White and beige living room with white polywood shutters above a white couch.

The R-Value Of Shutters And Other Window Treatments In Las Vegas

June 23, 2022

Energy conservation might be a huge want for your windows. With an inefficient treatment, you could feel air coming through and heat loss, which leads to higher energy bills. To get the best energy-efficient window coverings, you need to find out their R-values.

But what window treatments get the highest R-value in Las Vegas?

What’s A Window Treatment’s R-Value in Las Vegas?

White polywood shutters in a white bedroom.

Everything in your residence that plays a part with insulation -- from siding to your windows -- is assigned an R-value. Those digits lets you know how well an item hinders thermal energy from flowing through it. A higher R-value indicates a more effective insulator.

But why should you care about a window treatment’s R-value in Las Vegas? Well, because your windows are one of the biggest heat loss areas in the home. If you have to keep in the heat during the cold seasons or keep your rooms comfortable in the warm times, you will need a window treatment with greater insulation. A window treatment with a big R-value allows you to keep your house at the set temperature.

Window Covering R-value Comparison Chart

Every window treatment is not made with the same care, and therefore different coverings will have different r-values. Though there might be a bit of variation from the materials and craftsmanship between makes and models, below is what you’re probably to see when comparing window treatments.

Window Covering	Average R-Value
No window treatment	0.75 - 1
Aluminum blinds	1.5 - 2
Window shades	2.5
Draperies	2 - 3
Real wood Shutters	3 - 4
Honeycomb Shades	4.5
Polywood® Plantation Shutters	>6

Source: R-values from Energy.gov and HouseLogic.

Keep in mind, the larger the R-value the more energy-efficient the window treatment. It shouldn’t be a shock that store-bought mini-blinds, which use thin aluminum, offer almost no energy-saving value when put up against a more substantial covering, like Polywood plantation shutters. That large span in R-value can be seen in a difference of several degrees – enough to make an impact on your decision to change the temperature and make your energy bills rise.

What Are The Factors In A Window Treatment’s R-Value In Las Vegas?

Light gray cellular shades inside a white and rustic styled living room.

A couple of things affect a window covering's R-value: form and substance. To start with, coverings that have an ample amount of paths for heat loss won’t own a substantial R-value. For example, curtains and blinds don’t firmly cover the window, allowing heat to leak out around the sides of the covering. However, interior shutters are custom-made snuggly around the window pane, trapping air against the window when the louvers are shut.

Add that with the materials the covering is made out of can also bring a significant bump in R-value. Take cell shades, which feature several engineered layers of fabric designed to trap hot air. As a result, they can hinder air disbursement more efficiently than coverings like pleated shades. Likewise, our Polywood louvered shutters, built from a impenetrable faux wood composite, can trap heat more than hard wood shutters. Polywood shutters also has weatherstripping, which makes a air-tight seal on your window when the louvers are snapped shut.

Improve Your House’s R-value In Las Vegas

Does it feel like your home could be a tad bit more energy-efficient? How about installing durable Polywood shutters to increase that R-value? Contact us today by dialing 702-850-6619 or submitting the form below to get a free in-home consultation.

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