Please note: Everyone has permission to use this article. Please be kind and reference www.shadesshuttersblinds.com and Lawren Gournay People talk daily on eco friendly cars, homes and business’s but has anyone discussed eco friendly blinds? There are several blinds on the market today that are not only green in production but also in energy efficiency. This article will discuss the most popular of the eco friendly window blinds, the honeycomb or cellular shades. Wendell Colson with Hunter Douglas invented honeycomb shades in the 1970’s. It is an operable shade that goes up and down like a regular blind but with a huge difference. It looks just like a bees hive. It has been the biggest invention in the blinds market since the popular mini blind. The beauty of the cellular construction like a bee’s hive is its enormous energy efficiency. It can save $100’s of dollars per year in electric usage. In the blind industry, the R-Value rates energy efficiency. The R-Value is simply a measurement of a product’s ability to keep heat and cold out. Higher R-value numbers will retain more indoor warmth. An R-value of a 4.00 will prevent about 75% of heat loss through the window*1. A typical blind has an R-value of around 3.5 but the honeycomb blind starts out at around 4.5 R-value. That is around 80% heat blockage from just one window and a 99% blockage of the sun’s harmful UV rays. Hunter Douglas not only invented the cellular blind but also perfected it in several eco friendly ways. First, with its superior fabric design, the R-value can go as high as a 7.73. This is important because this R-value is greater than most replacement windows and less than a third of the cost. Secondly, although the fabric is sometimes made of polyester, the life span of this shade can last well over 20 years. Hunter Douglas is also the innovator in fabric friendly honeycomb blinds. They introduced the Applause Puressence in late 2005. It has no glues and is made of 100% cotton. The fabric looks cool to the touch and is still energy efficient. The next article on eco friendly blinds will about wooden blinds. All information can be found at www.shadesshuttersblinds.com.
Lawren Gournay is the owner of <a href="http://www.shadesshuttersblinds.com">Shades, Shutters and Blinds</a>, a leading online seller of blinds and other window treatments.
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