Window Shades for Double Pane Windows

Double pane windows are effective at increasing the energy efficiency of your home. Created by holding two panes of glass separate from each other by spacers, the space between the panes can be filled with a colorless gas, like argon, to increase the insulating properties. Spacers can also be decorative and appear as frames or designs.

Choosing Window Shades for Double Pane Windows

The efficiency of your double pane windows can be increased by adding window shades. Consider how much natural light you want to receive through the window you're getting the shade for, and the direction that window is facing--south and west facing windows receive far more sunlight than those on the north and east sides of your home.

Your choices in window shades for double pane windows are vast. Shades come in a variety of styles, including roller blinds or roller shades, cordless shades that can be raised and lowered without a string, and varieties of standard shades.

Here are just some of your choices:

• Woven wood or matchstick shades: created from natural materials in a variety of colors
• Cellular or honeycomb shades: created with small pockets of air that insulate
• Solar screens: made from synthetic mesh material, these work like roller blinds, from a window frame-mounted roller assembly
• Roller blinds: also called roller screens

Prices vary depending on the insulating properties and type of window shades for double pane windows you choose. Roller shades can run from $35 to over $70, mesh window shades ballpark from $50 to $115, and woven wood shades can run from $65 to over $350 per window.

Choosing window shades for double pane windows can enhance the aesthetic value of your home and increase your energy savings.