There are several considerations involved in selecting window treatments for your home. First and foremost, you want to preserve your privacy. Most homeowners and businesses also want to control the amount of light coming in.
You may have additional goals like reducing noise pollution, heat gain, and energy waste. Of course, you’d probably like to improve the look of your interior with your décor, as well. Even with all of these goals in mind, don’t forget that there’s also a view outside you may want to enjoy. It’s a lot of different priorities to juggle, but some are bound to be more important to you than others.
The question is how to get everything you want from your window treatments, and the answer is with the right opacity. How does the opacity of your window dressings help you to accomplish your goals? Here are a few things you should know.
Opaque Window Treatments
Privacy and light control tend to be the two biggest concerns when it comes to the functionality of window treatments. If you want to ensure the height of privacy and completely block out light, opaque window treatments with blackout features are the most likely to deliver.
You can find blackout drapes, blinds, and shades that feature opaque textiles or added layers to increase opacity. Shutters, made from solid wood, composite, or other materials, are also opaque. The nice thing about these products is that most of them will provide insulative properties, helping to reduce the hot or cold air entering your home from outside and reducing energy costs in the process.
Some even feature solar properties designed to reduce harmful UV rays and heat gain in your home, significantly reducing cooling costs while keeping your home interior more comfortable. Of course, the thing you lose when you install such window treatments is your view, at least when window dressings are closed.
Translucent Options
Perhaps you want to let some natural light in during the day without necessarily getting the full glare and heat of the sun. This is where translucent options come in. You’ll find plenty of options in the way of blinds, shades, and sheer curtains that provide a measure of privacy even as they allow filtered light to come in. This is a happy medium for homeowners and businesses that want to prevent some amount of heat and glare while also enjoying natural light throughout the day.
Transparency
You might be surprised to learn that there are transparent window treatments. What good are they if you can see right through them? As it turns out, they could deliver several items on your checklist when it comes to window dressings. Solar shades, available for both the interior and exterior of your home, are designed to allow you an unfettered view of the outdoors while still preserving your privacy and reducing heat gain.
These shades are transparent from the inside, but opaque from the outside, and their special properties help to deflect the sun’s UV rays, reducing heat gain and boosting energy efficiency. They don’t offer light control and they may not be as elegant as drapes or blinds, but they still deliver a lot of value and versatility.
If you have multiple goals where your window treatments are concerned, contact the qualified professionals at The Blinds Side today at 410-630-6940 or [email protected] to learn more about your options and schedule a consultation.