Pros and Cons of Various Window Treatment Options for Your Home

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The window treatments you choose for a room are actually more important than you might realize; these pieces add colour and pattern to an otherwise bland wall and pull together the other surfaces in the room, including the flooring and the furniture upholstery. They can also insulate windows from outside cold and heat, and of course they provide needed privacy inside the home. If a room in your home needs new window treatments, note a few pros and cons of shades, blinds, shutters, and curtains, so you can narrow down your choices quickly and easily.

Shades, blinds, shutters

Both shades and blinds have the advantage of being very compact, so they can work well for patio doors, and they are a good choice for small spaces, where larger window treatments would get in the way of furniture. Blinds offer maximum control over the amount of sun you allow in the room, as you can adjust the angle of the slats rather than opening or closing the pieces completely.

Many types of shutters also allow you to adjust the angle of the slats, allowing some sunlight into a room when desired. Shutters are also very visually noticeable because of their thicker frames, so they make more of a visual impact than blinds or shades.

The downside of shades, blinds, and shutters is that it is very difficult and tedious to clean the individual slats of blinds and shutters, and roller shades may need actually professional cleaning when dirty. These window treatments may also not provide the same insulation against outside temperatures as do curtains.

Curtains

The main advantage of curtains is that they can fit any window size or shape; custom curtains are often more affordable than custom shades or shutters, so you can easily have curtains made for oversized windows, round windows, and the like. You can also have custom curtains made that provide complete blackout of sunlight and which are very thick, for blocking drafts, heat and noise coming from outside the home. The fabric of curtains can also soften the look of timber floors and wood furniture, adding some fabric and texture to the space.

While curtains have many advantages, be mindful of how they need to be cleaned; some are machine washable, but some fabrics require dry cleaning. Certain fabrics might also fade quickly in direct sunlight. However, if you choose your fabrics carefully, you may find that curtains are the best choice for any room of the home.


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