According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 120 million homes older than five years and in need of energy-efficiency updates. The largest portion of a home’s energy demand comes from the heating and cooling of the interior.

With as much as 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy lost through its windows, energy efficiency is often a driving factor in calling Budget Blinds of North Winston-Salem & Mt Airy for window treatments.  Upgrading to fashionable window treatments and saving energy is a win-win for clients who choose Budget Blinds’ products for their home.

Today’s window coverings are more than decorative— Budget Blinds shades, shutters, blinds and films currently offer homeowners many options for cooling their homes and reducing heat loss, making summer and winter less of a strain on the energy budget.

Mack Moore, franchise owner of Budget Blinds of North Winston-Salem & Mt Airy, says, “Customers often enjoy the added benefit of energy efficiency when purchasing window treatments. Every home is different and dealing with temperature as well as solar rays can be difficult.”

Choosing energy-efficient window treatments provides increased insulation, offering protection against heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer. Many Budget Blinds energy-saving options are:

• Cellular shades are designed with honeycomb-shaped pockets or ‘cells’ designed to enhance a home’s energy efficiency by keeping air from escaping or entering a home. Inert air is a poor conductor of heat, helping honeycomb shades create an effective temperature barrier between the window and the room. Another benefit of these shades is that they block the damaging solar rays from a home, particularly in winter when there is little natural shade from trees.
• Shuttersare designed to make rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Budget Blinds wood and composite wood shutters act as effective insulators. Because the shutters fit tightly in window frames, they also block the transfer of heat through air movement or convection, creating a barrier between outside temperatures and your home’s interior.
• Window film  deflects 99% of damaging UV rays, reducing heat gain and protecting your furniture, fabrics and carpets caused by exposure to sunlight. Insulating window films are most effective at blocking certain wavelengths of sunlight, making them useful in warm, sunny regions and for south- or west-facing windows. Window films also prevent interior heat from being lost through windows to the outside — stopping as much as 50% of radiant heat transfer in winter and 60% of heat absorption in summer.
• Draperies can be so much more than interior decor statements. Budget Blinds offers a variety of fabrics and styles when increasing energy efficiency around windows. Draperies with lining and interlining – blackout lining protects from summer sun and heat, while thermally-lined drapes shut out the cold – are now fashionable parts of a room and very different from the insulated drapes of yesteryear.
  Like shades and shutters, draperies are only efficient when they’re closed. However, if they’re used in conjunction with another window covering, such as a honeycomb shade or a wood blind, you can let sun in during daylight hours and effectively shut out colder air at night. Floor-to-ceiling drapes that fold back against the wall allow drapes to seal off the window, preventing drafts and loss of heat through convection.
• Since every home is different, Budget Blinds’ motorization options allow your window treatments to become energy-efficient, as they can be set on timers to maximize or minimize heat gain as needed. Automated window coverings can allow a homeowner to set times for the opening and closing of blinds and shades, and coordinate with HVAC thermostat settings to get the most energy savings from window treatments.

Mack Moore understands energy efficiency and can help clients choose the best options for their homes and provide design consultation to blend energy savings with up-to-date home fashion.   Many times, a simple discussion with the homeowner to repair or replace existing blinds or add window film is all that is needed to make a home as energy efficient as possible.

Contact Budget Blinds of North-Winston-Salem & Mt Airy, for a free consultation at 336.701.5474, or visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthWinstonSalem.