Let’s face it there are few things in this world more annoying than a ray of sunlight coming through a window and hitting your TV. Effectively ruining whatever show or movie you were trying to watch.
Naturally, you dash off to the nearest store and by a cheap set of curtains or blinds, install them, and settle in to finally enjoy your movie. Except the sun is still causing problems, and you still can’t control the lighting the way you would like.
Buying windows shades without knowing a few of the different kinds and what they’re used for will only lead to heartache and disappointment. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about window shades and finally enjoy your room the way you want to.
Autoroll Shade
Automated roller blinds offer are best used for those rooms with multiple windows or windows that are hard to reach. The automated rollers are controlled remotely providing you with more control of the light coming into the room.
There are various types of auto rollers like the continuous loop, smart pull, and cordless. Each one can often be customized to fit in well with the style you’ve chosen for the room.
Roman
A roman shade is unique in that it is made of one continuous piece of fabric. Horizontal slats spaced throughout allow raising and lowering.
They bring a combination of a traditional blind look with the style of a fabric drape. The choices in design for a roman shade are certainly more numerous than others and provide the most customizability. This is because the fabric used, realistically, could be any fabric from a craft store.
Cellular
Cellular shades are a great way to make your home more energy efficient. This is due to their honeycombed design. The design of the material used traps air between the window and the shade.
This results in the room staying cooler in the summer time and warmer in the winter time. Outfitting all or key windows throughout your house with a cellular shade will go a long way to saving money on heating and energy bills.
Solar
This type of shade is similar to transition sunglasses in that their transparency and opaqueness is controlled by the amount of light it filters. The nice thing about these is that they provide a greater degree of light control than other options. They also don’t completely block the view the window provides.
The less sunlight the shade filters the more transparent the shade will become allowing you to enjoy the view. This does not mean you will only enjoy the view at night. Rather you’ll get to enjoy the view during those times of the day when the sun isn’t directly on the window but is still bright enough to need shade.
Panel Track
Panel tracks are great options for those who enjoy the function of vertical blinds but want something more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Panel tracks are made up of multiple panels that you can freely move around to where you want them.
Panel tracks provide the best light and privacy control because of how customizable and how much control the user has over the panel placement at any given moment. The only potential downside is panel tracks is they will need to be custom ordered.
Bamboo
A bamboo shade is a rather versatile and sturdy shade that is offered at a usually lower price point than other options. Where the other types mentioned provide a function along with contributing to the style of the room, a Bamboo shade is primarily used for its stylish look.
Choosing the Right Window Shade for You
Ultimately the right window shade for you is the one that both pleases your eyes and provides the amount of light and privacy control you desire.
Doing your research and knowing what is available will make shopping for a new window shade style a much more enjoyable experience. Not all options are the same and will provide the same functions and features you are looking for in a shade.
Whether you are looking for an automated roller, something made of Bamboo, or panel tracks, there is window shade for everyone and every room.
