the winter. The appropriate window coverings can assist keep the frigid winter air where it belongs while also adding wonderful flair to your home decor. Energy efficient blinds and shades don’t have to be complicated or expensive; you can find a few recommended suggestions below..
Insulating Honeycomb Shades
Honeycomb shades are the ideal window treatment for those living in a harsh environment. They offer a unique blend of function and endurance. Honeycomb (also known as cellular) shades offer outstanding insulating capabilities because they have a unique web-like structure that allows them to trap air within, creating an insulating layer of air to keep the cold outside. This extra insulation will save you a lot of money at the end of the hard winter by helping you rely less on energy consuming heating sources such as a fireplace or furnace.
Affordable Roller Shades
Some homeowners dislike the sight of curtains in their homes and prefer the clean lines and neat appearance of roller shades. Fortunately, there is a large range of roller shades available and they offer a variety of colors and light blocking options. They are easy to operate, and can open and close using several different methods, such as a loop cord, cordless lift, or motorized control.
For cold winter days, you can open your roller shades all the way during the day to make use of the sun’s natural heat, then close them after nightfall to maintain the warmth in your home. Alternatively, you can select a light filtering material for the roller shades to allow some sunlight in to warm your home without having to open them. Whichever option you go for, affordable roller shades offer a variety of alternatives if you do not want to use curtains.
Layering Window Drapery
Fighting the cold winter air doesn’t have to be a negative experience. If you find that using insulating window treatments such as cellular shades doesn’t vibe with your personal design tastes, you can use window drapes to add more flair to the windows. Drapery will not only add splashes of color and beauty to your interior décor, but also another layer in front of your window to combat winter’s bite.
One of the best features of drapes is their ease of replacement. For the cold winter months, you can use a drape that is made from thicker materials, adding further insulation. When it warms up in spring, you can replace the drapes with lighter materials such as sheer, allowing you to bask in the warm sunlight that it allows to enter. Drapery can help you keep things nice and cozy inside even during the dour winter season.
Classic Window Blinds
Window blinds can also assist in keeping your rooms warm. The lightweight venetian blinds available today work as an insulating covering for your windows. Although not as insulating as cellular shades, window blinds will nonetheless provide a layer between the frosty winter air and yourself.
There are also other advantages provided by blinds, such as the two-fold open and close options. You can have the slats stack to fully open, or you can have them tilt to allow some light in. You need not fully open the blinds to allow some daytime warmth into your home, just a slight tilt. Blinds can be ordered in a thin profile as well, allowing you to add additional window treatments such as drapes alongside them for further layering.
Further considerations
A significant amount of heat in your home can be lost via your windows, whether it is generated by sunshine or by your home’s heating system. Adding a dressing to your windows will help you to curb usage of the heating system, even if marginally. This in turn helps your home to be more energy and cost efficient.
Window dressings are not useful only for the cold months of winter, but all year round! In the hot summer months, the very same sunshine that can help to warm your home in the winter can become a source of extraneous heat. With window dressings, you can help ward off this solar heat gain because of the light control gained from them. So, whether it is winter or summer, the dressings will be there to help shield you from the elements.
