Windows and window dressings have a long and interesting history in homes and buildings.
It was a gamble to place any opening in the thermal envelope centuries ago when increased exposure to changing weather and loss of security were genuine risks.
Narrow horizontal slits covered in oilskins were often used more to fend off potential attacks than to allow enjoyment of the landscape.
Placing glass windows on all four sides of a house was an acknowledgement of our prosperity in the late 1800s, but it came at a cost: literally. As recently as 1929, Sears advertised SealAir storm windows claiming they could save 30% on your annual heating demand of 10 tons of coal at $90 per year.
Steel frames and sashes made it possible to incorporate large, ventilating windows in factories and homes.
Then, in the 1980s, we began minimizing windows in home designs due to the threat of global cooling and installing insulated Roman shades to retain heat while exploring various new technologies including one that used expanded polystyrene beads blown between panes of glass in the evening, then evacuated the space at sunrise to allow the view.
Indeed, windows and window dressings have come a long way in the past 40 years.
Frame, glass, and coatings technology combined with improved installation techniques and code modifications have allowed us to once again design homes with walls of glass, but window dressings are just now catching up.
Curtains and window valances have been a costly adornment in higher-end homes for many decades, but owners today have become very design, health, and value-conscious when choosing window treatments that are not merely dust collectors installed to impress.
A window’s general purpose is to enhance design, allow access to views, provide natural light and ventilation, and subconsciously expand indoor living areas. Higher-end window units will also provide additional sound control.
Window treatments should allow all of those functions while helping to regulate heat loss or gain, provide needed privacy, assist with sound control and not denigrate indoor air quality issues.
How do you provide all of these features to a value-minded consumer?
According to Tanya Strait, at family-owned Sparkle Blinds serving Macomb and Oakland counties, the key is providing top-end product choices while minimizing overhead costs and providing a personalized service.
Strait and her colleagues conduct free, in-home, consultations for busy clients where they can demonstrate the work of local fabricators in wood and vinyl blinds, cloth blinds and shades, solar and roller-type shades, verticals, and more.
Blinds can be corded, cordless or even motorized with remote controls.
This unique business model also provides zebra shades and on-site window treatment cleaning services.
For the uninitiated like yours truly, zebra shades are also known as banded, or transition, shades and they are all the rage. In Strait’s words, they are a high-quality light filtering shade made of one continuous loop of solid and sheer fabrics. The fabric is made of horizontal stripes that alternate between solid and sheer shades.
Homeowners have come to enjoy that zebra shades lay flat to the surface and require minimal to no-dust maintenance when compared to other types of shades.
Roller shades, for both commercial and residential applications, are also trending. Made with high-quality commercial-grade materials with stainless steel mechanics, they can be installed on outdoor gazebos and patios as well as conventional indoor windows in homes and businesses.
They come with various light gradients that a buyer can choose from.
Shutters have also become popular since they can be made to fit any window shape, allow for great light and privacy control, and enhance energy efficiency.
Quality windows enhance a home’s beauty and enjoyment. Quality window treatments can not only improve window performance but can truly customize the living experience.
Make sure that you choose a professional to help you make those choices. Professionals like those you will find at Insideoutsideguys.com.
For more advice, listen to the Inside Outside Guys every Saturday and Sunday on AM760-WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact us at insideoutsideguys.com.
