Image courtesy of Room Resolutions

There are a lot of reasons you might want to control the light coming from your windows in Tampa. Say it’s from ambient street light, constant traffic going by, or regular sunlight, blocking the light from your windows is important for sleep and relaxation.

For those dreaming of better sleep, here are a few ways Tampa homeowners can best control the light.

Which Window Treatments Block Light The Best?

Many Tampa window treatments claim to darken a room for better sleep, and you can pretty easily divide them into three groups: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Here’s what you need to know.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Good

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

• Effectively block light from entering.

• Adjust easily depending on your preferences.

• Look great.

The window covering that best fits all these criteria is Tampa plantation shutters. When you shut the slats, shutters form a seal on your windows, blocking nearly all the light. Our patented Polywood shutters also come with built-in weatherstripping that fills in the gaps around the frame, making them even more effective. And unlike vinyl shutters, Polywood is guaranteed to split or crack, which can cause gaps that let light in.

And unlike some cheaper DIY blackout products, shutters look stylish in any room. Rather than looking like hardware, they’re as good looking as they are effective.

Another option for the “good” category is light-blocking cellular shades. These are made with thick and layered material to keep out most light, and extend to the edges of your window opening. There can be some miniscule spaces around the edges of the shade where light can peak into the room. But for a non-shutter product, room darkening shades make the cut.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Bad

In this category are window coverings that don’t quite get the job done when it comes to blacking out a window. Any type of fabric window treatment, from curtains to drapes, can let some light in if they aren’t both incredibly dense and go past the edges of your window.

Light Controlling Window Treatments – The Ugly

Search for “Tampa window blackouts” on the internet and you might find some easy to use DIY sheets made to hang in a window frame to block light. 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’re kind of ugly. The majority of these products sacrifice looks for function. So if you put in of these blackout sheets, be sure to do it in a spot that you don’t mind looking dull.

Let Sunburst Shutters Tampa Help You Black Out Your Windows Better

To learn more about indoor shutters or other window treatments to help black out your windows, get in touch with your Tampa shutter team. Fill out the form below or give us a call at 813-580-7288 today to get a free, in-home window treatment consultation.