Window Blinds, Shades, and Shutters: Increase Your Energy Savings

Having the right blinds, shades, and shutters can hold the key to unlocking significant energy savings.

Who doesn't want to save money these days- right? While we all want a comfortable home, bathed in natural light and shielded from scorching days and frigid nights, achieving this balance often comes at a cost.  That cost can be reflected in our ever-increasing energy bills. This is where window blinds, shades, and shutters enter the conversation. Beyond their ability to make any room look stylish and inviting, these seemingly simple coverings hold the key to unlocking significant energy savings, helping to bring your monthly budget into check.

Window Treatments in Wilmington: A Necessity

Having the right window blinds, shades, and shutters in Wilmington and the surrounding areas is important. We certainly have our fair share of cold nights and hot days; and believe it or not, your windows can be a big source of heat loss. Did you know that up to 30% of a home's heating energy escapes through uncurtained windows? Conversely, during the summer, up to 76% of sunlight entering windows translates to unwanted heat gains. This in turn can force your heating and cooling unit to work harder, increasing your energy bills. Having the right window treatments can play a critical role in regulating temperatures throughout your home and lessen your reliance on heating and cooling systems.

Choosing the Right Energy-Conscious Window Treatments

Not all window treatments are created the same. Some do a better job at helping to optimize energy efficiency than others. Picking the right window treatments can depend on your climate, the direction your room faces, and your desired level of control.

Cellular Shades: Efficient All Year Long

Let’s talk about Cellular Shades. These honeycomb-shaped window shades are technological wonders. Each “cell” has trapped air pockets that act as mini barriers, reflecting heat in summer and retaining it in winter. These shades are very effective throughout the winter and summer seasons and studies show they can reduce heat loss by up to 40%!!

Shutters: Minimizing Airflow

Now we come to Shutters. Having these durable window treatments installed throughout your home can lead to excellent energy efficiency. This is primarily due to how the shutter encloses the window frame and creates an effective seal, minimizing air from coming in or out. 

Roman Shades: Thermal Performance

Next, we have Roman Shades. The Roman shade is a soft window treatment with a fabric that gradually folds up. They can be made of heavier fabrics that will typically offer better thermal performance. They can be effective at fostering privacy, room darkening, and blocking sunlight.

Roller Shades: A Comfortable Option

Lastly, let’s talk about Roller Shades. While roller shades might not be as inherently energy-efficient as cellular shades, they will still contribute to a more comfortable indoor environment. Roller shades are available in various opacities, can help reduce glare, and can aid in controlling the temperature in a room- especially on a hot and sunny day.

Having the Right Window Treatments, at the Right Time

One thing that is often overlooked is that it's not just about the type of window treatment you use, but how you use them! 

Automated Window Blinds: An Effective Option

Automated blinds combine advances in materials and hardware with the latest hand-held technology. With the touch of a button, you can automate your blinds or shades to open when the sun rises to gain the sun’s natural warmth, or in the winter, close them when the sun begins to set to help retain it. From the comfort of your phone, you can program the blinds to automatically close during the hottest part of the day in the summer, and open during a sunny day in the winter to help heat the room naturally.

Window Blinds, Shades, and Shutters: Optimize Your Home and Save

Well, my dear readers, we’re approaching the end of today’s blog journey. Hopefully, you have a better understanding of the various window treatment options that exist, and how they can help optimize your home’s comfort and increase your energy savings. 

While we’ve thrown a lot of information at you, we understand that finding the perfect window treatment can still be a daunting task. If you have questions or are feeling a bit overwhelmed in your search, we recommend aligning yourself with an experienced custom blinds company. If you’d like to further explore saving money while elevating your home’s look- we'd love to chat!