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

Energy Efficiency And R-Value Of Window Treatments In San Antonio

June 23, 2022

Energy conservation should be a huge requirement for your windows. With the wrong treatment, you may feel a good deal of heat loss, which leads to higher heating and cooling bills. To get the most energy-efficient window treatments, you should to look at their R-values.

But what window treatments have the best R-value in San Antonio?

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

White polywood shutters in a white bedroom.

Everything in your home that plays a part with insulation -- from drywall to windows -- is assigned an R-value. Those digits represents how well the item stops thermal energy from going through it. A higher R-value and the object is a more efficient insulator.

So why should you care about a window treatment’s R-value in San Antonio? Well, because windows are one of the biggest heat loss areas in the home. If you need to trap in the warm air during wintertime or keep your house cooler in warmer weather, you need a window treatment with good insulation. A window covering with a high R-value allows you to keep your rooms at an optimal temperature.

Window Treatment R-value Table

Every window covering is not built with the same thickness, and therefore different window treatments will have different r-values. Though there might be a little variation with the building material and build between different models and companies, here’s what you’re likely to find when comparing window coverings.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
Bare window	0.75 - 1
Mini-blinds	1.5 - 2
Window 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.

Remember, the bigger the R-value number the more the window treatment helps insulate your window. It shouldn’t be a shock that store-bought mini-blinds, which are made with inefficient aluminum, offer almost no energy-saving value when put up against a more substantial product, like Polywood plantation shutters. That large gap in R-value can result in a difference of several degrees – enough to make an impact on your decision to crank up the temperature and waste money or not.

What Raises A Window Covering’s R-Value In San Antonio?

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

Two variables affect a window covering's R-value: construction and substance. To start with, coverings that have an ample amount of paths for heat loss will not get a large R-value. For example, blinds just hang there, letting air to flow around the sides and bottom of the covering. However, interior shutters are custom-crafted to fit around the window pane, trapping heat against the window’s glass when the louvers are completely shut.

Add that with the materials the window treatment is made out of can also bring a huge bump in R-value. Take cellular shades, which feature overlapping layers of fabric designed to trap air. As a result, they should stop temperature flow more efficiently than coverings like roller shades. Likewise, Polywood plantation shutters, made from a impenetrable faux wood polymer, can repel heat loss more than natural wood shutters. Polywood shutters also employs weatherstripping, which makes a snug seal on your window when the panels and louvers are shut.

Improve Your House’s R-value In San Antonio

Do you feel like your house could be a tad bit more energy-efficient? How about installing durable Polywood shutters to increase your windows’ R-value? Contact us at Sunburst Shutters San Antonio by dialing 210-876-0377 or submit the form below to get a free in-home consultation.

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