Dear Joe,
The back wall of my living room has French doors in the center with a window on either side. With the cold weather, I was getting a lot of cold air seeping through the windows. I don't want to block my view, but I was thinking of putting some fabric Roman shades over the windows to help insulate. What's your opinion?
Drafty
Dear Drafty,
Roman shades are not really going to help very much for insulation.
If they are mounted inside the window frame, there will still be space on either side of the shade for the cold air to get through. Mounting them on the outside ( to cover the frame ) would not help very much, either. The cold air will only find its way out of the sides and bottom.
The only solution for window drafts in terms of window treatments would be full-length draperies. Installing the draperies far out form the edges of the window could enable you to open them to a point where they would clear the windows completely.
Dear Joe,
I was in an office downtown the other day, and noticed the shades on the windows. They were solid white panels, but you could see through them. They looked like plastic, not fabric. I thought this would be a great idea for my place. Where can I buy them and what do I need to know about them?
Bill H.
Dear Bill,
The shades that you saw are indeed made of plastic, either woven or pierced.
Several different companies offer this type of shade. Each manufacturer offers them in a variety of colors and opaqueness.
The important thing to remember about these shades is that although they are great for maintaining your view from the inside, they do not offer maximum privacy. The area with the light source is always what can be seen. So during the day you can see out, but at nighttime others can see in.
These shades are strictly custom-made. They are available through interior designers, architects and other home-décor professionals. Precise measurements, knowledge of installation and complete understanding of the installation site are definite musts when ordering. Note also that, although the range of size possibilities is great, there are limits due to the plastic goods and the function of the roller systems.
Joseph Rice offers full decorating services. With 24 years of experience, he specializes in 'hard-to-treat' windows. See www.josephriceinteriors.com, e-mail jos.riceinteriors@att.net . or call Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc., at 773-271-2361.
