Natural light can be a wonderful addition to any room. It warms and brightens up a home while enhancing the colors on display. However, too much sunlight easily leads to an intense glare, overheating, and even potential damage to your furniture and other surfaces sensitive to UV rays.
With light-filtering window treatments, you can block out just enough sunlight to avoid the adverse effects while still enjoying its benefits. Continue reading for more from Kesch Shades and Blinds, a leading provider of Jacksonville’s custom exterior shades.
#1 Know the Difference Between Light-Filtering, Room Darkening, and Blackout Window Treatments
There’s a whole range of benefits to finding the right window treatments, but it pays to understand what you can get out of the different options. Light-filtering, room-darkening, and blackout window treatments offer different features as follows:
- Light-filtering window solutions filter some of the light to reduce glare and exposure to sunlight. They aren’t ideal for darkening your home.
- Room darkening window treatments filter some, but not all, of the light. Their main purpose is to block enough sunlight to darken a room significantly.
- Blackout shades are the best choice if you don’t want any sunlight to enter the room. They’re perfect when homeowners prefer to use artificial light sources or want to stop the morning sun from streaming into a bedroom window.
#2 Weigh the Pros and Cons of Light Filtering vs. Blocking
What are the advantages and disadvantages of light-filtering shades or other window treatments? Among the advantages is the ability to reduce glare without stripping the room of comforting natural light. These window treatments create a soft and gentle aesthetic while still protecting your interior from damaging UV rays.
Light-filtering window treatments are also versatile. You can choose from a wide selection of styles, patterns, and colors to match or upgrade any interior design. Why not pair a light-filtering covering with another treatment to create a stunning layered look that’s also functional?
There are downsides to light-filtering treatments. For instance, they aren’t always effective enough to promote better sleep or offer privacy. And they won’t insulate your home against extreme hot and cold temperatures.
#3 Find Light Filtering To Suit Your Needs and Preferences
If light-filtering window solutions are what you need, explore your options among the numerous types of shades and blinds. Each of these products will help you limit natural light exposure, including the following:
Cellular Shades
With their unique honeycomb design, cellular shades provide better privacy and insulation than other light-filtering treatments. The individual cells fold, allowing you to easily control how much light enters the room.
Roman Shades
Roman shades cover the entire window and can filter out most of the light. Though these window shades don’t offer as much light control as some other options, they do create a beautiful and cozy interior aesthetic.
