When it comes to choosing window treatments, many homeowners tend to focus on the decorative qualities inherent in their various options. While window treatments can certainly influence any given design scheme, they also serve a rather important purpose on the home comfort front – light control.
From a privacy perspective, window treatments are usually a must in most houses, as the average homeowner would prefer not to offer his neighbors the option of staring in and observing his every move. The good news is that most modern types of window treatments tend to be successful on the privacy front; but in some cases, an added degree of privacy can result in a loss of light.
As the owner of Blind Tailors, Inc., a blinds and closet design company that has been serving the Charlotte, North Carolina area since 2004, Craig Rogers understands the importance of good light control within any given home. He therefore ranks the following window treatment options from best to worst on the light control front:
Wooden and faux wood blinds
If you’re looking for the maximum amount of light control, then 2-inch wooden or faux wood blinds are the way to go. Since these types of slatted blinds can be tilted to let light in and out accordingly, they are a great option for household bedrooms in particular.
Silhouette shades
A close second to wooden and faux wood blinds, silhouette shades come equipped with fabric vanes suspended in between front and rear layers of sheer fabric that can be tilted to let light in and out (just like slatted blinds). While a silhouette shade might offer slightly less light control than actual slats due to its permanently-affixed top layer, it is still a good option for those looking to choose between sunlight and privacy.
Mini blinds
Although mini blinds might be less than aesthetically appealing, when it comes to light control, they are pretty good at offering a similar degree of power as wooden and faux wood blinds. The only drawback to mini blinds on the light control front is that some tend to come with gaps in between their slats that can end up letting in more light than one might want.
Plantation shutters
Plantation shutters come next on the light control scale because of their structure and general design. Since plantation shutters are generally made out of solid wood, they can end up cutting out more light than regular blinds, even when open. On the other hand, since they can be adjusted according to homeowner preferences, they are still considered to be pretty good at the light control game.
Woven woods
When it comes to light control, slatted blinds and shutters are always going to have an advantage over shades. Still, out of all of the various types of shades on the window treatment market, woven woods, due to their translucent nature, are probably the best as far as light accessibility is concerned.
Cellular and Roman shades
Since Roman and cellular shades are somewhat similar in nature as far as style and functionality are concerned, they fall into a last place tie on the light control front. The reason for this is that cellular and Roman shades can only be raised to allow a lot of light in, or lowered to prevent light from seeping in at all; there really is no in-between.
If you’re in the market for new window treatments and light control is something that’s important to you, then be sure to take the above-listed guidelines into account when evaluating your various options. Remember, as much as your window treatments should serve you well from a decorative perspective, it’s also imperative that you keep them as functional as possible. To ensure that your window treatments end up lending to your at-home comfort, if given the choice between style and light control, you might want to go with the latter to best cater to your needs for the long run.
