Window treatments can be found in almost any home, often purchased with both visual appeal and privacy in mind. Many homeowners don’t realize, however, that there’s a third perk to window treatments: They keep unwanted heat from the sun out of your home during our long Texas cooling season, saving you energy and dollars each month. But which window treatment is right for you?
Option 1: Awnings And Overhangs
Installing awnings on your windows stops the heat of the sun before it even touches the glass, reducing heat gain by 75 percent. Awnings come in many materials, and the choice you make depends heavily on what you’re looking for in an awning. If you want something sturdy year-round, metal is the way to go. Synthetic cloth awnings, however, can fold away in the winter months when they’re no longer needed.
Try to choose a light-colored material to deflect the most sun, and make sure your awning has some form of ventilation for maximum efficiency.
If you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to build your house from scratch, building roof overhangs over your sunny-side windows can be both better looking and more effective.
Option 2: Blinds
Blinds are the most common window treatment, and for good reason: They’re aesthetically pleasing, not to mention simple to use.
Choosing blinds is choosing flexibility. With a simple turn of your wrist or pull of a string, you can choose the exact amount of light and heat you’re allowing into your home. Blinds effectively cut heat gain by 50 percent. However, most blinds are on the interior of sun-facing windows, which means that some of the heat may still manage to make it into your home.
Option 3: High-Reflectivity Films
These films are extremely effective, but with a catch: They block unwanted summer heat from entering your home, but they also keep the sun’s rays out in the wintertime. If you rely upon solar heat to help warm your home in the winter, this option’s not for you.
For the best advice on window treatments, contact our experts at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating. We proudly serve McKinney, Frisco, Allen and the surrounding areas. (972) 737-5694.
