As any Hunter Douglas distributor will likely be able to tell you, window coverings are a hugely important part of the vast majority of homes all throughout the United States – though you might not initially think so. After all, window coverings can help to reduce your energy costs and protect your furniture. A Hunter Douglas distributor will also be able to tell you how the right window coverings can even protect you – in particular, you skin.

But as any a Hunter Douglas distributor will know, it’s the quality of your windows themselves that really matter. Windows are a critical part of any home, letting in light and air alike. Without windows, it is more likely than not that your home would feel quite cramped and more than a little claustrophobic. There’s no doubt about it that we need windows of all different shapes and sizes to provide ourselves with an environment that we want to live in.

But windows, like anything else, vary in quality and in condition. For one thing, single pane windows are particularly prone to draftiness, and can easily ramp up your overall energy bill over the course of time. But any window, no matter how nice of a window it is, will decline in quality with age. And while some windows can last up to twenty years if given the proper care, most will become drafty at around fifteen years of age. At this point, they will also begin to stick in their frames, becoming difficult to open or close fully – yet another factor that, along with draftiness, can lead to steadily climbing energy bills.

But replacing your windows can be an incredibly expensive endeavor, as a Hunter Douglas distributor can lay out for you. In fact, the average cost of a window typically does not dip too far below three hundred dollars at the lowest – and can cost as much as seven hundred dollars, if not even more. For many people, window replacement is something that they must save up for – but they are still looking for ways to reduce their energy costs in the meantime.

Fortunately, the right window treatments and window dressings can provide just the right stopgap between the old windows and the eventual new ones. In fact, window coverings can be very effective at reducing energy costs, with heavy window draperies alone knocking off as much as ten percent off of your total heat loss in any given room during the cold winter months. And light filtering blinds can help to protect your room even further, protecting your walls, furniture, and other such decor from the discoloration that is common after prolonged sun exposure.

And the types of window dressings that you choose can prevent heat gain as well, perfect for those places that experience hot summer months and are looking to reduce the energy usage that is expended in their home on cooling costs alone. Buying some medium colored drapes can be just the way to do this, as such drapes, when they are used in conjunction with a plastic backing, can prevent unwanted heat gains by as much as thirty three percent in any given home throughout the United States.

But, as any Hunter Douglas distributor will be able to tell you, there is typically more to it than just that. What most people don’t know is that about fifty percent – a solid half – of all UV rays actually pass through your windows and can not only cause damage and fading to your home, but can still damage your skin as well. Fortunately, the implementation of UV protective blinds can help to reduce this risk considerably, as can having your windows tinted. As any Hunter Douglas representative can tell you, both are very viable options for protecting not only your home but your skin, which is the largest organ on your entire body.

Your window coverings are important, and talking to a local Hunter Douglas distributor can help you to understand just why this is so – a Hunter Douglas distributor can also help you to pick out the window dressings that are right for you.