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Home Decorating

Heat insulating window treatments needed

9 years ago

We have had a few warm days (mid 80s) in our newish apartment and it gets HOT! Our windows are brand new and seem pretty good so I'm looking to window treatments to cut down on the heat. Do the HD Architella shades actually work insulation-wise? They are quite expensive so I don't want to get them for 14 windows if they won't make a difference.

We are definitely getting honeycomb shades, whether Architella or regular, and I'm thinking of adding heavy curtains if the honeycombs don't insulate enough. I would put them up only during the summer months and sheers the rest of the year. Does anyone have thoughts on this? I've never had curtains in my life so I don't know what sorts of things I should be thinking about.

Thanks everyone!

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Comments (3)

Jamie
9 years ago
Curtains help with air leaks. Once you have the shades I don't think a curtain would do much more to reduce the amount of radiant heat that enters the room. But, if you use A/C, curtains might help keep the cooled air from escaping.

The sun fades your curtains pretty quickly, and not evenly. They end up striped.

I'm fighting a battle to try to keep it cool in my house, particularly the upstairs. I open everything up on a cool morning and turn on the whole house fan to try to draw in the cool air. Then, when the day begins to warm up, I close all the windows and pull the shades in the sunnier areas. I feel like a one woman climate control army. But it really doesn't help a lot. So many things in the house generate heat.
localeater
9 years ago
Honeycomb shaped shades will help with heat exchange. I had them installed last summer in the ceiling of our sunroom. I am kicking myself why I didnt do it years ago.....
You need to consider your year round climate and your exposure to pick the best ones for your specific situation. I am in a northern climate, my sunroom faces south. I needed to block the sun in the summer but I need the sun's warmth in the other seasons.
Levolar blinds website has some good basic information that you can utilize in a blind/shade purchase from whatever manufacturer.

http://www.levolor.com/support/kb/article/363/what-is-the-r-value-of-the-shade

Here is a link that might be useful: another link....
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Another source to look is jcp.com. I noticed they have 3 blackout drapes (one in regular home WT section and 2 in clearance) in the longer length at low prices--if the colors work for you (always the challenge). If you can't find the grommet style that might be easier to pull open/shut on a daily basis, you might consider ring clips since they slide easily. If the hem looks too challenging to alter on rod pocket styles, you can cut off the top and rehem that quite easily. IMHO they'll look best if you have them full length, rather than end at the window sill. It seems like that would really detract from the effect of the window. Even your inspiration pic, while really cute, seems to just miss the mark a bit on the curtains. They're ok I guess, but full-length would have been better--IMHO. You may have to get extra panels to give the fullness you want across the window when they're closed unless you go with custom widths. Good luck with your project! Here is a link that might be useful: Clearance jcp.com blackout curtains
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I've had this same problem (for years). I've got a large bay window and didn't want to pay for custom treatments. If fact, I would prefer no window treatments at all, except for about an hour in the morning, when the sun really shines in. Then I discovered that Lowes has just started carrying a selection of bamboo style roman shades that they can cut-to-measure. Some even have the built-in liner, if you need privacy. If you're lucky, you may even find a $10 off $50 coupon. I will almost always have them raised, except for Saturday mornings when we sit down to breakfast around 9am. Check them out!
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I just saw this post. Cellulars with a double or triple cell are going to be your best bet. And when open they stack pretty tightly out of the way. If you go to the manufacturer's websites you can check out the different insulation values.
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The only way to avoid noticeable glass loss is to go with sash kits or full frame. May want to concentrate on air sealing the casing on both sides, adding insulation won't help much when the walls are uninsulated. A nice storm and properly fitted sash kit would probably be more air tight than many inserts . Install sash kits can be tricky business especially in a house that old, and should be installed by someone experienced at installing them properly.
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Jen K.
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi jamies & localeater, thanks for the thoughts. Jamies - I know exactly what you mean about being a one woman climate control army! I've been thinking about all the steps I'll have to take to keep our place cool in the summer & we haven't even bought shades yet, lol. Localeater - thanks for sharing your experience! It helps to know that honeycomb shades do work with heat transfer!

I am pretty much decided I am going to buy Architella or similar shades from one of the other companies. We're not so concerned about keeping warm in the winter as we have to leave the heat on anyway (to keep pipes from bursting) and can always pull up the shades for extra warmth. With all of our windows facing SE/SW, keeping cool in the summer is definitely the bigger concern. Does anyone have recommendations for a shade like HD Architella, but less expensive?

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