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Does your home have temperature fluctuations in certain rooms? Here’s why you should invest in energy efficient cellular shades to help keep energy bills down. Our Graber Perfect-Vue™ Shades are not only gorgeous but also insulate our windows!
My home office (and home gym) is easily the warmest room in our Florida home. For years, it’s been difficult working or exercising in this west-facing, second-story room.
The three main windows face the setting sun, and despite the AC running, planting a shade tree, and applying a UV window film, and closing the blinds in the afternoon, the room is stifling hot even in the wintertime.
The entrance to this room is at the end of a hallway adjacent to the stairs, so as the warm air rises, it goes into the office. As you walk into the office, you’re usually hit by an invisible wall of hot air. Ouch.
So when Graber reached out with information on their energy efficient cellular shades, I said SIGN ME UP in a New York minute.
What are energy efficient cellular shades?
I had never heard of cellular shades before, so when I learned that Graber Cellular Shades insulate your home from window drafts and the sun’s harsh rays, I knew it was exactly what my office needed. And, since they also insulate sounds, maybe now I can stop filming around the lawnscaper’s schedule.
The honeycomb-shaped air-filled cells insulate the window, so your living space (and your energy bill) is protected from the outdoor temperatures. When the rep from All About Blinds in Jacksonville came to measure my windows, he had a sample catalogue where I could touch and see the fabrics available.
It was during this consultation that I could see the honeycombs up close. Because of how hot this room gets, we decided that getting the 1/2″ double-honeycomb-cells made the most sense. Aesthetically, I would have preferred the 3/4″ single cell, but the energy savings was the highest priority.
Why I chose the Graber Perfect-Vue Cellular Shades
When the window treatment expert showed me how the Graber Perfect-Vue Shades worked, I immediately knew they were the right ones. These shades allow you to pick two different fabrics. So, you can have energy efficiency and luxe style. It’s perfect for people like me who like to have their cake and eat it, too.
I got the best of both worlds: style and energy efficiency! The sheer fabric on the top half has a larger pleat, which looks proportionate on taller windows. The double layer of insulation in the cellular portion will help control temperature fluctuations.
Do cellular shades really work?
Since the double cells trap air between them, the heat from the sun can’t make it past them. Likewise, when it’s cold during the winter, the cold temperature is blocked from entering the room thanks to the insulation the double cells provide.
This is what will be saving us money on energy costs in the long run. Many times I had to adjust the thermostat in order to use the treadmill in this room. No more!
Our new cellular shades are the most advanced, energy-saving shade ever. They’re constructed with three layers of patented Tri-Sulation™ insulating fabric. This insulating layer works hard to keep our energy bills low and our home comfortable. No more invisible wall of heat when entering my home office slash home gym. Yay!
Who knows? Maybe I’ll get back into working out in the evenings since it’s not stifling hot.
How to Use the Perfect-Vue
The Graber Perfect-Vue Shades really are four (4) styles in one. The first option is expanding the sheer (top) shade. The second option is expanding the cellular (bottom) shade. The third option is raising the cellular shades halfway, so you have both the sheer and the cellular portions visible.
And the last option is opening them all the way, so no shades are blocking the window. I’d probably only do this on rainy days.
In the morning, the soft light entering my office is made even prettier with the top, light filtering fabric. By lunchtime, the sun is already peeking through. To keep the temperature of the room comfortable as the sun continues to arc across the sky, I raise the Perfect-Vue’s bottom cellular shade with a simple pull of a cord.
After the sun has set behind the pine trees, and to make the most of the remaining hours of daylight, I lower the Graber Perfect-Vue Shades to the sheer upper half. At this point, I can leave the shades as they are.
But, this time of year, I have sun up/sundown electric candles in the windows. I like to raise the cellular shade to dim the lights for bedtime. Our bedroom is down the hall from my office, and the light from those little candle lights travels surprisingly far.
Think you could use energy savings in your home? Learn more about cellular shades here.
