Just saw a news segment about how much energy we lose through windows, especially in older homes. They mentioned some window treatments like cellular shades and thermal curtains that supposedly help keep your heating bills down. Honestly, I never thought curtains could make that big of a difference, but apparently they do. I'm curious if anyone here has tried these energy-saving window coverings—do they actually work, or is it mostly marketing hype?
"Honestly, I never thought curtains could make that big of a difference, but apparently they do."
You're right to be skeptical—there's definitely some marketing fluff out there. But from my experience, certain window treatments genuinely can help. Cellular shades, for instance, have a honeycomb structure that traps air, acting as insulation. I've seen noticeable improvements in older homes where drafts around windows were a big issue. Thermal curtains can also help, but their effectiveness depends heavily on how snugly they fit around the window frame and whether they're properly closed at night.
That said, don't expect miracles—window coverings alone won't slash your energy bill in half or anything. But if you're dealing with noticeable drafts or temperature fluctuations near your windows, they'll probably make things more comfortable and shave off a bit from your heating costs. Have you noticed any drafts or cold spots around your windows currently? That might be a good indicator of how helpful these treatments could be for your situation...
I've tried cellular shades myself, and yeah, they're decent at cutting down drafts. But honestly, I didn't find them as effective as sealing up the windows properly in the first place. A few years back, my old place had some pretty noticeable cold spots near the windows. I spent ages messing around with thermal curtains and honeycomb blinds before finally just re-caulking and weatherstripping everything—made way more difference than any curtain ever did.
Don't get me wrong, window coverings can help a bit with comfort levels, especially if your windows aren't terrible to start with. But if you're really feeling drafts or temperature swings, I'd say tackle the root cause first (gaps, cracks, poor seals) before dropping cash on fancy shades. Plus, once you've sealed things up properly, you can pick window treatments based purely on looks rather than worrying about insulation value...