ReSource Floors, ASID Industry Partner
Windows offer a home some wonderful attributes. They provide a peek into the outdoors while
allowing for natural light to fill the space.
However, they also act as a weak link when it comes to energy containment. Heat is attracted to cold so in the winter
months, indoor heating moves towards and escapes through windows to the outdoors,
while in the summer the outside heat flows into a home through these same windows. As much as 50% of a home’s heating and
cooling energy is lost through its windows.
5% of all energy consumed in the U.S. passes through the windows of
residential homes.
One way that this
energy loss can be combated is through energy efficient window coverings. Most window coverings will offer some protection however
there are products that are designed to increase this energy efficiency exponentially. Hunter
Douglas released their Duette honeycomb shades in 1985 in response to the energy
crisis of the late 1970s. This product has
pockets of air inside the honeycomb that offers insulation. Recently they introduced the Duette
Architella honeycomb shades which offer superior energy efficiency thanks to
their patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction.
This product can reduce solar heat gain through windows up to 80%.
So you may be thinking, “Great but what if a honeycomb shade
won’t fit the design for my client?” Hunter Douglas has also released Vignette
Tiered Architella Shades. These window
coverings feature a rear fabric air pocket that traps air and creates an extra
layer of insulation while the look is like a roman shade.
You don’t have to have those windows covered all the time. By all means enjoy the beauty of the outside. But having the right window covering product at your finger tips will let you contain the comfort of the inside all the more efficiently.
Special thanks to Hunter Douglas.
www.hunterdouglas.com
