Cellular Shades everywhere in the home

To achieve maximum energy efficiency, you need to cover all those leaking areas. And luckily cellular blinds can be custom made to fit almost any energy-sucking opening. Here are some ideas on how to make your home cozy tight.

Consider your skylights. That is a window. Windows are inefficient in controlling heat. Skylight shades come in cellular and honeycomb designs that will keep out the light and more than half the heat transfer through your windows. Double cell insulating fabric and automatic operation is what you get in top tier cellular skylight blinds. Motorized shades make push-button blind opening a reality.

For French Doors and other full length windows, you can get heat-saving honeycomb blinds that roll up from both the top and bottom to maximize both privacy and view.

Blackout cellular shades can completely shut out the light with snug fitting side tracks. These blinds will give you a good night's sleep. From lower energy bills. The side slide tracks seal the top and side of the blinds.

A new invention to try and make your cellular shades look a little better is Roman/Cellular fusion blinds. One side is a energy efficient honeycomb design and the other side looks like a Roman blinds. So any window can be made efficient with a blind, and still look good.

Most cellular window blinds are cordless to keep pets and children from getting tangled. And custom blinds can be manufactured for arched windows, solariums, or anything else. Modern honeycomb shades are dust repellent, flame retardant, and made of some of the most insulating cloth materials available. The upper range for insulation among blinds is around 4.6 R. Thin gauge fabric means it rolls up in a small space. The thinnest fabrics are translucent, while thicker ones block out light. Double thickness honeycomb blinds offer more insulation but take up more space.

How to calculate heat savings from cellular blinds

So you know you need to stop energy transfer from your windows, but you need help determining exactly what kind of shade is required. Do you need a honeycomb shade or a cellular blind, or do you need to go even further with blind liners and drapes? Make an informed decision based on the facts of your home.

Here is an insulation calculator from Home Depot. It helps you determine your insulation requirements based on the size of your house, where you live and many other factors. It is an overall calculator that factors in the heat source for your home, but by manipulating the window variables, you can see just how much your windows effect the heating of your home. Having cellular blinds installed is one of the most effective methods to see a change here.

Just because they serve an important energy-saving purpose, buying cellular blinds does not mean you have to skip out on decorating your house. Cellular blinds come in custom matched colors. You can even put colored inserts in the shade rails as you please. These UV-resistant shades will protect your furniture while coordinating with your interior.

Through your windows, heat goes out in the winter and in through the summer. Depending on where you live and what direction your windows are facing you may want to invest in cellular blinds to keep your energy bills down. Honeycomb blinds work by trapping air in a honeycomb of pockets which act as efficient insulators. Double cell cellular shades have two layers of these air pockets for maximum performance.

The main benefits of cellular shades are:
Reduced energy consumption
Which leads to Lower Energy Bills
Blocks UV light to prevent furniture fading
Maintains consistent interior temperature
Increased HVAC Efficiency

Your Guide to Vertical Blinds

We've all walked through a house at sometime in our life and asked ourselves “what were they thinking when they selected those blinds”. The blinds they chose don’t match the furniture; they don’t even match the overall style of the house. For those people, there is an affordable alternative which will help make the rooms in their house look more attractive and stop people from asking that silly question. Vertical blinds have become a popular choice in homes across the United States because of their price and wide range in styles, colors and materials. Some of the most popular verticals are sheer vertical, fabric and faux wood verticals.

Verticals are made from different materials which helps make them so appealing. You can find canvass, wood, metal, plastic, even heavy paper. The vertical blinds are also light weight which makes them easy to clean which helps them look more attractive and last longer. Another benefit is the fact that they come in many different sizes and shapes. If you are going to buy sheer vertical blinds, you need to make sure you measure your windows accurately. As a principle, measure the width of your window and add 7-8 inches. For the height of your blinds, make sure you measure ½ to 1 inch off the ground to ensure the blinds work properly.

There are a wide variety of uses of these window coverings as well. Most people use vertical blinds for large size windows or sliding doors. Verticals are great for filtering light in a room and darkening a room too. Because they are lightweight, verticals also work well when a motorized shade is desired. All vertical shades come on a tracking system which is another reason they are great for motorized shades.

Reducing Heat Loss with Cellular Blinds

It has been pounded into your head time after time: the cheapest way to reduce heating and cooling bills is to stop heat transfer through your windows. There are several steps you can take to increase the energy efficiency of your windows. Blinds and blind coverings are an easy way to start, and are usually cheaper than buying new windows.

One step you can take is fitted window coverings. Remember, air insulates just as well as high tech materials. Energy saving window coverings and cellular blinds create a insulating layer of dead air. Without the coverings you can get a draft around your high tech cellular shades.

The Energy Star sticker is a good way to determine if your windows are energy efficient.  Window blinds can be just as effective, however window coverings are not eligible for the Energy Star program. Cellular and other window blinds are measured on the R-system of insulating value. The average curtain or blind has only a value of R-1. Honeycomb or cellular blinds with an insulating lining can have a value as large as R-6. Cutting thick foam around the window frame also increases R-value, but eventually this will come in conflict with your honeycomb insulating blinds.

Awnings and overhangs also increase energy savings by keeping sun rays from striking the window directly.

Color is also important when it comes to insulating window blinds. Light colors reflect and keep sunlight out of the home. Always remember, increasing the layers of insulation between the home and the outside is the key to energy savings through efficient window coverings. Minimize gaps between cellular shades and the wall, and maximize the number of layers and liners to keep airflow out. Cellular honeycomb window blinds do not regulate sunlight like venetian blinds, but they offer considerable advantages. Cellular blinds have a double or triple layer of material that folds up, but creates little air honeycomb pockets when extended. These air pockets are lightweight and make the honeycomb blind much more insulating by weight than any solid material. It is like adding an extra layer of double pane windows in terms of savings.

Conventional blinds do not block heat loss more than 10% so remember to use special energy efficient blinds like honeycomb blinds when trying to reduce your electric bill. The closed weave design prevents any airflow. White will reflect the most light. Medium colored cellular blinds let in a warm colored sunlight while still reflecting some heat. You could even get a black cellular window blind treatment for the winter to absorb sun rays for heat. A conventional blind can attempt to compete with custom cellular blinds by reducing all gaps for airflow.

It is important to take into consideration not only the window and window treatments by themselves, but also where they are in the house, and how much sunlight they receive. West facing windows will receive the hottest light so it might be a good idea to use high performance cellular blinds to block out the light. South facing windows provide good natural light without too much glare. Some sort of energy saving window blind that still regulates light is useful here. Remember, you can mix and match honeycomb blinds with drapes and reflective glass and blind coverings.

Benefits of Buying Sheer Vertical Blinds

When you have a big window or sliding terrace door, vertical blinds really are the best window covering solution available. But you do not have to resign yourself to selecting function over aesthetics. Of all the different types of window coverings, verticals are turning out to be the most popular window covering of today.

Fabric Vertical Shades
For a flowing, curtain-like look, fabric vertical blinds are a fine solution. The ultimate compromise between the usefulness of track-mounted shades and the soft look of draperies, these curtain-like blinds mix form and function for a fascinating, practical window covering.

Sheer Verticals
Like other styles of fabric verticals, sheer vertical blinds provide a characteristic mix of drape-like appearance and traditional vertical blinds performance. With the sophisticated appearance of sheer fabric ( and its privacy and light-filtering function ), this new window treatment style of supplies the simple operation and flexibleness of blinds. Ideal for formal spaces like living rooms and dining rooms, the total of window coverage and material selection is better other window coverings.

Sliding Vertical Blinds
Another choice to classic verticals is the innovative sliding panel window shade. Unlike standard vertical window blinds, this window treatment doesn't use revolving vanes to screen your windows. Instead, a collection of sliding panels are positioned on a track, allowing you slide them back and forth for full or partial coverage. Made from fabric, roller shade material, or natural woven materials, sliding panel shades can be gotten in opaque, sheer, and light-controlling options.

This high-tech modification on classic vertical window blinds provides insulation as well as privacy and light-control. Each vane has a special elliptical shape that creates a pocket of air-their uniquely formed profile forms an overlapping air-screen to help keep the cold out in winter and the heat out in summer. Up to 20% more effective than other vertical slats, vertical cellular blinds are a great solution for accelerating the energy-efficiency of your house and adding style to your windows at the same time!

Most individuals who are installing blinds like all of the options vertical blinds bring. With today's huge selection of inventive fine quality, superior performance vertical window blinds, there are many other alternatives for effective, attractive window treatments. While looking for window blinds, there are many different websites out there that have great information about benefits, prices, comparisons and much more.

Cleaning Your Window Blinds

Like anything else in the house, window blinds must be regularly cleaned and maintained to keep it in good working condition. There are my different styles and types of window blinds and they made from a number of materials. The material by which the blinds is made determines how it should be cleaned.

• Window Blinds made with Aluminum are trouble-free to clean due to its smooth surface. Tools for cleaning aluminum blinds are vacuum cleaner brush, dust clothes that are chemically treated, soft and clean dust cloths or feather duster. When dusting the aluminum blinds, tilt the slats up then use the vacuum brush or cloth to clean it from side to side along the slats' direction. As for washing the blinds, a mild detergent on a moist cloth (by dipping it in warm water)must be used. You may also remove the blinds from the window and soak in a tub with water and soap, rinse then wipe to dry.
• Blinds made from Vinyl should be dusted off using a soft and clean cloth or the brush of the vacuum cleaner. For spots and stains on vinyl blinds, dip a sponge in warm water the put some mild detergent on the sponge then attack the stains on the vinyl. Blot the blinds dry. Vinyl louvers may be cleaned by immersing it in water.
• For Cleaning wood blinds, water is definitely not to be used. Tools for cleaning wooden blinds are vacuum cleaners equipped with round brush accessories, dust cloths or dusting mitts. There are blinds that may be cleaned with slightly dampened cloth, though instructions on the manuals must first be read and followed before using liquid cleaners. Proper cleaning method involves moving from left to right and vice versa. For horizontal blinds and for vertical wooden blinds, utilize downward strokes. Use only dry dusting cloth in addressing certain spots in the blinds. There are also blinds made with faux or artificial woods, and to clean this type off blinds, use a vacuum brush or feather duster or dust cloth. To remove tough stains, use a slightly damp cloth with mild detergent.
• There are also blinds made with fabric or cloth. Such blinds are more prone to dust settlement than any other blinds. For this reason, fabric blinds have to be cleaned more regularly and frequently than other types of blinds to prevent too much dust build-ups. The most effective cleaning methods for fabric-made window blinds are through brushing and vacuuming the dust off. These methods prolong and extend the charm and aesthetic quality of the fabric blinds. Another option is to immerse the fabric blinds in water but only for a short and controlled time as this may cause the blinds' color to fade. To ensure that the fabric blinds would not fade and any of the mentioned methods are not preferred, dry cleaning would be another cleaning alternative.

This applies to any blinds, wipe a sheet of fabric conditioner to top off the cleaning task for window blinds. This will help the blinds to stay dust free for a longer time.

Article Source: Window Blind Care

Using Vertical Blinds to Add Style to A Room

All the homeowners prefer to cover their windows with window blinds because in blinds you have host of choices such as roller blinds, vertical blinds, office blinds, motorised blinds, wooden blinds, blackout roller blinds and many more. But generally people prefer installing vertical blinds because they not only enhance the look of your home but are very functional. There are many benefits of covering your windows with vertical blinds. Here are some of the reasons to use Vertical blinds:

Verticals are Easy to Maintain

Vertical blinds are becoming very popular because they catch less dust compare to horizontal blinds and you can easily clean them with blind cleaners. You can also clean your blind with ultrasonic blind cleaning. It is one of the most effective techniques of cleaning which make your cleaning process easy. These blinds are very easy to maintain and their maintenance cost is also very low.

You can save money by installing vertical blinds

Another benefit of installing vertical blinds is their cost and they are very easy to install. You can install theses blinds by yourself and you can save your installation fees. They also keep your room cool in summer as they do not allow entering the heat in your room and keeping your room warm in winter. Hence at the same time you can also save money on electricity.

Protects your furniture and skin

The rays of the sun weaken the wooden structures of your furniture and also harm the luster of your furniture. Hence by covering your window with vertical blinds you can protect your furniture as these blinds do not allow the sunlight to enter in your room. These blinds not only protect the furniture but also protect your skin from the sun rays. As we all know that skin cancer is caused by the harmful sun rays hence if you want to protect yourself from such diseases you can cover your window with sheer vertical blinds and can block the sun rays.

You have A Lot of choices

One of the most important advantages is that you can find theses blinds in variety of sizes, colour, materials, texture, design and style. Hence you can easily select your perfect one according to your budget and interior of your room. For more info please visit http://www.ultrasound-blinds.co.uk

Article Source: Vertical Blinds