Image courtesy of Room Resolutions

There are several reasons you’d want to control the light coming from your windows in Austin. Say you want to dampen ambient street light, constant traffic going by, or normal sunlight, controlling the light coming from your windows is necessary for sleep and relaxation.

For those dreaming of better sleep, Sunburst is here to help Austin homeowners block light through their windows.

What Window Treatments Control Light The Best?

Many Austin window treatments claim to block light, and you can pretty easily divide them into three categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Take a look.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Good

The best window treatments to darken your windows should do these things:

• Effectively prevent light from coming in.

• Adjust easily based on your preferences throughout the day.

• Look good.

The window covering that hits all these marks is Austin plantation shutters. When the louvers are completely shut, shutters create an almost complete seal on your windows, letting almost no light in. Our patented Polywood shutters even have built-in weatherstripping that fills in the gaps along the frame, making them even more effective. And unlike cheaper shutters, Polywood is guaranteed to warp or bend, which can result in gaps in between the louvers and frame.

And unlike some bargain-bin DIY window blackout products, shutters look beautiful in any space. Instead of looking like hardware, they’re as pretty as they are functional.

Another option for the “good” category is light-blocking cellular shades. These are made with thick and layered material to keep out most light, and extend beyond your window opening. There can be some miniscule gaps around the edges of the shade where light can seep into the room. But for a non-shutter product, light-blocking shades make for a good secondary choice.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Bad

In this category are window coverings that don’t quite cut it when it comes to blacking out a window. Any kind of fabric window covering, from curtains to drapes, can let some light in unless they’re both very dense and go past the frame of your window.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “Austin window blackouts” in Google and you’re likely to find some easy to use DIY sheets that you hang in your window to block light. Most of them are customizable to your window size and shape, and stick to the window frame with velcro or another adhesive. And for the most part, they work fairly well.

But there are a few problems with these products. First off, they don’t look great. Many of these products give up style for effectiveness. So if you put in of these blackout sheets, do it in an area that you don’t mind looking kind of drab.

Let Sunburst Shutters Austin Help You See

To find out more about plantation shutters or other window treatments to help black out your windows, get in touch with your Austin shutter team. Complete the form below or give us a call at 512-549-6077 today to schedule a free, no strings attached consultation.