HOW TO SAVE UP TO 25% ON HEATING COSTS THIS WINTER

Duette® honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas stop heat loss, may earn energy
tax credit

Just Right Blinds, Wheaton, IL . . . As the temperature drops to single digits and below, shivering homeowners learn the hard way that frosty window surfaces draw out lots of heat. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that indoor heat escaping through cold window glass accounts for 10 to 25 percent of home heating bills.

A cost effective and green solution is to install energy efficient window treatments with a high insulating R-value. R-value measures an item’s resistance to heat flow, so a high R-value window covering will keep heat inside, helping homeowners stay more comfortable without cranking up the thermostat.

“An R-value of 4.8 will more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window, and will nearly quadruple the efficiency of a single pane of glass,” says Todd Zimmerman, owner of Just Right Blinds, a Hunter Douglas distributor in Wheaton, IL. “Hunter Douglas offers a 3-layer Duette honeycomb shade with a 4.8 R-value, making it one of the most energy efficient window coverings on the market. These shades have been shown to protect against heat passing through windows by as much as 76 percent.”

To understand how the Duette’s pleated honeycomb design holds in heat, picture the difference between a flat piece of fabric and a multi-layered, three-dimensional fold. That’s exactly what young architect and inventor Wendell Colson did while enduring a winter night in Massachusetts during the depths of the 1970’s energy crisis. “As I was shivering in bed, a double curtain came together in a folding pattern with a honeycomb-like configuration, capturing air between the folds,” says Colson, now Senior VP of Product Development for Hunter Douglas. “I saw this vertically, but I thought if we put it together horizontally you would have a highly energy-efficient treatment because air would literally be trapped in the honeycomb cells.”

Certain Hunter Douglas Duette honeycomb shades may also qualify for the federal energy tax credit of up to $1500. “Homeowners need to save their original product purchase receipts,” says Zimmerman of Just Right Blinds, “and go to the Hunter Douglas website for more information and manufacturer’s certification statements that they can provide for their tax professional.”

In addition to saving energy costs and providing a possible green tax credit, Hunter Douglas Duette shades are available in a wide variety of colors, fabrics and hardware options, as well as in single, double and triple honeycomb layers. Shades are anti-static, dust and stain resistant and virtually maintenance free, plus they are backed by a limited lifetime warranty. “You can make your home warmer this winter, save on heating costs, and enjoy a fashionable addition to your home décor,” says Zimmerman. “It’s a great package of benefits in a single product.”

Just Right Blinds provides free in-home consultation, free measurements and free installation for blinds and shutters. Call Todd Zimmerman at 630-292-3756 or visit www.JustRightBlinds.vpweb.com.