Insulated Window Shades R Value

Insulating blinds and shades insulating blinds and shades can save you money on your electric bill.

Insulated window shades r value.

Drapes shutters and exterior shades also make for great insulated window treatments. To maximize your energy efficiency one window treatment may not be enough. The most popular way of doing this is adding drapes to inside mounted cellular shades or shutters. The air pockets in the honeycomb cross sections act as insulators increasing the r value and reducing the conduction of heat through the window.

These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation. A typical window has an r value anywhere from 9 to 3 0. Log in or create an account to post an answer. Blinds with lower r values don t insulate as well.

Cellular window shades are designed with r value in mind. On the lower end you ll see blinds and shades with r values around 3 33. Thermal imaging r value the photos that were taken above were of a window in vermont. Typical horizontal blinds have an average r value of 2 5 while honeycomb shades are better insulators and have an r value of 3 25 to 5.

R value for the light filtering shades without side seals was rsi 0 10 rus 0 57 while the addition of the side seals more than doubled the r value to rsi 0 21 rus 1 2. Cellular honeycomb shades are your best bet for efficient window treatments with triple cell shades being the ultimate in inuslated shades. To put this in a bit of perspective a modern home s insulation has an r value in the low 40s. Insulated cellular shades are typically considered to have the highest r values of all window coverings.

The higher the r value of any given insulator the greater its heat resistance. Air happens to be a fantastic insulator a 3 4 pocket of air has an r value of 87. For the light blocking shades without side. If that is the case you can layer window treatments on top of each other to increase insulation even more.

The honeycomb shaped fabric uses air pockets to slow the movement of thermal energy. To put this in perspective the insulation that is used to build a home today has an r value in the low 40s appearing on the page about cellular shade r values. All window treatments are not created equally considering r values and energy savings. By increasing the r value of a window covering one can decrease on energy bills.

For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed in your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3.