Air conditioning isn’t as common in Western Washington homes as it is in other parts of the country. And, yet, when Snohomish County finally heats up every July and August, our homes can get seriously hot and stuffy, especially those with numerous windows and skylights.
Mark and Sharon Hammond were confronted with this problem last summer when the temperature inside their Marysville rambler reached 85 degrees.
That was the year they put in air conditioning.
They still needed protection, however, from the sun that poured through their south- and west-facing skylights.
When cooking or quilting on their kitchen island, Sharon Hammond found herself blinded by skylight sun.
Desperate for relief, Mark Hammond tacked up some towels for a temporary fix.
“Neither of us are hot weather people,” Mark Hammond said. “That sun would beat down.”
This year, the Hammonds took their sun protection a step further and hired Janelle Hampton of Arlington-based Quality Custom Blinds &Window Coverings.
Hampton has good news for homeowners who think their windows and skylights are too awkwardly shaped for coverings: Anything is possible.
Yes, even if you have circular, octagonal, oval or angular windows, you can cover them without hiding your home’s prized architectural features in the process, Hampton said.
Special mounting hardware and custom designs make it possible to cover awkward openings with a variety of treatments, including popular insulating honeycomb-style shades, sometimes called cellular shades.
Homeowners can choose fabrics that block light completely or simply subdue it.
Shutters, which are growing in popularity in the Northwest, are particularly versatile in covering odd-shaped windows.
“You can do anything with a shutter,” Hampton said. “You need to have somebody who knows how to install them because it’s like putting in cabinetry.”
In the Hammonds’ case, the solution was a Hunter Douglas Simplicity skylight system, featuring a cream-colored fabric that softens but does not block the sun.
Using an extension pole, the Hammonds can easily open and close the shades that cover the side-by-side skylights in their kitchen and bathroom.
Mark Hammond expects that their air conditioning system won’t have to work quite as hard this summer.
“It just keeps the house cooler,” he said. “They’re fantastic. They look real nice and are very, very functional.”
Hampton said people with skylights too high to reach with a pole can have motorized, remote-controlled window treatments installed. And they don’t necessarily require special electrical wiring.
Battery packs, though they need to be changed regularly, can provide enough power in many cases.
Skylight shades, even without high-tech features, are an investment.
Hampton said Hunter Douglas skylight shades for a 42-inch-by-60-inch skylight range from $480 to $610, depending on the fabric used.
Installation can cost an additional $25 to $40 per skylight. Extension poles and motorized controls are extra.
Window treatments, including those for skylights, have been proven to control home energy use, Hampton said.
“Honeycomb is really an insulator and it helps to avoid heat coming into the house. And, in the winter, it helps keep heat from going out,” she said.
Resources
Janelle Hampton, Quality Custom Blinds &Window Coverings, Arlington; 425-422-5561; www.qualitycustomblinds.com
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
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