White and beige living room with white polywood shutters above a white couch.

Energy Efficiency And R-Value Of Window Treatments In Cincinnati

June 23, 2022

Energy efficiency can be a large need for your windows. With a bad treatment, your windows could have heat loss, which leads to higher energy costs. To discover the best energy-efficient window treatments, you will have to look at their R-values.

But which window treatments own the biggest R-value in Cincinnati?

How Can You Find A Window Treatment’s R-Value in Cincinnati?

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Everything in your home that plays a part with insulation -- from the walls to your windows -- gets an R-value. That rating tells you how well the item stops thermal energy from going through it. A bigger R-value indicates a more effective insulator.

But why should you worry about a window treatment’s R-value in Cincinnati? Well, because windows are one of the biggest heat loss areas in the house. If you have to trap in the heat during the cold seasons or keep your home cooler in the warm times, you have to have a window covering with good insulation. A window covering with a large R-value lets you keep your rooms at the set temperature.

Window Covering R-value Comparison Chart

Every window treatment is not made equally, at least not when it comes to insulation. Though there can be some variation due to the material and craftsmanship between convergent models and companies, below is what you’re going to find when looking at different window coverings.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
Only glass	0.75 - 1
Mini-blinds	1.5 - 2
Window shades	2.5
Draperies	2 - 3
Wood Shutters	3 - 4
Cellular Shades	4.5
Polywood® Plantation Shutters	>6

Source: R-values from Energy.gov and HouseLogic.

Remember, the higher the R-value the more the window treatment helps insulate your home. It should come as no surprise that mini-blinds, which are made with inefficient aluminum, give you almost no energy-saving value compared to a more solid treatment, like durable faux-wood interior shutters. That large difference in R-value can show up in a distinction of several degrees – enough to feel an influence on whether you crank up the thermostat and waste money or not.

What Contributes To A Window Covering’s R-Value In Cincinnati?

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A couple of things affect a window covering's R-value: build and substance. To start with, treatments that have an ample amount of paths for heat loss will not get a large R-value. For instance, curtains and blinds don’t firmly cover the window, letting air to flow around the sides and bottom of the covering. However, interior shutters are custom-built to fit around the window, keeping air against the window when you shut the louvers.

Add that with what the window treatment is made out of can also bring a big bump in R-value. Take honeycomb shades, which feature overlapping layers of fabric which make “cells” to trap air. As a result, they can stop temperature flow more effectively than treatments like pleated shades. Likewise, our Polywood plantation shutters, made from a durable faux wood polymer, can block heat loss more than more porous wood shutters. Polywood shutters also use seamless weatherstripping, which results in a air-tight seal when the panels and louvers are snapped shut.

Increase Your Window’s R-value In Cincinnati

Do you feel like your house could be a tad bit cozier? How about installing Polywood shutters to up your windows’ R-value? Contact us today by dialing 513-216-9740 or submitting the form below to get your no-cost in-home consultation.

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