Image courtesy of Room Resolutions

There are a lot of reasons you might want to block light from coming through windows in Chicago. Whether you need to block ambient street light, cars constantly driving down your street, or ordinary sunlight, dampening the light coming from your windows is necessary for relaxing and getting quality sleep.

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

What Window Treatments Control Light The Best?

Lots of Chicago window treatments claim to help black out your windows, and you can basically divide them into three categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here’s what you need to know.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Good

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

• Effectively prevent light from entering.

• Adjust easily based on your needs throughout the day.

• Look stylish.

The window covering that best fits all these criteria is Chicago plantation shutters. When you shut the slats, shutters form a seal on your windows, blocking almost all the light. Our patented Polywood shutters even have built-in weatherstripping that covers the gaps around the frame, so very little light enters your home. And unlike cheaper shutters, Polywood will never split or crack, which can cause gaps in between the louvers and frame.

And unlike some gaudy DIY window blackout solutions, shutters look beautiful in any room. Rather than looking like a piece of hardware, they’re as pretty as they are effective.

A second option belonging to the “good” category is room-darkening roller shades. These are made with thick and layered material to block out most of the sunlight, and extend beyond your window opening. There can be some slight spaces around the edges of the window where light might seep in. But for something other than shutters, light-blocking shades make for a good secondary choice.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Bad

In this category we have window coverings that don’t quite get the job done when it comes to blacking out a window. Any kind of fabric window treatment, from curtains to drapes, will allow some light in if they aren’t both very thick and extend past the edges of your window.

Blackout Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “Chicago window blackouts” online and you’re likely to find some do it yourself 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 adhere to your frame via velcro or something similar. And for the most part, they work fairly well.

But the drawbacks with those products are twofold. First off, they don’t exactly look good. Many of these products give up style for effectiveness. So if you choose to install some of these blackout sheets, do it in a place that you don’t mind looking dull.

Let Sunburst Shutters Chicago Help You Black Out Your Windows Better

To find out more about interior shutters or other window treatments to help black out your windows, get in touch with your Chicago shutter team. Use the form below or call us at 847-250-6544 today to schedule a free, no strings attached consultation.