Ditch The Cotton Curtains: Cover Sliding-Glass Doors With A Much More Energy-Efficient Alternative

These days, with rising heating and cooling costs, homeowners are constantly on the lookout for things that will make their homes more energy-efficient, all without limiting the comfort and well-being of the home's occupants. If your house has sliding glass doors, you'll know that the large expanse of glass is not conducive to reducing your energy costs, as it will allow the heat through, whether it's summer or winter. You may have already tried to reduce the heat exchange by adding some cotton curtains, but you'll find that these don't really do that much. Now, you can ditch those flimsy drapes and invest in a much more energy-efficient alternative: cellular shades.

This innovative window covering has actually been around since 1985, when it was first introduced as the Duette blind, released by Hunter Douglas. Since then, plenty of other companies have jumped on the trend and produced their own versions of cellular shades. If you take a closer look at the construction of the shades, you'll notice their intriguing honeycomb cells, which are what provide their insulation benefits. They just might be another affordable alternative to running the AC all day in summer. 

According to testing done at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, cellular shades can save around 15% of a home's energy bill when an HVAC system is used for heating and cooling. Thanks to their unique construction, cellular shades can trap the air inside those honeycomb cells to keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter. They work in a similar way to the insulating materials in your ceiling by providing effective insulation over your sliding glass door, and giving you just another way to help reduce your energy costs at home.

Essentially, both hot and cold air that comes through the glass gets trapped within the cellular pockets, so it doesn't enter your home. This additional insular layer also prevents the cool or warm air your HVAC has created from leaking out through the glass. This means your heating and cooling system doesn't need to work so hard to provide your family with the ambient temperature that will keep everyone happy. What's even more beneficial is that these energy-efficient glass coverings are also available in options that cover both room darkening and light filtering, so you can filter out as much of the sunlight as you want without living in the dark during the day. So with all of these benefits, once you've decided that you want to invest in cellular shades, you might want to discover how to best style this timeless window treatment.