Give Your Windows the Green Treatment

It seems like the whole world is slowly going green, not with envy, but with environmentally friendly decision making. Each and every day I see more people shopping with reusable bags, recycling bottles and cans, and buying hybrid cars in order to save on gas. But even with all of our good intentions we still have a lot to learn about curbing energy use and reducing waste.

The best place to start learning about reducing energy use is the place where you spend the most of your time, right in your home.

Your house is pretty energy efficient as is. Right? You have insulated your walls, you use ceiling fans that re-circulate air keeping heat away from the ceilings, you bought that new 96% energy efficient furnace, but we often over look the place where the majority of our heat goes; right out the window. Pun intended. Nearly 25% of your homes heat loss happens at the windows, which can really increase the amount of energy your home uses. But what can we do?

Blinds, shades, and other types of window treatments have been used for years by interior designers to brighten and darken rooms, to bring a sort of elegance or finish to a window, but each type of fashion brings with it a different potential to reduce energy use.

Fabric, shape, density, softness, and texture all carry properties that affect light absorption and heat insulation which can dramatically change how warm your house stays during the winter, or how cool it stays during the summer.

Hunter Douglas; for example is in one of the most popular window treatment manufacturers in the world, and for more than 60 years they have created beautiful blinds and shades. But their products haven’t only focused on aesthetics, for every one of those 60+ years they have been researching how their products can reduce heat loss and energy waste and that research lead them to a very popular product.

The Duette Honeycomb shade, developed in 1985 by Hunter Douglas, was a revolutionary design that came in response to the energy problems of the 1970’s. The Honeycomb shape and material actually traps light and heat within its cells allowing for less heat to escape during the winter and less heat to come in during the summer months. In 2006 Hunter Douglas improved on this design by creating a double honeycombed design that can actually reduce heat transfer at the window by up to 50% which will lower your cost and make for a greener planet.

There are lots of ways to improve your homes. Adding window treatments is a great and stylish option, but if is an issue. You can also seal your windows with a plastic covering or use weather stripping make sure you have a tight seal so that are is not leaking out without your knowledge.

This post was written by Adam M. He is the author of a new home & health blog at http://www.homestuffs.com.  If you enjoyed this article please check out what else he has to say about Hunter Douglas window treatments.