October 30, 2008
by Christine Brun/Creators News Service Wednesday October 29, 2008, 3:50 PM
Hard times are giving new meaning to Kermit the Frog’s famous lament, “It’s not easy being green.”
SMALL, STYLISH CHANGES
There are small changes, some even stylish, we can make that will have a significant environmental benefit. It just so happens that nearly 5 percent of all energy consumed in the United States is lost through the windows of our homes.
“Effectively designed window coverings can cut that consumption in half,” Lobosco says.
What homeowners need to appreciate is that the more control they can achieve over natural light, the better they can manage energy consumption
For example, people with windows facing the rising or setting sun can employ solar energy during chilly weather to help keep warm. The right shades will open to let in solar radiation during the day and then close to trap warm air at sunset when days turn chilly.
Conversely, a window treatment that can be drawn closed before the summer sun starts to shine into windows can help keep rooms cool. Options are truly endless and many are inexpensive.
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October 28, 2008
A simple solution to improve drafty rooms is to layer high R-rated fabrics and materials over or under existing window coverings. If you already have beautiful custom window fashions in place, how about new, vaned cellular blinds for a layer of heat transfer-stopping beauty. These blinds come in myriad light-controlling densities and color options certain to accent your windows while working hard to save you energy dollars. Other innovative shades and blinds and shutters also offer a vast improvement in heat-retention around your windows, and provide an added layer of beauty as well. Ask me about the incredibly gorgeous, high thermal quality fabrics and linings now available in creating custom draperies for your home. You simply won’t believe that such beautiful materials can also save you money, even in the short term.
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October 12, 2008
I have always had this problem with finding blinds and drapes. You see, I can never quite decide on what I want. Shades are okay, but they tend to get dusty very easily and fade in the sunlight. Blinds, on the other hand, have a pretty dull look to them from the beginning. I think Venetian blinds are great, but I can’t stand that cheap plastic look that so many of them have. I thought I would be doomed to be unhappy with my window coverings forever, but then I discovered bamboo blinds. Now, my decorative issues are solved.
Bamboo has become one of the most popular construction materials in the last few years because of its rich and beautiful color, its durability, and it’s cheapness and availability in many countries. People use it in flooring, in decoration, and in furniture all the time nowadays. I was unaware until recently, however, that you could get bamboo window blinds. I was delighted to find that out. They are gorgeous and extremely practical. Because they are made of slots of wood, bamboo blinds can cover the window almost completely, blocking out most light. Nonetheless, this doesn’t involve a sacrifice of appearance. They are still very attractive, and actually work very well as a decorative element in your room. Best of all, they are quite durable. They don’t fade in sunlight, they don’t get stained easily, and unless you break, them they will last forever.
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October 8, 2008
Shades are window coverings or casings, which sieve and filter the strong sunlight from entering a room and hence, helping it remain cool. Cellular shades or light filtering shades are very artistic and are a visual delight. This is due to their unique honeycomb shape. When the shades are lowered, they afford adequate seclusion to the owner but at the same time allow light to filter in. Many a times these shades are made in wood, so that they act as effective insulators by preventing the cold to enter the rooms.
Cellular shades are accordion-style in shape and light in weight. They are available in soft textured woven or non-woven fabrics as well. The blinds are packed in such a manner as to create their unique cross-sectional shape, which traps air and creates energy efficiency and sound reduction. Cellular shades not only provide solitude but also promote energy savings. This is possible because of the natural light filtering in the room even when the shades are lowered. These shades are assembled out of several sheets of materials and have many linked chambers that form a distinctive honeycomb pattern.
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October 7, 2008
The long horizontal slats are held one above the other by the rungs of window coverings shaped like a ladder. The lower ends of the legs of the window treatments are secured to the long rail under the slats. Their upper ends are attached to the drive rod in the housing, the elongated box above the slats. As the drive rod rotates, one leg of each ladder cord moves up while the other moves down, causing the angle of the slats to change. In one design, this rotation is achieved by pushing up or pulling down on a long handle called a tilt wand connected to the drive rod by a lever. Lift cords along the mini blinds are also attached to the rail. They pass through holes in the slats and into the housing above, where they go over pulleys, combine and exit through the cord lock. For safety it’s important that the lock always work. A downward pull on the main lift cord raises the slats by the cords pulling up the rail below the slats. The cord lock holds the main lift cord to keep the slats up until the cord is pulled to release the lock. The safety lock made the cord lock easier to use.
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June 16, 2008
Motorized window treatments are the largest growing category in the window covering industry. You had to be a millionaire to afford such a luxury product, today House of Window Coverings has taken motorization to the next step by providing a high quality, economical and easy-to-use solution for almost any window covering. Many control options are available including the older technology infra red and the cutting edge radio (RTS). Many control options are available for window coverings for both exterior and interior applications. Control options include: hand-held remote control, wireless, in-wall switches, and timer systems. Timer systems allow you to program your window coverings to raise and lower at preferred times of the day. Imagine waking up in the morning and having the window coverings in your bedroom raise automatically without even thinking about it and lowering at night to provide privacy.
June 4, 2008
Curtains rods are a very important facet of your windows in home building and remodeling. They can either enhance or detract from the look of your windows very easily, so you want to be sure that you choose the right curtain rod and install it correctly.
Curtain Rods Explained
A curtain rod actually consists of three different parts. The first part is the pole that the window coverings goes on. This pole is capped off with finials that go on each end of the pole and all of this is held by brackets that hold the rod to the wall. These parts can be simply functional or they can be detailed to help add a decorative element to your window.
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