If you live in New York City, chilly fall nights and frigid winter days will amount to lots of time spent indoors over the next six months. But if you also happen to live in one of the city’s many historic (or just plain old) apartment buildings, hibernating inside all winter may not keep you much warmer than you’d be outdoors, thanks in part to drafty windows and doors that plague many rental complexes.
While you might only be able to feel that rush of cold air when you’re sitting directly in front of the window, a draft is actually affecting the temperature of your entire home, and can send energy bills soaring. In fact, according to the National Resources Defense council, up to a third of a home’s energy loss (aka heat loss) typically occurs through poorly insulated windows and doors.
So how can you prevent this problem? Well, if you’re a renter, your chance of having your landlord replace your windows and doors entirely may be unlikely, but it is possible to keep energy loss down and minimize drafts during the winter. It just comes down to choosing the right window treatments.
There are a number of options for window treatments that will minimize drafts and loss of energy. Here are three of the best.
- Honeycomb shades. Honeycomb shades have a unique cellular construction which prevents heat transfer, providing an extra layer of insulation between windows and outdoors. Honeycomb shades have been proved to reduce heat loss by as much as 62 percent, a benefit in both hot and cold months.
- Roller shades. The solid, single-panel construction of roller shades provides a highly effective barrier to heat loss. For the best results, choose shades constructed of heavy fabric or vinyl.
- Heavy drapery. For a window treatment solution that will be easy to take with you when you move, consider installing lined or insulated drapery in a heavy fabric like wool or velvet. One of the added benefits of drapery is that it’s typically hung wider than the window frame, adding extra insulation. For the best possible results, pair lined drapery with an insulating shade.
For more information about how to reduce your energy costs through window treatments, schedule a complimentary in-home consultation with one of our window treatment experts.
