The Best Insulating Window Treatments

Did you know that about 30% of your home’s energy is lost through your windows? In cooler seasons, about 76% of the sunlight that falls on standard double-pane windows enters to become heat. That’s why you need the best insulating window treatments. 

Custom window coverings from Budget Blinds of North Glendale can help with this energy loss and lower your energy bills. The exact savings will depend on the type of window covering you choose, which is why we compiled this shortlist of the best insulating window coverings you can get. 

Automated Window Coverings

While it’s true the type of covering affects how insulating it is, you can always increase their insulation properties by automating them. Automated and motorized window treatments give you the flexibility to choose whether your blinds, shades, or shutters are open to let in the warming sunlight, or closed to block out the cold and heat. Automated timers can make this process so much more efficient as well — you can set them to open during the peak sunlight hours and close in the cold mornings and nights. 

Why does this matter? After all, it’s not that hard to open and close your blinds. Well, 75% of residential window coverings remain in the same position every day. Some are hidden by curtains and drapes, and others are less-trafficked rooms during the day. Usually, everything remains closed, which means cold is staying out, but natural heat isn’t getting in either. 

Types of Automated Attachments

All automated attachments are motorized, but not all of them operate the same way. Before you decide to go the automated route, learn which method will work best for your lifestyle. 

There are three options for powering motorized attachments: battery, outlet, and inwall. 

Battery power is wireless and you don’t need an electrician to set it up or replace it. However, it’s not as powerful, so it’s better suited for smaller windows or lighter window treatments, such as aluminum blinds. Battery-powered motors often last years, though they will need to be replaced from time to time. 

Outlet power is convenient because an electrician does not need to wire the attachment and you don’t have to worry about replacing a battery. In new construction, outlets can be concealed along the margin of the window or more typically up at the top of the window behind a valence or the head cassette of the attachment, meaning there won’t be a dangling cord too. 

Inwall power is AC house wiring direct to the motorized window attachment. Inwall power is best accomplished when wall cavities are open, during construction, or major renovation. AC motors are well-suited to heavy liftings, such as shutters, and can even service multiple window attachments. These are amazing if you want to have a fully automated room! 

Cellular Shades

If you follow our blog, then you know we’re huge fans of cellular shades. They’re shades made out of pleated material and fold up like an accordion. What makes them so amazing is their 3D design — cellular shades have air pockets in the middle of them, which are shaped like little honeycombs. They can have one or two layers of these honeycombs, depending on how much insulation you want! 

Window insulation is measured by its R-value. The higher the number, the better job the window treatment does in insulating your windows. Cellular shades have the highest R-values of all window coverings thanks to those layers and air pockets, making them the best insulating window treatment on the market.

To break it down, cellular shades can be constructed as a single cell, double cell, or triple cell shades. The single-cell fabric has an R-Value between 1.6 and 2.5, and the double cell fabric has a metric R-value between 2.8 and 4.0.

Drapery

Customized and insulated drapery can dramatically make a difference when it comes to insulation. Standard curtains generally have an R-value of 1, however, properly installed insulating curtains can achieve up to R-6! 

A drape's ability to reduce heat loss and gain depends on several factors, including fabric type and color. Closed-weave fabrics are generally better at insulating, as are lighter colors like yellow, white, green, and pink. Studies demonstrate that medium-colored draperies with white plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%. When drawn during cold weather, most conventional draperies can reduce heat loss from a room up to 10%. 

To reduce heat loss, draperies should be hung as close to windows as possible and fall onto a window sill or floor. For maximum effectiveness, install a cornice at the top of a drapery or place the drapery against the ceiling. 

You can also seal the drapery at both sides with tape or Velcro and overlap it in the center to prevent any more heat loss. 

Pair both drapes and cellular shades together and you’ll feel the difference — literally! To get started, give us a call at Budget Blinds of North Glendale to set up your free design consultation!