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

The R-Value Of Window Treatments And Shutters In Boise

June 23, 2022

Energy efficiency should be a huge requirement for your Boise window treatments. With the wrong covering, your windows could fall victim to unacceptable heat loss, which can lead to higher heating and cooling bills. To find the most energy-efficient window coverings, you need to see their R-values.

But what window treatments have the biggest R-value in Boise?

What’s A Window Treatment’s R-Value in Boise?

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Everything in your house that promotes insulation -- from drywall to your windows -- is assigned an R-value. Those digits tells you how well the object stops thermal energy from flowing through it. A higher R-value indicates a better insulator.

So why care about a window treatment’s R-value in Boise? It just so happens that your windows are one of the most common areas of heat loss in your house. If you want to keep in the hot air during wintertime or keep your home cooler in the warm times, you have to have a window covering with more insulation. A window treatment with a large R-value allows you to keep your house at an optimal setting.

Window Treatment R-value Comparison Table

Every window treatment is not created with the same thickness, at least not when it comes to insulation. Though there might be a little variation with the material and build between different makes and models, the following chart shows what you’re going to see when comparing window treatments.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
No window treatment	0.75 - 1
Aluminum blinds	1.5 - 2
Shades	2.5
Draperies	2 - 3
Real wood Shutters	3 - 4
Honeycomb Shades	4.5
Polywood® Plantation Shutters	>6

Source: R-values from Energy.gov and HouseLogic.

Keep in mind, the higher the R-value the more the window treatment helps insulate your window. No surprise that store-bought mini-blinds, which are made with thin aluminum, offer almost no insulation compared to a more substantial covering, like durable faux-wood plantation shutters. That large gap in R-value can result in a difference of several degrees – enough to make an impact on whether you crank up the thermostat and waste money or not.

What Are The Factors In A Window Treatment’s R-Value In Boise?

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Two variables affect a window covering's R-value: build and substance. First, coverings that have an ample amount of paths for heat loss won’t have a large R-value. For example, blinds don’t firmly cover the window, allowing air to escape around the bottom and sides of the treatment. On the other hand, interior shutters are custom-crafted around the window, keeping air against the window’s glass when the louvers are shut.

Add that with what the window treatment is constructed with can also bring a huge impact to insulation. Take cell shades, which use several engineered layers of fabric which make “cells” to trap air. As a result, they can stop air flow more efficiently than products like roller shades. Likewise, Polywood interior shutters, made from a solid faux wood composite, can block heat more than natural wood shutters. Polywood shutters also has seamless weatherstripping, which creates a air-tight seal on your window when the panels and louvers are completely shut.

Increase Your House’s R-value In Boise

Do you feel like your home could be a bit more comfortable? How about installing durable Polywood shutters to up your windows’ R-value? Contact us at Sunburst Shutters Boise by calling 208-609-9129 or submit the form below to get a free in-home consultation.

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