Single Cell Window Shades

Sit near a window during fall or winter and what do you notice? The window radiates cold! One method for dealing with this is to install single cell window shades.

Your windows represent penetrations into the thermal envelope of your home. Put another way, they represent the weak spot of your insulation efforts. Double pane windows can help with this, but they are expensive. Most people simply have single pane windows and that means they could be losing 25 percent of their heating each month during the cold periods of the year. Yes, it is that much and few of us can afford to be spending money unnecessarily these days.


One approach to dealing with this problem is the shade. Now, you might be thinking I am talking about those thin blinds or bamboo shades you roll up and down with a string. Sorry, but no. I am talking about either single cell or double cell window shades. These shades are designed to create a barrier that not only locks out sunlight, but creates an insulating barrier that stops heat loss in its tracks.

The single cell window shade is pretty much what the name suggests. It is one solid piece of material that rolls up or down to cover not only the window itself but the indented frame area surrounding it. The shades are made out of honeycombed polymers. This allows the air to be trapped in the honeycombs and create a layer of insulation between the window and interior of the home. The shades can also be purchased in an opaque design that lets light in. Some companies tout exterior mounted shades, but you should avoid them. They don't work well for thermal purposes and the weather will destroy them fairly quickly.



Money Saving Tip

You can actually take things a step further with these shades and save a ton of money. Some companies offer single cell approaches that come with tracks down the sides of the windows. These tracks seal the area where the insulating effect breaks down. In doing so, some of these systems are considered to be so effective that they actually qualify for a tax credit. The tax credit is up to 30 percent of the cost of the system. Tax credits are incredibly valuable because they are applied dollar for dollar to the amount of tax you owe Uncle Sam each year. This means you get roughly double the value of a tax deduction for the same amount depending on what you owe.

Single cell window shades are nearly mandatory if you live in an area with hot and cold seasons. They can save you thousands on utility bills over there expected lifespans.

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