Are you feeling it already? The heat of summer in the afternoon is already rearing its exhausting temperatures. Today, we are sharing three reasons your home is heating up–and which energy efficient window treatments will keep your home cool.
What Is Heat Transfer?
There are three ways the sun heats up your home through your windows. When you hear your AC continually running, it’s most likely due to the heat gain that results from these types of heat transfer.
Radiant Heat: You can’t feel the heat as it moves through the air, but follow the light. When it finally rests on a surface, that’s when you’ll feel it. Your pets will show you these spots–often called hot spots. Pets commonly find these areas and cuddle up fir a nap. The problem? It doesn’t just remain there–once objects like walls and flooring heat up, the surrounding area gets hot, and suddenly the whole room feels exhausting.
Convection: This is best explained as exterior moving air influencing interior air. The wind carries heat to cool windows on hot days. It also carries heat away from windows on cooler days. (This is where you’ll need insulating properties!)
Conduction: Heat transfer occurs through solid objects, like a spoon in hot tea–the top of the spoon doesn’t stay cool because it’s out of the tea, it gradually heats up because of heat conduction. When the exterior of window glass heats up on a hot day, the interior is also influenced to heat up.
The last thing you’ll want to do is to leave your windows bare. Even windows with a high R-value can bring light in, allow surfaces to heat up and create an exhausting atmosphere. Many of our window shades, even without specialty insulating properties, have characteristics that help keep your home cool in summer. Let’s explore what’s possible.
Do Window Treatments Help Avoid Heat Gain?
Absolutely. Heat transfer results in heat gain, and during the hot Florida summers, it’s the last thing you need. It’s important to put a thermal barrier between the interior and exterior air.
Yes. Heat gain is the result of heat transfer. It’s the exhausting temperatures you feel inside your home, even when it’s closed up with the AC running. Providing a barrier between the exterior air and the interior air will help. Window coverings can also stop the radiant heat by stopping the sun from shining into the space at all. If you notice in the above photo, the floor to ceiling windows let in sunshine that extends throughout the room. Every surface with sunshine is going to heat up, gradually heating the surrounding air.
Energy Saving Shades with Topnotch Design
One of the best energy efficient shades on the market, Honeycomb Shades have won industry awards for performance. They create a barrier to block entering light, can reflect light back outside the window, and trap air inside the cellular pockets. If you want comfort, these window shades will deliver!
Next up, we’ve got one of the newest innovations in home energy efficient window coverings. The Sonnette collection combines the cellular shades that maintain comfort with the simple rolling operation of roller shades. Talk about a truly incredible design. Trap air at the window, enjoy a barrier of insulation that also blocks the Florida sunlight. But, these shades roll up out of the way to show off your beautiful view!
A chart topper for generations, custom drapery adds beautiful design, not just enhancing the look of the window, but tailoring the atmosphere. Certain fabrics do a better job of protecting the interior of your home, and added details like liners work wonders. Our window covering designers know just how to bring together the beauty and function you need when living here in Florida because we live here, too!
We couldn’t talk about ways to keep your home cool with window treatments without mentioning shutters. Yes, shutters. Even with the louvers opened up, the air flow is cut down, as the windows are framed in place, creating an area that reduces the flow. Direct the light up out of your eyes and onto the ceiling when it’s really bright and hot. That allows you to illuminate the ceiling while also reducing the chance for hot spots.
Always a favorite, roman shades have many superpowers. Among them, saving energy! The folds of fabric create the barrier you need to insulate your windows, blocking sunshine at the same time. Many roman shades can be outfitted with the white or neutral liner to prevent additional light from entering, as well as reflecting the bright sun back outside.
Would you normally see sheer shades on a list of “energy efficient” shades? Probably not. But, now that you are up-to-date on how the temperature fluctuates, guess what they CAN do. They diffuse heavy direct light, reducing the chance of hot spots developing, which is a leading cause of that “stuffy” feeling in your home. They also reflect the rays back outside while softening incoming light, which means they block those harsh rays that zap your energy. The light is pleasant, and the temperature is that much easier to maintain.
Want to Keep Your Home Cool? Give Us a Call!
There are a few reasons your home might be heating up, and in order to determine which issues are affecting your home, we need more information. One way we find out details is by visiting your home during the free design consult. This allows us to chat with you, listen to your concerns and see the windows in person. Then, we can show you some of the best options for covering windows. The At Home Blinds & Decor window covering specialists would love to work with you to solve your most challenging issues! Let’s get started today.