"Jason" wrote in message
...
I have insulated double honeycomb cellular shades installed in houses
in Florida and Massachusetts. In both houses, there was a noticeable
difference in the temperature once the shades were installed. The
double honeycomb design keeps the AC in in Florida, and the cold out,
in Massachusetts. So yes, spend the money on good, insulated
honeycomb shades with the highest e-value rating you can find. Cheap
honeycomb shades that aren't rated for insulation value (without a
posted e value) are probably nothing more than decorative, though.

HTH,

Donna



Hi Donna,

Thanks for your response. What did you have in the windows before the
cellular shades?

Ummm... let me think. In Florida, we had roll-down shades and sheers.
In Massachusetts we had those narrow vinyl miniblinds, mostly. If it
helps, both houses have mid-range double-paned high r-value windows, so the
energy loss wasn't remarkable to begin with. But adding the cellular
shades definitely made a difference in both cases. For both houses, we
went through empire carpets for the blinds. You won't save any money that
way, but they do a nice job of installing, and the shades that they sell are
excellent quality (hunter douglas). The largest shade that we had made
for the 8x10 slider in the Florida house is now going on seven years (three
years of use by tenants, no less) and has held up beautifully. Not a single
problem. So I have to recommend Hunter Douglass.

HTH,

Donna