THE ENERGY-EFFICIENT ANSWER - FROM HUNTER DOUGLAS WINDOW FASHIONS:
It’s a simple scientific fact: heat moves towards cold. In warmer months, heat moves toward the windows of an air-conditioned home so that more than 50 percent of the heat entering an interior comes through the windows. In winter months, it’s drawn to the cold glass of windows to escape a home. Experts calculate that almost 40 percent of all heat inside a home is lost this way. In addition to being fashionable, highly functional and operable at the touch of a button, window fashions from Hunter Douglas can protect against this heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, while heating and cooling costs by as much as 25 percent.
The energy-efficient answer
In 1985 Hunter Douglas created the first highly energy-efficient window coverings – Duette® honeycomb shades – made with soft, yet durable fabrics pleated into hexagonal cells that offer an added layer of insulation at the window.
The concept for Duette shades was developed during the energy crisis of the late 1970s when Wendell Colson, now Senior Vice President of Product Development for Hunter Douglas, was a young architect and inventor in Massachusetts. “One night as I was shivering in bed, a double curtain came together in a regular folding pattern, capturing air between those folds in a honeycomb-like configuration,” said Colson. “I saw this vertically, but I thought if we put it together horizontally you would have a highly energy-efficient treatment because air would literally be trapped in the honeycomb cells.”
Today, Duette shades are available in single, double and triple honeycomb layers and a multitude of fabric and hardware options. Duette shades in the Phenomena™ fabric with three layers of honeycomb pleats block 76 percent of solar heat from entering a home and in winter, more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window, and increase the efficiency of a single pane of glass by over five times. They are the most energy-efficient nationally branded window coverings on the market. No other manufacturer boasts a triple honeycomb design. And now the most comprehensive offering of honeycomb shades on the market has even more varieties to select from. In honor of its 20th anniversary this year, Hunter Douglas has added a significant line extension built around its proprietary 1 ¼-inch pleat size, which speaks to the trend for larger-scale window coverings. This line extension includes two new fabrics and three lifting system extensions, including PowerRise® battery powered remote control motorization on the 1¼-inch pleat fabrics, an ideal option for large windows, especially for bedrooms and media rooms where sound and light control are high priorities.
The UV-protection story
Ultraviolet light is often called “the invisible enemy” as it is the invisible component of the sun’s radiation and can be extremely damaging. Ultraviolet literally means “beyond the
violet” in the visible spectrum of light. It enters the house as sunlight but will eventually fade
floors, furniture, upholstery and drapery fabrics, carpeting and valuable artwork. With prolonged sun exposure, natural, undyed fabrics typically become yellowed. Later, fibers will weaken, making furnishings look old and worn before their time.
The right Hunter Douglas window covering can block up to 99 percent of UV rays. Look for a “% UV blockage” rating. The higher a product’s rating, the better the home’s interior is protected from UV rays. Featuring rotating fabric vanes suspended between sheer panels, Silhouette® window shadings offer up to 99 percent protection when the fabric vanes are closed. When the vanes are open, however, Silhouette shadings still offer a generous 65 percent protection against UV rays, thanks to the sheer fabric panels, without compromising the light or view – something more traditional products can’t do.
A similar product to Silhouette shadings which is oriented vertically and also offers superior UV-ray protection, Luminette® Privacy Sheers consist of a sheer fabric facing with rotating fabric vanes attached to the rear for varying degrees of privacy and light control.
Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada. Headquartered in Upper Saddle River N.J., the company is the leading manufacturer of custom window coverings in North America.