Budgets are tight and winter is on the way, which means increased heating bills. Everyone has heard about eliminating leaks around windows and doors, craw spaces, under eaves and any place there is a break in the integrity of your home's exterior surface. What you may not be aware of is the effectiveness of window blinds to help you reduce your energy costs this winter. In the same way, you can reduce your summer cooling bills by applying the opposite strategies.

Window shades and window blinds can be used to create a buffer zone between your window glass and your home's interior that acts as a passive insulator, reducing your heating and cooling bills significantly. Following these basic suggestions can turn your expensive winter heat sink into a cozy winter hideaway and your summer hot box into a cool, comfortable sanctuary.

Take Advantage Of The Sun's Heat In Winter

Sunlight provides heat, even in the middle of winter. Leaving your windows closed, but opening your drapes, window shades and window blinds can allow the sun's heat to be absorbed by your furniture, flooring and carpeting. This heat is then released into the rooms of your home at no cost to you. Darker carpets and darker furnishings will absorb more of the sun's heat than lighter colors, so you may wish to strategically place dark throw rugs near your windows that receive sunlight during the day.

If you notice, when opening your drapes, window shades or window blinds, that the air closest to the window is warmer than that of the rest of the room, you can benefit by opening your window treatments earlier in the day. If, however, you notice significantly colder air, you may have a leak somewhere around your window frame that requires your attention to repair.

Turn Away The Summer Heat With Window Treatments

In the summer, use your heaviest window treatments to block the day's hottest sunlight from entering your home, reducing its ability to heat your home. Drapes, window shades and window blinds that have a light, reflective color on the exterior and a darker color on the inside will increase the cooling effectiveness of window treatments in the summer by reflecting more light away from your home and creating a dimmer, cooler environment within your home.

During the cooler evening and night time hours, open your window treatments and your windows to allow the cooler air to circulate through your home without paying for air-conditioning. By timing the opening and closing of your windows and window treatments throughout the summer, you can greatly reduce your cooling expense while still keeping your home at a comfortable temperature.

Window shades and window blinds can provide you with a cost effective means to reducing your energy costs within the home by blocking out heat from the summer sun and maintaining a constant, more comfortable temperature in the winter months with only minimal effort and expense on your part.

When redecorating, you can enhance -- or completely recreate the mood in each room of your house with just a few strategic changes. By determining the optimal mood for each room before you start decorating, many of your other decisions will be easier to make. Wall color and window treatments are the two most powerful mood setters in room décor. Assuming your walls are already painted or papered, your next consideration in setting the mood of each room is the appropriate window shades and blinds.

The Effects Of Lighting On Mood And Appearance

Brightly lit rooms inspire activity while rooms with more subdued lighting create a more calming, intimate feel. Decorating disasters often occur when window shades and blinds create lighting environments that are in stark contrast to the wall color and furnishings of a room. Red, yellow, and blue are best suited for active rooms such as kitchens and playrooms. These rooms look their best when window shades and blinds provide plenty of sunshine while preventing glare. The sunlight adds a cheerful note to the mood of the room and complements the color scheme.

Bedrooms and dens are better suited for earth tone colors, such as greens, browns, gold, and purples with heavier window shades and blinds made out of wood or other natural fibers. These materials allow you to eliminate sunlight for those weekend mornings when you are able to sleep in. Heavier window treatments also allow you to protect your darker wood furniture and books from the damage caused by too much sunlight.

Selecting The Best Materials And Styles  

Window shade and blinds materials make a significant difference in the look and feel of your rooms. There are more options available today than ever before. Window treatments include curtains, sheers, shades, blinds, and shutters. Today's blinds are made from wood, faux wood, woven wood, aluminum, and vinyl and they come in a variety of widths, from 1" to 2-5/8", and can be horizontal, vertical, or roller style. Window shades are made from fabric vanes and panels, natural fibers, and other materials and they can be pleated, cellular, bottom to top pull style, and even made to fit arched windows and skylights.

Heavier, more natural materials will create a softer light and a more soothing mood for your room. More modern, lightweight materials provide a brighter light source and a more stimulating environment. Most window treatments now offer extra light blocking and insulation capabilities, reducing your utility bills and protecting your possessions from sun damage.

Design Options Using Window Treatments

The correct combination of style and materials can make a significant difference in the overall feel of your room. A child's playroom would be best suited to brightly colored, sturdy materials that diffuse only some of the light coming in through the window. Special cord safety features are also available to prevent choking risk. Dens, libraries, and bedrooms are best suited to heavier, more natural materials and designs, creating a more elegant ambiance.

Kitchens and workrooms are ideal locations for vinyl and aluminum blinds in lighter colors, providing the necessary light to make working in these rooms easier.

Clearly, the sky is the limit when it comes to using window shades and blinds to create specific moods for each of the rooms in your home or office.

Laminate floors gave homeowners a less expensive way to achieve the look of traditional hardwood floors. However, there is a rich quality that hardwood offers that cannot be matched with laminate. It's not necessary to make a choice between one type or the other. Both types of flooring can complement each other and really shine. With a sensible pairing, homeowners can achieve a uniform look throughout their home with only two different flooring materials.

When finishing a basement, homeowners and renovators face a common enemy, moisture. With any room below grade or ground level, the potential for water seepage is a constant threat. When it comes to flooring for the basement, one has to be especially careful; mold and mildew coupled with water damage will certainly ruin a floor as well as pose a health risk. However, these problems can be tackled to allow a basement to become a usable living space that a homeowner can enjoy for years while adding value to the home.