Image courtesy of Room Resolutions

There are many reasons you might want to block light from coming through windows in New York. Say you want to dampen ambient street light, cars constantly driving down your street, or ordinary sunlight, blacking out the light from your windows is important for sleep and relaxation.

For those in dire need of better sleep, Sunburst is here to help New York homeowners black out their windows.

Which Window Treatments Black Out The Best?

Many New York 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.

Light Blocking Window Treatments – The Good

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

• Effectively block light from pouring in.

• Operate easily based on your needs throughout the day.

• Look stylish.

The window covering that best fits all these criteria is New York plantation shutters. When you shut the slats, shutters create a seal on your windows, blocking almost all the light. Our premier Polywood shutters also come with built-in weatherstripping that covers the gaps around the frame, so very little light enters your home. And unlike hardware store shutters, Polywood is guaranteed to split or crack, which can cause gaps that let light in.

And unlike some bargain-bin DIY blackout products, shutters look beautiful in your home. Instead of looking like hardware, they’re as pretty as they are effective.

A second option for the “good” category is room-darkening cellular shades. These are made with thick and layered material to block a good amount of light, and extend to the edges of your window opening. There can be some slight gaps around the edges of the shade where light can peak in. But for something other than shutters, room darkening shades make a pretty good option.

Light Blocking Window Treatments – The Bad

Here we have window coverings that don’t quite get the job done when it comes to blacking out a window. Any fabric window covering, from drapes to curtains, will allow some light in if they aren’t both incredibly thick and go beyond the perimeter of your window.

Light Blocking Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “New York window blackouts” on the internet and you’ll probably find some DIY sheets that you hang in your window to block light. Most of them are customizable to your window size and shape, and adhere to your frame via velcro or another adhesive. And for the most part, they do what they’re supposed to do.

But there are a few problems with these products. First off, they’re kind of ugly. The majority of these products sacrifice style for function. So if you put in of these blackout sheets, do it in a spot that you don’t mind looking unstylish.

Let Sunburst Shutters New York Help You Control the Light

To find out more about custom shutters and other window treatments that can help you get the light control you need in your home, get in touch with your New York shutter team. Use the form below or give us a call at 631-246-3930 today to get a free, in-home window treatment consultation.