GLOBAL: A guide from Calico Corners to energy efficient draperies and linings

Most homeowners would be shocked to learn that as much as 40% of the heat that escapes a home in winter is lost through the windows.

The best way to prevent drafts and heat loss at the windows is a three-layer window treatment: shade, draperies and valance or cornice, lined and interlined. Here a center-pleat Roman shade, board-mounted valance and pleated draperies in silk completely encase the window to keep the room warmer without turning up the thermostat. All are custom made by Calico Corners -- Calico Home stores to fit the window perfectly.

Layer up! That was the order from my mother to her kids in New England, heading out to play in the snow. Several layers of light clothing keep us warmer than one layer of heavy clothing. And the same is true of a room with layered window treatments.

Why do we feel cold in bare-window rooms in the winter? Because our body heat radiates to these cold windows. Window treatments stop this loss of body heat and make us feel more comfortable without turning up the thermostat.

Taping plastic over your windows will keep cold air out, but there is a way to decrease heat loss without feeling as if you're residing in a Zip-Loc bag. Interlined draperies have heavier pleats and additional fullness in the folds that creates a more luxurious finished look and they also have the greatest resistance to sun and moisture damage. In addition, interlining can baffle street noise and provide a high degree of thermal insulation, really kicking up the R-Value.

Furnaces and air conditioners use more energy than any other systems in your home--and when heat leaks out through the windows, you have to heat more air. At a time when energy costs are soaring and Americans are looking to cut back on energy use, the cumulative effect of layering beautiful window treatments can be an appealing part of the solution.

"Layer up! That was the order from my mother to her kids in New England, heading out to play in the snow," recalls Julie Morris, Custom Labor Manager at the Calico Corners - Calico Home stores. "Several layers of light clothing keep us warmer than one layer of heavy clothing. And the same is true of a room with layered window treatments." Air pockets between the layers create degrees of insulation--the more layers, the more warmth.

The advantage of layered window treatments is that they can be opened and closed to allow solar gain or loss to work for the season, continues Morris. "Why do we feel cold in bare-window rooms in the winter? Because our body heat radiates to these cold windows. Window treatments stop this loss of body heat and make us feel more comfortable without turning up the thermostat."

But style doesn't have to be abandoned when making your house more energy efficient, counsels Morris. "Taping plastic over your windows will keep cold air out, but there is a way to decrease heat loss without feeling as if you're residing in a Zip-Loc bag." The shade and drapery options below are not only practical, they're aesthetically pleasing, too.

A three-layered solution from Calico Corners - Calico Home
Each layer has an R-Value, which measures the ability of that product to resist heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the more effective a product is at insulating and reducing loss of warm or cold air. As a point of comparison, single-pane windows have an R-Value of about 0.9, not very high. Double-pane windows double the R-Value to 1.84. Advanced "low-e" glazings are special window coatings that reduce heat transfer and take the R-Value to about 3.0. As window treatments are layered, R-Values keep increasing. With two or three layers, they'll add up to real energy savings. Here are "Good-Better-Best" ways to use window treatments to help insulate your home.

Good solution (layer 1): Shades
Shades mounted inside window moldings are the first line of defense to minimize convection of either cold or hot air. Custom-made fabric shades (flat roman shades, London shades, balloon shades) will fit perfectly and can be made with thermal linings. Roller shades, especially if "reverse roll mounted," will help, but are minimally effective because they are just a single layer at the window. Kirsch pleated cellular shades (available at Calico) are a good alternative: they trap air within the honeycomb pockets of the shade so little air escapes through the glass. The more opaque the cellular shade, the higher the R-Value; these shades range from R-1.6 for sheer fabrics to about 3.5 for translucent fabrics to 4.0 for opaque fabrics. Calico Corners - Calico Home stores offer 15 shade styles in 4,000+ fabrics, plus 9 Kirsch cellular shades and other hard window treatment choices.

There is a big difference between shades and blinds. Shades are made of a continuous piece of fabric, while blinds are created from slats or vanes (usually wood or metal). Shades are superior insulators compared to blinds, and plantation shutters fall in between. Installing insulating shades is akin to choosing double-pane windows for your home--it's a good long-term investment.

Better solution (layer 2): Draperies over shades
Adding lined floor-length draperies over shades adds further insulation. Drapery panels should return to the wall, fit tightly, and overlap in the center to reduce the convection of air in front of the window. This solution creates three trapped air spaces--each one increasing the level of insulation:

1. Between the shade and the glass
2. Between the shade and the lining of the drapery
3. Between the lining and the decorative face fabric of the drapery

Draperies should be floor-length for energy efficiency. Be sure that draperies do not block heat or air conditioning registers in walls or floor. And finally, make shades and draperies with light-colored linings to reflect summer heat away from the house. Window condensation will also be reduced because the space between the window and the draperies is cooler than the room temperature air. For a primer on linings, see below.

Best solution (layer 3): Add a top treatment over the drapery
Add an upholstered cornice, a pretty valance or other board-mounted top treatment that will cap the drapery. Now air is completely trapped between the floor and the ceiling of the drapery treatment. Cold air will drop to the floor, but be caught behind the folds of the drapery, while warm air is trapped at the top of the window, cutting down on drafts. Calico Corners - Calico Home stores offer 30 board-mounted styles of top treatments.

The Low-Down on Linings
Several of the drapery linings sold at Calico Corners - Calico Home have special features and finishes to increase insulation, including SpecialSuede or Thermalsuede, blackout lining, interlining and bump cloth. Thermalsuede is a medium-weight lining, manufactured with a thin layer of insulating acrylic foam applied to the base fabric. The fabric becomes non-porous and does not allow air to pass between the window and the inside of the room. This is a good choice for medium-weight fabrics that already have good body.

Interlining and bump cloth are flannel-like fabrics that are sandwiched between the exterior lining fabric and the interior decorative fabric (more layers!). They are often used for aesthetic reasons--to enhance a lightweight silk or other drapery fabric, adding body and shape retention. "Interlined draperies have heavier pleats and additional fullness in the folds that creates a more luxurious finished look," notes Morris, "and they also have the greatest resistance to sun and moisture damage. In addition, interlining can baffle street noise and provide a high degree of thermal insulation, really kicking up the R-Value."

The interlinings sold at Calico Corners - Calico Home are double-napped for more shape and the best energy efficiency.   

Blackout linings also provide excellent thermal insulation qualities, in addition to blocking light. These linings feature two or three layers of aerocellular acrylic foam to create an effective barrier to light and noise.

Energy saving tips for the winter
Open and close your window treatments to take advantage of natural warmth. The basic rule is that when outside temperatures are colder, open window treatments during the day and close them at night. The reverse applies to hot climates where the larger concern is keeping cool air inside--close window treatments during the day and open them at night where privacy is not a concern. This will also protect fabrics and furnishings from fading in strong sunlight.

    * South windows
      Open your window treatments for the best hours of sunshine. These windows gain more heat during the day than they lose at night.
    * East and West Windows
      Open the window treatments for the three best hours of sunshine. Solar heat is gained through east windows during morning hours and west windows in late afternoon.
    * North Windows

Open window treatments for sun in the morning or evening. For the most part, north facing windows receive no direct sunlight and lose more heat than they gain.

Calico Corners - Calico Home stores provide expert decorating advice and in-home design consultation in more than 100 stores across the country. They offer high quality custom-made window treatments at prices frequently below ready-mades. Special linings provide added insulation and are superior to options found at most retailers. Consumers will also find thousands of designer fabrics for the home at value prices; window blinds and shades; custom upholstered furniture, plus rugs, lamps, decorative accents and more. Thousands of fabrics are available online.

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