Energy-Efficient Window Treatments: A Year-Round Guide to Insulating Shades
The Bay Area weather is known for its unpredictability: Fog rolls in over the coast, and a single day can swing from chilly mornings to warm afternoons and back again to cool nights. That variability puts pressure on your windows, which are often the biggest source of heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter.
Our experts at Rebarts Blinds and Shades know that those weather conditions are no match for insulating window shades—especially when they are custom fit for your windows. And it all starts with understanding how air can work in your favor.
Why Air Pockets Matter
Glass is a poor insulator on its own, which is why so much air escapes through windows. Yes, you can cover windows with thick drapery, but cracks allow air to seep through. A trapped-air strategy is more effective. Why?
Heat moves through some materials fast and through others slowly. Air is one of the slowest—the particles are less dense—so when a thin layer of air gets trapped between the window and the room, it acts like a barrier, making it hard for heat or cold to get through.
Some styles of shade are created and design with small pockets of air between the fabric layers and the window: that air acts as a buffer, slowing the transfer of heat in both directions. In winter, it helps retain heat; in summer, it resists outdoor heat before it reaches the room. This still-air principle is what distinguishes energy-efficient window shades from ordinary ones that rely solely on weight or thickness.
Hunter Douglas Insulating Window Shades
Hunter Douglas Duette® Cellular Shades are one of the most energy-efficient window shades on the market. They provide year-round comfort with an insulating, cellular design. Choose from luxurious, high-quality materials, an industry-leading selection of sizes, colors, textures, and manual and automated control options.
Sonnette® Cellular Roller Shades have a different design approach; a roller shade with a layer of insulating cells. This style features gentle curves and creates soft, radial light. Both of these insulating window shades come in fabric opacities ranging from semi-opaque to room-darkening. We can also show you other options for these styles of cellular shades, like front-rolling fabrics, Top-Down/Bottom-Up designs, and the Duolite® system.
Are Energy-Efficient Window Shades Compatible With PowerView® Automation?
We can customize most Hunter Douglas window shades with PowerView® Automation, a premier motorization system; it’s an incredibly convenient feature. It lets you open, close, and adjust your shades with a remote, app, or voice commands. You can also program your shades to set schedules that improve their energy efficiency and save even more on energy bills. Nice!
Energy Efficient Window Treatments Make Life Easier and More Comfortable
Our team at Rebarts Blinds and Shades can come to you with a shop-from-home appointment an walk through your space, point out where drafts are working against you, and match each room with beautiful insulating window shades. Or you can visit our Bay Area showrooms in Burlingame, Los Altos, Menlo Park, and San Carlos.
Contact us for a consultation! We proudly serve the Bay Area, including Palo Alto, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Los Gatos, Redwood City, Foster City, San Mateo, Saratoga, Belmont, Woodside, Redwood Shores, Millbrae, Aptos, Atherton, and Stanford, CA.
