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

The R-Value Of Shutters And Other Window Treatments In Sacramento

June 23, 2022

Energy efficiency might be a big requirement for your windows. With an inefficient choice, you could feel air coming through and heat loss, which can lead to bigger energy costs. To discover the best energy-efficient window treatments, you should to look at their R-values.

But which window treatments have the biggest R-value in Sacramento?

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

White polywood shutters in a white bedroom.

Everything in your home that promotes insulation -- from drywall to your windows -- gets an R-value. That number lets you know how well the object hinders thermal energy from flowing through it. A higher R-value tells you that the item is a better insulator.

But why should you worry about a window treatment’s R-value in Sacramento? It just so happens that your windows are one of the most prevalent energy wasters in your home. If you want to trap in the heat during wintertime or keep your home cooler in the warm times, you need a window covering with good insulation. A window treatment with a big R-value lets you keep your rooms at an optimal temperature.

Window Treatment R-value Comparison Table

Every window covering is not made equally, and therefore different window treatments have different r-values. Though there may be a bit of variation due to the material and build between convergent makes and models, the following chart shows what you’re probably to see when looking at different window treatments.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
Only glass	0.75 - 1
Aluminum blinds	1.5 - 2
Window shades	2.5
Draperies	2 - 3
Real wood Shutters	3 - 4
Cellular Shades	4.5
Polywood® Plantation Shutters	>6

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

Keep in mind, the higher the R-value number the more the window treatment helps insulate your home. It shouldn’t be a shock that store-bought mini-blinds, which are made with thin aluminum, bring almost no insulation when put up against a more substantial treatment, like faux-wood shutters. That large gap in R-value can be seen in a variance of several degrees – enough to make an influence on your decision to crank up the thermostat and waste money or not.

What Raises A Window Treatment’s R-Value In Sacramento?

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

A few factors affect a window covering's R-value: build and materials. First, coverings that have lots of avenues for heat loss won’t get a effective R-value. For example, curtains and blinds don’t firmly cover the window, allowing air to escape around the sides and bottom of the covering itself. However, interior shutters are custom-built snuggly around the window, which traps air against the window’s glass when the louvers are shut.

Then the materials the covering is made out of can have a huge impact to insulation. Take honeycomb shades, which are made with overlapping layers of fabric that create “cells” to trap hot air. As a result, they should block temperature disbursement more effectively than products like pleated shades. Likewise, our Polywood plantation shutters, built from a impenetrable faux wood material, can repel heat loss more than hard wood shutters. Polywood shutters also employs weatherstripping, which results in a tight seal when the panels and louvers are completely shut.

Improve Your House’s R-value In Sacramento

Do you feel like your house could be a little more energy-efficient? How about changing to Polywood shutters to up your windows’ R-value? Contact us at Sunburst Shutters Sacramento by dialing 916-665-0078 or complete the form below to get your no-cost in-home consultation.

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