Insulated Blinds

Big Energy Savings!

Your choice of window treatment can have a profound effect on the amount of fuel it takes to heat and cool your home. While some styles of blinds, such as vinyl mini blinds, make only a small impact on your fuel bills, others can be quite helpful. The best style is the cellular blind. Cellular blinds, which are sometimes called honeycomb blinds, are made so that a pocket of air is trapped between the two layers of the blind.

The higher cell number, the better the insulation. That is, double cell blinds are better than single cell, and triple cell blinds are even better. Larger windows need blinds with larger cells, too, because these trap more air for better efficiency. Another option is to install side rails. These will eliminate any gaps along the side edges of the blinds. One benefit of cellular blinds is that you can get them in varying degrees of light filtering, which means you don't have to give up light in order to insulate your windows.

Wood blinds and faux wood blinds are also good insulation for your windows. The most energy efficient wooden blinds are those that are made without cord routing holes in the slats. The blinds must be able to close tightly to maximize savings. The best way to close the blinds is with the leading edge of the slats pointing up.

In addition to blinds, insulated draperies are another option for improving the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling system. For real savings, they can be layered over cellular blinds. Insulated draperies have an acrylic, rubber, or suede backing which adds an extra layer between you and the outdoors. The draperies with cotton or suede type backings are the most durable of these. The rubber backings can eventually crack, peel or feel sticky. Remember to close these drapes in severe hot or cold weather to get the energy savings. For even more savings, if you have sunny windows, you can open the drapes and blinds while the sun is shining for added warmth in the home.

Windows are a major source of heat loss in the winter. Choose the right window treatments, and your decor will reduce your heating bills.