Everybody knows bay windows are beautiful. However, when it comes to buying treatments for them, there’s an issue that can make us go nuts: the curvature of the windows. If you have those bay windows that form an angle between the glass panes, that’s perfect, you can get any type of blinds you like, because the shape is given by the ceiling tracks. You don’t need curved tracks, but segmented ones, as each window will have it’s own shade, separate from the others.

The funniest part is the one in which you have curved windows, or in which the angle between two of them is almost 180 degrees. In such cases, you’ll want to have a treatment that spreads all over the three windows, in one single piece. Victorian bay windows featuring that well-known cupola are also a big challenge for interior designers. Cellular shades are great in such situation, because they have a narrow headrail, which is easy to mount in a very small space. Cellular and honeycomb shades mean the same thing, they are synonymic terms to define a special material which offers a very high R-value, therefore being very good thermal insulators. The main idea is to offer a protective barrier against the cold air drafts that tend to move towards the center of the room, thus resulting in a temperature decrease and in more energy consumption for maintaining a stable climate inside your home.

As bay windows have a big glass surface, installing cellular shades is one of the best ideas to keep your bedroom warm during cold weather, while lowering your energy bills.

One of the most often raised questions when it comes to window treatments energy eficiency is which ones are better: thermal curtains or cellular blinds. The answer can’t be given just like that, because there are many factors to be taken into consideration when doing this estimation.

In the first place, the main comparison factor is the R-value, which is an index of how efficient the thermal insulation is. There are ways to measure it, but when buying window coverings, most of the times, the r-value is supplied by the manufacturer. However, this value alone is not enough. For instance, if your thermal insulating curtain has a very good R-value, but you omit to install it like indicated in the instructions, you’ll lose some efficiency. If you don’t want to attach the curtian sides to the walls with magnets or tracks because you don’t want to stick anything on the walls, the r-value will be lower than the one given by the manufacturer, because the cold air drafts will form and will circulate towards the center of the room.

With cellular or honeycomb shades, the story is the same: you need to make sure that you follow the installation instructions if you want to take advantage to the full of their insulating properties.

Last but not least, old style windows are less energy efficient than modern ones, which are double glazed and have a special gas between the two sheets of glass, thus providing superior thermal insulation.

Most of you probably know and like those large sliding glass doors that can make an interior look so elegant. However, big glass panes pose a question in what privacy is concerned, as they are difficult to cover without spoiling their effect.

Here’s a brief overview on the most important two features of sliding glass doors window treatments:

1. The window covers shouldn’t obstruct the smooth sliding of the doors on their trails. This means that you won’t be able to use additional supports for the coverings at the half distance. Moreover, the two windows need to still be able to overlap when opened, so the window treatments need to be very thin and placed close to the door itself.
2. The coverings have to fully retract when needed. This is important, because otherwise, why spend so much money on installing those fancy sliding doors, if nobody can see them from behind their coverings?

With these taken into consideration, we can easily come to the conclusion that roller shades can be the ideal treatment for such windows. Another interesting option are the Japanese rice paper overlapping panels. They are elegant and they can be easily matched with other interior design accessories like lamps, napkins or carpets. Bamboo blinds are also a very nice choice, for a natural look and feel of your interiors.

Before buying, you could take advantage of the free advice given by many window blinds manufacturers or retailers. The shop assistants can guide you through your purchase, in order to help you make the best selection for your interior. Most of the times, this consultancy comes free of charge and doesn’t force you into buying from the respective shop if you decide not to do it.

It seems like the whole world is turning against wasting resources, therefore most of us are trying to cut unneccesary expenses in our homes. One example is electric power. We simply pay too much for our consumption. If we only this at all those appliances that are on “Stand By” position, we realize that by shutting them off completely we could save some energy. Maybe one person or one house hod mdoesn’t matter too much, but when we add millions of homes, the result can be dramatic.

Another important chapther where households throw money on the window, is the window itself. How well are your windows insulated? Do they provide an r-value high enough for keeping the warm air inside your home in an efficient way?

Thermal insulated curtains, cellular shades and other special window treatments can be very efficient when we talk about those old windows, with only one layer of glass. Modern windows, made of double glass layers and with modern carpentry and insulation will be temperature-efficient regardless the type of shades you choose. This is not the case with windows from the last century: those ones can be improved a lot by adding either a special curtsain in front of them or by using the so-called cellular shades. On the outside, these cellular shades look very much like ordinary ones, but their material has a honeycomb structure which makes it retain air and provide a better insulating layer for your windows.

In order to make sure your cellular blinds act like a thermal barrier, their size is very important: the shade must exceed the glass area on all edges. May the b est idea is to call a specialized shades and blinds company like Hunter Douglas or Bali, or other such manufacturers, and tell them what your requirements are. They will surely know how to advise you for the better.

Bali cellular shades are beyond any doubt some of the best possible blinds out there. Besides the fact that cellular window shades are known for their resistance and protection they offer, Bali brings a plus of expertize and tradition in blinds manufacturing, making you sure that you made the best buy ever for your window treatments.

Where To Buy Bali Cellular Shades

Bali cellular shades are to be found at all Bali distributors, so you won’t have a hard time in finding them. Before you make the purchase, you need to do some research. for example, why not buy cordless cellular shades, if you are determined to spend that kind of money anyway? Besides, there are many brands of shades available, so you may want to pay a visit to a few websites such as levelor, kirsch, comfortex or graber.
Top down bottom up cellular shades can give you an unexpected level of comfort, thanks to the room darkening effect which can create a romantic atmosphere, or allow you to do movie projections in your very home. Cheap cellular shades can make a great option for decorative house shutters if you really don’t have the money for Bali cellular shades, but whatever you may choose, you need to know that cellular blinds are not like bamboo blinds or wood blinds. Each of these types of shades has its own advantages and drawbacks, so always think twice before you buy.

And you know what? I still insist that cordless cellular blinds are the best.

Window blinds, or shades, can be made of different materials, from wood to vinyl, from bamboo to various fabrics. There are differences at the level of manufacturing technology and profile design. For example, an optimum section design from the energy-saving point of view is the cellular one, which can save us important amounts of money by reducing the energy bills. This is one of the advantages I’ve read about the Bali cellular shades. Believe it or not, I tend to think that there is some degree of truth in there, if I remind how big my bills were before installing such shades at all my windows. This was not cheap, but a rough calculation shows that I’m going to break even in about 3-4 years. After that, my blinds would even bring me profit, if we think like that about our savings.

Cellular shades are maybe the most efficient from energetic point of view, due to their honeycomb design which conserves energy and provides a level of insulation not equaled by other window treatments. The measure of the insulation level is the R-value, and it can vary according to the size of the cells cellular shades are composed from. There are many producers of cellular shades and blinds, but one of the most known is Bali Blinds, with their cool and elegant materials and shapes, the innovative and efficient blinds to go being amongst the most preferred by customers of all ages. It is normal to prefer a company which cares about its clients, a company which has well trained staff, ready to help you in case you want to install your window treatments by yourself.