Keeping your home energy efficient while comfortable throughout the year can be one of your biggest concerns for you and your family. Window treatments can be attractive additions to your home's interior and exterior and can also help you in this cause. Here are some recommendations for using window treatments in this manner:

Blinds

Window blinds installed on the interior of your home can give you privacy at night from your neighbors and also keep your home's energy bill lower during summer. Close off your window blinds on the east, south and southwest sides of your home against the summer sun to help prevent the warming of your home's interior from the sun's rays. Your air conditioner won't have to work as hard to keep your home cool.

Blinds are a useful addition for blocking heat in your home during summer, as you can angle them various ways to let some indirect sunlight into your home as you block the sun's heat. During the day when the sun is shining directly onto your windows, angle the window blinds upward to direct and diffuse light up on the ceiling. This provides you light in the room without adding the sun's heat.

Curtains

Curtains are beneficial during summer and winter while adding color and decor to each room. For summer energy efficiency, close off curtains against the incoming sun to block out solar heat gain. Reopen curtains after the sun has passed the window and is no longer shining directly into the room. Make sure the curtains are lined with a white or light-colored fabric, which will help reflect the light back outside rather than absorb it and allow it to enter the room.

During the winter, close your curtains on windows at night to help prevent your home's heat from transferring through the window and being lost. Curtains that are lined, or made of two layers of fabric are more helpful in adding insulation to the window and reducing heat transfer. Also, make sure the curtains fall to the floor and lay against the walls around the window to additionally block heat flow.

Awnings

An exterior window treatment to help block the sun from coming into your home is with awnings. Fixed awnings are set at an appropriate angle above your exterior window as to allow the winter sun's rays into your home, as the winter sun sits lower in the sky. The summer sun sits higher in the sky, and the awnings will block it from entering your home and heating your home via solar heat gain.

Talk to a window covering professional about your options for installing and adding specific window treatments appropriate for your situation. Check out a website like http://www.houseofdraperyutah.com for more information and assistance.