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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are Cellular shades considered green?
One of the best ways to help our environment is to reduce energy waste. Using fewer resources to heat or cool your home reduces your carbon footprint.
In many areas of the country, including from Vermont to Washington DC every shade that you install in your home will save you about $15/sq ft of glass covered in heating costs. Think of how much that saves in energy consumption!
According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development 80-85% of the total energy consumption and CO2 emissions of a building comes from the occupants heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water use. Cellular shades curb that consumption.
- How do cellular shades save energy?
Cellular shade fabric is made up of honeycomb shaped cells that trap air. This creates an insulating layer on the window. So in the winter your warm heated air will stay in your house while the cold air coming through the window is stopped by the shades. In the summer the reverse happens.
- Are all cellular fabrics the same?
Emphatically NO! Although cell size can vary and this affects insulating efficiency, the most important difference is in how the basic fabric is made.
All cellular fabrics are created from the same principle - a non-woven array of polyester fiber, but the construction of the fabric can vary greatly. There are two ways to create this array of fiber:
A. Bonded polyester- you can think of as being made from a process similar to paper. Bonded polyester is less porous reducing that flow through. Futhermore, our bonded fabric is sealed on both sides to stop that flow through leaving particulates lying on the surface where they are shaken off when the shade is activated and if necessary are easier to wash off.
B. Spun lace- you can think of this polyester as being made similar to cotton candy. Spun lace is a soft open weave that air can pass through depositing particulates in that air within the web of the fabric. Think of it like your car’s air filter. This reduces the insulating value and the shade becomes “grungy” looking faster and is more difficult to clean.
If you have samples of the fabric you can easily differentiate by pouring coffee or soda on the fabric to see if it penetrates or runs off and how easily the stain is removed.
- Are Cellular shades organic?
No, Cellular cellular shades are not organic. The fabric is polyester, the headrail and bottom rail are metal, the cording is nylon and the brackets are stainless steel. All these elements are recyclable BUT there are dyes and glues in the fabric, which render them unrecyclable. But the saving and impact the shades make in terms of energy saving without question makes them an environmentally sound product made right here in the USA. The expected life cycle of an Cellular shade is so long that the whole recycling issue is academic because the shades stay out of the landfill far longer than their cheaper counterparts.
- Does Hardware make a difference?
Although a great deal of attention is typically given to the fabric when evaluating shades you also need to look at the hardware as that is what will give you durable, trouble free operation.
Broken cords are the most common point of failure. If this stems from operational wear, it stems from a combination of how the cord is locked down, friction created within the cord lock and inadequate cord design and strength.
Our Discount Cellular shades excel. Our cord lock mechanism is robust and positive but does not have steel teeth that unnecessarily abraid the cord. We use a Delrin force distribution bearing that reduces friction and our 1.2mm cord is tightly woven with a break strength 63% higher than most competition.
- What happens if my shades get out of level?
That can be a problem requiring a repair (usually a return to the factory) to be corrected. With Discount Window Sahdes self- leveling system you can do this easily yourself just by pulling the shade to its full upright position, now that’s smart!
- Does it matter where the shades are made?
In terms of carbon footprint it is important to buy from an American company. We buy our parts from New York and all fabrication is done in Vermont so you know that you’re buying an American product.
Just as importantly as where your shades are made is HOW your shades are made. We are very proud of our Vermont fabricators. Our attention to quality control is unmatched. With VERY low turn over our fabricators, have many years of experience so they know what makes a great shade. They sign every shade so you’ll know exactly who made your shade and that it has passed a full inspection. With Discount Window Shades you get the very best craftspeople working with the very best in raw materials.
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DiscountWindowShades.com offers discount window shades and blinds direct from our factory at the lowest price guaranteed. Energy saving cellular window shades are available in our Budget Single Cell Shades and Best Double Cell Shades. Easy-care, easy to install, insulating cellular honeycomb shades cut heating and air conditioning costs, saving you money on your home energy costs. Our "generic", non-branded window shades are made in the USA.
Please contact us with questions or comments. service@DiscountWindowShades.com. Toll Free: 877-326-7557
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