Suppose you are like the hordes of your compatriots who are also deeply consumed with the problem of selecting a decorative window treatment as a DIY project. You’ve evaluated the myriad of options and are wondering which type works best with your decor and which type is the easiest to make. You may be wondering if your final product will look “professional” when complete. By narrowing down your options, you’ve trimmed the list down to include roman shades. Good choice!! But let me make the decision a bit more complex.

At the risk of sounding too technical (skip this paragraph if you want), let me introduce you to some energy conservation concepts. The windows are part of a group of openings through the walls that architects call fenestrations. For our purposes, we will call them windows. Windows present a significant opportunity to reduce energy costs, as they are probably the most significant source of heat gain or loss after the usual wall and roof insulation and waterproofing improvements are implemented. Why is this? Simply because glass is not a good insulator. Sure, with modern window improvements, including multi-pane glass, windows are now more efficient than ever, if you have new windows. But a very good insulating window can have a “U” value of 0.25 or even less. And what is a “U” value? It is a measure of the amount of heat that will pass through a substance; in our case the window. Most of us are more familiar with the term “R” value as we see it associated with regular insulation. The R value is simply the inverse of the U value (U = 1/R) or R=1/U. So if we take the U value of .25 and equate it to an R, it would be 4. Pretty good, but nowhere near the R 19 and R 30 we’re used to hearing about. For comparison, single pane glass has an R-value of about 1. Adding a storm window brings it to about 2.

Let’s go back to our problem. When considering any type of decorative window treatment, why not also think about increasing the R-value of the overall window treatment system? Any covering over the window will increase the R value. Even simple sheer fabrics will help. The blinds, on the other hand, can be opened or closed as needed to control privacy and sunlight. They not only insulate, but allow isolation management. Cover the window whenever you want. Open the blinds when it is best to do so.

Insulated roman blinds take the concept one step further. By incorporating additional insulation layers, the R-value of this “mobile insulation” can be increased to 4 or more. The interesting thing is that this is achieved without loss of appearance and since the insulating layers protect the decorative layers, they last longer. Perhaps of equal interest to the DIYer is that the structure provided by the insulating layers reduces the number of components required to make the screen. The insulated roman blind can be simpler and quicker to make.

What about the cost? The insulating layers add some cost, but this is offset by the reduced number of other components needed. I would say they are easier, faster and cost less. However, this would be to ignore the values ​​of conservation of energy. Insulated roman blinds can be so energy efficient that they can have a very reasonable “payback” period. In other words, the money saved by reducing energy use can pay for the shade. A typical payback period is 4 to 7 seven years. As a DIY project, this payback time can be significantly reduced.

They would deliver me if I did not mention one more point – comfort. Have you ever noticed that when she sits in a room on a cold winter night she gets chills? This happens even if the indoor temperature does not change. In part it is due to a phenomenon known as radiant heat loss. Heat flows from a hot body to a cold body. If you are the warm body and the window is the cold body, you lose body heat to the window even if the room temperature remains the same. Covering the window with an insulating Roman shade significantly reduces the chill effect of an uncovered window.

In the summer or in warmer climates, the opposite is true. Solar radiation can penetrate even the best windows and raise the interior temperature. We usually make up for this by running the air conditioning. Of course at a cost. However, insulated roman blinds can effectively reduce solar radiation heat gain and conserve energy.

So, think about all the advantages of insulated roman blinds. I bet they won a lot of points in your decision process.