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

Energy Efficiency And R-Value Of Window Treatments In Honolulu

June 23, 2022

Energy efficiency might be a large need for your window treatments in Honolulu. With a bad choice, your windows could suffer from damaging heat loss, which leads to larger utility costs. To find the most energy-efficient window treatments, you should to find out their R-values.

But which window treatments get the biggest R-value in Honolulu?

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

White polywood shutters in a white bedroom.

Everything in your residence that plays a part with insulation -- from siding to your windows -- gets an R-value. That rating represents how well the object hinders thermal energy from traveling through it. A higher R-value and the object is a more efficient insulator.

But why care about a window treatment’s R-value in Honolulu? Well, because your windows are one of the most common areas of heat loss in your house. If you want to trap in the hot air during wintertime or keep your home cool in summer, you need a window treatment with greater insulation. A window treatment with a high R-value lets you keep your home at an optimal temperature.

Window Treatment R-value Rating Table

Every window covering is not created equally, at least not when it comes to insulation. Though there can be a bit of variation due to the material and quality between convergent models and companies, here’s what you’re likely to see when comparing window coverings.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
Bare window	0.75 - 1
Aluminum 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 larger the R-value number the more energy-efficient the window covering. No surprise that cheap blinds, usually made of thin aluminum, bring almost no protection when compared to a more solid covering, like durable faux-wood shutters. That insurmountable gap in R-value can result in a difference of several degrees – enough to feel an influence on whether you dial up the thermostat and increase your energy use.

What Raises A Window Treatment’s R-Value In Honolulu?

Light gray cellular shades inside a white and rustic styled living room.

A few things affect a window treatment’s R-value: construction and substance. To start with, treatments that have an ample amount of ways for heat loss won’t own a large R-value. For instance, curtains and blinds don’t firmly cover the window, allowing heat to leak out around the sides and bottom of the covering itself. On the other hand, interior shutters are custom-made snuggly around the window, keeping heat against the window when the louvers are completely shut.

Then what the product is made out of can also bring a big impact to insulation. Take cell shades, which use several engineered layers of fabric designed to trap hot air. As a result, they can block air disbursement more effectively than coverings like pleated shades. Likewise, Polywood interior shutters, built from a impenetrable faux wood material, can trap heat loss more than hard wood shutters. Polywood shutters also has seamless weatherstripping, which creates a tight seal sound your windows when the louvers and panels are completely shut.

Increase Your House’s R-value In Honolulu

Does it feel like your home could be a little cozier? How about installing quality faux-wood shutters to up your R-value? Contact us today by calling 808-797-2004 or submitting the form below to get your no-cost in-home consultation.

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