Go Green

You may not spend much time thinking about your windows. On beautiful days, you enjoy the view. On cool summer evenings you may open your windows to enjoy the smell of fresh flowers and the sounds of night owls.

But what about when the cold of winter hits? You close your windows to keep the icy air out, but when the snow blows and the cold wind howls, do you still feel cold drafts coming in? Have you ever thought about the warm air inside your home you’ve paid to heat that is seeping out those drafty windows? The average American home spends about half its energy costs in heating and cooling the home. Investing in energy efficient window treatments may be the wisest decision you ever make!

At Louisville Blinds, we bring you the premium in energy saving window coverings.

Understanding the Terminology

R-Value

You may have heard it before: R-Value. But what exactly is it
and what does it mean?

Very simply, R-value is a measure of a given material’s resistance to heat flow – how well it resists heat gain or loss. In short, the higher the R-value, the better the insulation it will provide for you.

R-Value and your Windows

Your windows themselves have and R-value. A typical window has an R-value ranging from 0.9 to 3.0. (To put this in perspective, the insulation that is used to build a home today has an R-value in the low 40s).

Several factors influence the R-value of your windows:

• Type of glazing material
• Number of layers of glass
• Size of the air space between the glass layers
• Thermal resistance of the frame and spacer materials
• “Tightness” of the installation

R-Value and your Window Treatments

The window treatments you select also have an R-value. The higher the R-value, the more insulating benefits you’ll receive. Adding cellular shades to your windows can block as much as 62% of the heat transfer through a window pane.

Window Treatments and UV Protection

Window treatments add another important benefit aside from insulation – UV protection.

The sunlight streaming through your windows may seem beautiful. But keep in mind that it carries with it damaging UV rays that, over time, will damage your home’s interior.

Furnishings

You may love your cherry colored wood tables or dark blue couch. We all have favorite pieces of furniture that turn our houses into homes. However over time, UV rays will cause damage to your furniture, fading the colors and weakening the structure of the fibers.

Artwork

Look around your home. How many heirlooms, antiques, and works of art do you possess that are irreplaceable? If left exposed, UV rays will eventually damage all of your prized possessions. Warping canvas, fading paints, damaging finishes. These are just a few examples of UV damage.

Floors

Whether you have carpet or wood flooring, the UV rays of sunlight will damage your floor. Fading and discoloration are common signs of damage. In the case of wood floors, you may even see splitting.

Protection Today

Consider how much you’ve invested in your home. Make the smart move and protect that investment. Most of our products filter out nearly all UV light. Here are our top picks when looking for UV protection:

• Cellular Shades
• Sunscreens
• Odysee Insulating Blinds
• Woodwinds Blinds
• Harmony Cellular Verticals

Cold and Warm Climate Tips
Cold Climate Window Tips

From the US Department of Energy

Double-pane windows with low-e coating on the glass reflect heat back into the room during the winter months.

Install exterior or interior storm windows; storm windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%. Storm windows should have weather stripping at all movable joints; be made of strong, durable materials; and have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm windows save even more energy.

Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary.

Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.

Learn more about Energy Smart ComforTrack Plus Energy Saving Sidetrack Insulation System and how you can earn federal tax credits.

See our selection of Energy Smart insulating window shades and blinds.

Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.

Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to maximize solar gain.

Warm Climate Window Tips

From the US Department of Energy

In the summertime, the sun shining through your windows heats up the room. Windows with spectrally selective coatings on the glass reflect some of the sunlight, keeping your rooms cooler.Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.

Learn more about Sunscreens
Close curtains on south and west-facing windows during the day.
Install awnings on south and west-facing windows.
Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.

Seeing is Believing!

Even houses which appear to be well insulated may not be as energy efficient as one may think. This house was photographed during the winter using thermal photography, a process which exposes higher temperature zones as indicated by the color transitions. You will notice that the areas around the windows are particularly “hot,” proving that a significant amount of interior heat is escaping from these portions of the building.

Information provided by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Thermography/Photography copyright 1997. Infraspection Institute Inc, Burlington New Jersey

See The Difference of ComforTrack Plus Energy Saving Sidetrack Insulation System Makes on Windows

This window was photographed in a controlled laboratory setting using thermal photography, a process which distinguishes temperature zones as indicated by the color transitions.

Uncovered window:

The blue color in this photo indicates the temperature loss around an uncovered, single pane window.

Window with Symphony Fabric:

This photo shows the same window wearing a Symphony Cellular Shade by Comfortex. Note the color gradation from blue to green to yellow. The warmer colors indicated a temperature increase the inherent insulating effect of cellular fabric.

Window with ComforTrack Plus:

The ComforTrack Plus Energy Saving Sidetrack Insulation System and the coldest blues fade away! Energy leaks are nearly eliminated since ComforTrack Plus seals the gap between the fabric edge and window frame.