To Open or Not to Open? That is the Question.
When Arctic air descends upon the Midwest—or, even worse, a polar vortex—it’s all you can do to stay warm — both indoors and outdoors. Your furnace works overtime, and you’re looking for ways to boost energy efficiency without compromising your home’s interior. One solution is to maximize the extra energy efficiency your window treatments may provide, but keep in mind the condensation factor. When you keep shades closed moisture may become trapped and condensation occurs when warm indoor air meets cold glass surface, creating moisture.
Tips From a Pro
What’s the best way to keep your window treatments insulating your home without putting your interior finish at risk for moisture-related damage?
Shannon Scarrella, Manager, Hirshfield’s Shop at Home Department, is an expert on window treatments. Scarrella has more insight on how she balances this in her home. “I personally leave my window treatments open slightly at the bottom to allow airflow between the window and the treatment,” she says, “When I kept my honeycomb shades fully closed during extreme cold, condensation froze on the glass. Later, when I opened the shades, the melting moisture left water on my trim; raising them just a little prevents that from happening.”
Scarrella says that horizontal products tend to be better at allowing windows to breathe and condensation to evaporate. Hunter Douglas’ Duette® Architella product is top-rated for insulation. The particular design traps air, reducing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer months. The difference between a Duette® Honeycomb and Duette® Architella shade? The Duette® Architella has an inner layer of fabric—it is “honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction.”
Benefits of Energy-Efficient Window Treatments:
- Lower heating and cooling costs
- Improved comfort year-round
- Reduced risk condensation-related damage
Here’s a convenient chart, created by Hunter Douglas, that shows the ideal times for window treatments to be closed or open depending on the direction that your windows face and the time of year.
Hunter Douglas is the first manufacturer to earn a national energy performance rating and certification for interior window covering products through the Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC). With support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), AERC is the first-ever, third-party verified program to rate, label and certify the energy performance of window attachments. Interested? This link will take you to Hunter Douglas where they list their AERC approved products and an explanation of the energy ratings.
Ready to Update Your Shades?
Schedule a FREE in-home consultation with one of our Shop At Home designers — they’ll bring a selection of energy-efficient window treatments to your door and help you choose the best solution for your home. Hirshfield’s Shop At Home designers are some of the most experienced in the industry—trusted products and expert advice.