When it's -30°C outside, your windows become radiators in reverse — pulling heat out of your home at an alarming rate. The right window treatments act as a thermal barrier, keeping warmth inside where it belongs.
R-value measures resistance to heat flow. Higher = better insulation. Here's how window treatments stack up:
Two layers of hexagonal air pockets create an insulating wall of trapped air. The best balance of performance, cost, and profile thickness. Ideal for bedrooms, living rooms, and any room where you feel the cold.
Maximum insulation for extreme cold. Slightly thicker profile but provides R-5+ when combined with a sealed system. Best for homes in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and other Prairie cities.
Fabric Roman shades with thermal backing combine elegance with function. They insulate well when closed and stack neatly when open for maximum daylight.
The ultimate cold-climate setup: cellular shades for daily insulation plus lined drapes for an extra barrier on the coldest nights. This combination approaches wall-level insulation.
Double-cell or triple-cell honeycomb shades with sealed cassettes and side tracks offer the highest insulation value. They can reduce heat loss through windows by up to 40%.
They can help by keeping the interior side of the window warmer, but very cold windows may still condensate. Proper ventilation and dehumidification are also important.
Yes — in fact, that's where they make the biggest difference. Cellular shades on single-pane windows can improve insulation performance to near double-pane levels.
Single-cell shades add approximately R-2 to R-3. Double-cell shades provide R-3 to R-5. Combined with a standard double-pane window (R-2), this significantly reduces heat transfer.