Window Covering Answers

INSULATING APARTMENT WINDOWS              In my searches to find new ways to improve window treatments that will save energy I found these new videos. It looks like the bubble pack with large bubbles works well and is being used all over the country. Perhaps some manufacturer will find a way to make a blind out of this? Anyway. I keep searching and the world keeps innovating.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sycJwM-w27I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqD5fdEj8t8 http://www.builditsolar.com/index.htm http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-ways-to-insul-37643 And for those of you who are needing another cup of coffee about now... here is another way to save money. A solar design that makes coffee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-8vBJISgZY

How to make a roman blind without sewing. Two professional handymen show us how to make a roman blind without a sewing machine...all the details and equipment needed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWU1w0v6q9Y

One of the bigger problems with big windows is the amount of heat they can generate in the summer. In this youtube video... one creative person and his wife solved the problem for his conservatory roof. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrq17R6lwPE There are many variations on this particular way of providing protection from the sun. Some are called stationary blinds and are put up with velcro attachments. It all works to have a cooler home in the summertime.

Cold Places need warmer windows Just a short note about two companies that have insulated window treatments: Take a look at the link below to see how window quilts can make a difference. http://cozycurtains.com/ Out in Montana, USA  - winter can get really fierce. No matter how great new windows are, they still leak heat through convection and conduction. These insulated shades with magnetic side trim make a real difference in heat retention. Also from Alaska where it gets even colder Check out Wiggy's for insulated fabric to make your own window treatments. http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=187 For those of you with a sewing machine, Wiggy's makes an ultralight fabric that seems to be ideal for really cold weather. Made in Alaska, where it gets really, really cold, this fabric seems ideal for window quilts.  http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=187

Heat Saver Shades For those of you who are interested in a more sophisticated product .  Heat saver shades offer increased R value, claiming over R-8 on double glazed windows.  http://heatsavershades.com/ This blind which looks like a conventional Roman blind, actually runs in a track which effectively increases the dead air space at the window.

The edge of things is always the most interesting place for me. Not inside. Not outside. But the in between places. The places of transition. The places where choices are made to enter. To leave. To explore. To move towards something new or old. To see something new in something old. It is worth exploring the Hespeler Public Library in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Here where the new has captured the old, both are better for it.

The following site has a huge compendium of energy saving tips, gadgets and new ways of looking at old problems. I suspect I will return to this site again and again. There are so many ways of insulating windows and living more comfortably with a smaller energy footprint.  I have not examined the section on window coverings, but I am impressed with the innovative techniques displayed here. http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/conservation.htm#WindowTreatments