Choosing the Right Window Treatments to Conquer the Summer Heat

Personally, I love the heat.  But I also like having a cool oasis to return to, for sleeping, relaxing, dining, etc.  You may not be aware, but the right window treatments can make a significant difference in helping your home stay cool.  Here are our top picks and how they work:

Cellular shades
Also called honeycomb shades because of their honeycomb shaped air pockets (cells), cellular shades are the most energy efficient window treatments available today.  They come in single or double cell, the latter featuring two air cells, for maximum insulation.  Put these in your window and you will dramatically increase the insulation of your windows.  Cellular shades are a type of window shade and they feature crisp pleats that, when raised, fold up like an accordion.  Lastly, they are also available in a range of light control factors from sheer to opaque.  That means you can choose the right cellular shade for each room’s light control needs.

Cellular shades are also a good choice for year-round insulation, as they work equally well when the weather turns cold.  So, in the long run, they’ll help save you money on heating and cooling costs for years and years.

Solar shades    
Made from a synthetic mesh, solar shades significantly block the sun’s radiant heat and glare from entering your home. They also block UV rays which can damage furniture.  Also called solar screens, these heat-blocking window shades are a great choice when you want to preserve views, because you can see through them.  Choose from a range of  “openness” factors (from approximately 3% – 14%). Basically, the openness factor is a percentage of light the solar shade allows in.  For maximum protection, heat control and privacy, choose the smaller percentage. For better “view-through” choose a larger %.

A few more notes on solar shades. If privacy is an issue, be aware that solar shades are not a great choice.  During certain times of the day, such as dusk and in the evening, when the light within your home is more intense than outside, people will be able to see in as well as you can see out.  Lastly, while solar shades offer great heat protection during the summer, they only offer a little bit of insulation for your windows when it’s cold.

Read Full Post »

For Blackout Room Darkening, Think Cellular Shades

Blackout cellular shades

You may know about blackout room darkening. If you do, you are in an elite category. Most people’s level of window treatments’ knowledge is somewhere between “no idea” and, “aren’t those the things hanging in my window?” That said, if you want to truly darken a room, you should know about cellular shades.

But window treatments are a very important part of our home. They provide privacy, energy efficiency, light control as well as beauty. And, the right ones can provide what is called blackout.  Blackout shades are a small group of window shades that can block 99% of incoming light and, when closed make your room almost pitch black.  This is highly desirable for bedrooms and home theaters.  Now, I realize that most homes don’t have home theaters, I know mine doesn’t.  But the ability to blackout a bedroom is a pretty nice. Want to sleep in? Take a nap in the afternoon?  Do you work the night shift?  Sensitive to light? Want to help make sure your baby naps? Live at a latitude where the suns is up well into the evening? The answer to all these questions is blackout room darkening window shades and the reigning champion is cellular shades.

Blackout cellular shades are made especially for this task. Within the honeycomb air cell, you’ll see a completely opaque liner built right in (see 2nd photo). The liner is either a felt like material or a shiny Mylar coating. Both are completely opaque. Here’s the catch though. To really get the blackout effect, you need to buy custom cellular shades. Why you ask? Because to achieve blackout room darkening, you’ll need your cellular shade to fit nice and tight within your window casing. Only custom window treatments offer this made-to-measure perfection, because they are constructed to the exact dimensions of your window. No stock size window treatment can fit the way that custom window treatments do.  Every window casing is imperfect. If you measure in three places both in height and width you’ll see that there can be a noticeable difference. 

blackout cellular shades

Plus, blackout cellular shades offer the dual benefit of energy efficiency.  Not only are they the champs of blackout, they are also the champs of insulated window treatments.  You can choose single cell blackout cellular shades or double cell, for even more insulation.

Lastly, window blinds are not good for blackout room darkening. Note above that I mentioned blackout shades, not blackout blinds.  That’s because there’s no such thing as a blackout blind. There simply to much space between all those slats or vanes to effectively darken a room.

Read Full Post »

Blindsgalore Launches New Roller shades with MLB Logos

Show your team pride right on your windows with Blindsgalore’s new roller shades with officially licensed Major League Baseball team logos printed right on the front.  Our Blindsgalore® MLB™ Roller Shades are custom-sized to your window and are printed “on-demand” so the logo is always the same proportion regardless of the shade size for a perfect fit!  These all new window shades are a perfect choice for home media rooms, games rooms, bars, clubs, restaurants and ballparks. 

Here’s how to get yours:  Go to Blindsgalore’s new MLB roller shades page and select your team.  You’ll need to have the measurements for your windows.  Click here  to learn how to measure your windows (it’s simple).  Choose your team, and the logo you want – there are multiple options – and whether you want a light-filtering or blackout.  That’s it!  Be the first in your neighborhood to own these exclusive MLB roller shades. 

Currently you can choose officially licensed logos from the following MLB teams:
 
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Boston Red Sox
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Oakland A’S
• Minnesota Twins
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Baltimore Orioles
• Kansas City Royals
• Houston Astros
• Detroit Tigers
• Colorado Rockies
• Cleveland Indians
• Cincinnati Reds
• Washington Nationals
• Seattle Mariners
• Texas Rangers
• Tampa Bay Rays
• St. Louis Cardinals
• San Francisco Giants
• San Diego Padres
• Chicago White Sox
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
• New York Yankees

These new printed roller shades are the latest in MLB merchandise and Blindsgalore is the first to offer them.

Read Full Post »