One of the most difficult moments when finishing up your replacement windows is choosing the window treatment or also known as window coverings. There are many options on the market and to pick the best one for you and the home, you should do research on all types. Each is suitable for different aesthetics, rooms,
One of the most difficult moments when finishing up your replacement windows is choosing the window treatment or also known as window coverings. There are many options on the market and to pick the best one for you and the home, you should do research on all types. Each is suitable for different aesthetics, rooms, windows, and climate. Here are the 4 basic types of window coverings:
1. Drapes
Drapery is used as a synonym for curtains, but it shouldn’t be since both are entirely different things. Like curtains, drapes are made from fabric and opened in the same way. However, that fabric is lined up totally different and provides different shading, view obstruction, and energy efficiency.
Yes, window treatment also has an impact on your energy bills. The thicker the fabric you choose, the more heat retains in a room. Unlike curtains, drapes are accompanied with linen and are made from heavy-weight strong material. This makes them amazing for obtaining privacy and high efficiency.
They are usually placed in bedrooms because they provide maximum protection and also because they add a sense of elegance in the living area. Drapes come in many patterns and they are almost always decorated, with rich colours and shapes.
2. Curtains
The 1st cousin of a drape is a curtain. They are more flexible when it comes to the type of fabric and colour since they can also be lightweight and bright-coloured. Curtains are the most common choice for homes and are usually combined with other types of window treatments such as blinds or shades.
They are also used for small windows in kitchens and bathrooms, usually in the form of café curtains. But, when you find them placed in bedrooms, they are larger and combined with other treatment because even though they add an aesthetical appeal, they aren’t so protective from outside views and natural light.
Homeowners choose curtains as a window treatment when they want to accomplish a mixture of tradition and modernity. Depending on the colours, fabric, and patterns a curtain can either make or break a room, so be careful which one you choose.
3. Shades
The most popular option for improving your window replacement is adding shades. There are many types of shades out there, the most used being cellular, roman and roller. Their styles are unlimited, coming in all sorts of patterns and colours. Shades are made from fabric and are operated from bottom to top.
Their mechanism makes them great for privacy protection, but they aren’t ideal for natural light and ventilation. This is why experts invented honeycomb shades opened both from top to bottom, as well as from bottom to top. Such shading enables natural light and privacy protection at the same time (the top window part opened and the bottom covered).
There are also shades made from fabric, specifically created to protect us from UV damage. Another similar type is black-out shades, mostly found in bedrooms and study rooms where sometimes we don’t need any sort of natural light.
4. Blinds
This type of window treatment is unique when it comes to functioning and material. Unlike other treatments, blinds aren’t made from fabric, but from materials like wood, aluminum, and vinyl. They consist of slats (louvers) which tilt either vertically or horizontally.
The tilting enables natural light and privacy protection at the same time. The shades made from light reflecting the slats are amazing, especially during sunset when many beautiful forms are created in our rooms. If you are concerned with the aesthetical appeal, don’t be since wooden blinds can offer much more appeal even than drapery.
The most common type of blinds is those open horizontally, also called Venetian blinds. Vertical tilting is reserved for vertical blinds, mostly placed on sliding patio doors or windows. The size of the slats also varies and depends on personal preferences.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.