How to Control Light From your Cincinnati Windows

Lisa Renee Nieberding

There are several reasons you’d want to block light from coming through windows in Cincinnati. Say you want to dampen ambient street light, constant traffic going by, or regular sunlight, dampening the light coming from your windows is important for relaxing and getting quality sleep.

Cincinnati blackout shutters bedroom

 Image courtesy of Room Resolutions

For those dreaming of better sleep, here are a few ways Cincinnati homeowners can best control the light.

Which Window Treatments Black Out The Best?

Lots of Cincinnati window treatments claim to help black out your windows, and you can pretty easily divide them into three groups: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here’s how they stack up.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Good

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

  • Effectively block light from pouring in.

  • Operate easily based on your needs throughout the day.

  • Look stylish.

The window treatment that hits all these marks is Cincinnati plantation shutters. When the louvers are closed, shutters create an almost complete seal on your windows, blocking almost all the light. Our premier Polywood shutters also come with built-in weatherstripping that covers the gaps around your window frame, blocking even more light. And unlike vinyl shutters, Polywood is guaranteed to warp or bend, which can result in gaps that let light in.

Cincinnati bedroom with light block shutters

And unlike some gaudy DIY blackout products, shutters look stylish in any room. Instead of looking like some hardware, they’re as good looking as they are functional.

A second option belonging to 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 small spaces around the edges of the shade where light might seep into the room. But for a window treatment that isn’t shutters, light-blocking shades make for a good secondary choice.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Bad

In this category are window treatments that don’t quite go the distance when it comes to blacking out a window. Any type of fabric window covering, from curtains to drapes, will allow some light in if they aren’t both extremely dense and go past the frame of your window.

Cincinnati blackout shades bedroom
 
Even heavy-duty blinds don’t get the job done, because the slats on blinds don’t lock into each other like shutter louvers do. That means you’re going to get light, even if it’s at a very slight angle.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “Cincinnati window blackouts” online and you’re likely to find some DIY sheets that you can hang up in your window frame to completely black it out. Most of them are customizable to your window’s dimensions, and stick to your frame via velcro or another adhesive. And for the most part, they work fairly well.

But there are a few issues with these products. First off, they’re kind of ugly. Most of these products give up looks for function. So if you get a few of these blackout sheets, make sure to do it in a spot that you don’t mind looking unstylish.

blackout curtain ugly

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Second, for being easy to do it yourself, you’d better hope that you won’t have to take them up and down much. The adhesive or velcro that attach them to the wall can wear off fairly easily, which means you’ve got no choice but to try another one.

Let Sunburst Shutters Cincinnati Help You Black Out Your Windows Better

To learn more about custom shutters or other window treatments to block light, get in touch with your Cincinnati shutter team. Complete the form below or call us at 513-216-9740 today to schedule a free, in-home window treatment consultation.