Blackout Blinds

A sunny day feels great when you’re outside enjoying it, but it can be annoying if you’re inside trying to catch a mid-day nap or watch a movie in your home theater. Sunlight is persistent and can easily overwhelm your typical semi-opaque shade, leaking in through the gaps and the fabric.

Thwarting the sunlight requires a blackout shade. Blackout shades are specifically made to reduce light leakage as much as possible. Blackout shades are typically made of a solid fabric which is heavy and opaque, but there are also some wood blinds which eliminate like leakage. For example, Blinds UK offer this option on some wood blinds. This option reduces light leakage by reducing the gaps between slats.

While blackout shades decrease light leakage, they cannot stop it completely. A blackout shade which is mounted inside a window casing will result in some light coming around the edge of the shade. Choosing to mount the shade outside the window casing is usually a better option, as it keeps light leakage at the lowest possible level.

While light leakage can’t be completely eliminated, a blackout shade will dramatically improve the lighting situation in a bedroom or home theater. The difference between a blackout shade and a normal semi-opaque shade is night-and-day. A room with a blackout shade can be kept nearly as dark as it would be after the sun has gone down.