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How To Stop Light Coming In Through Your Blinds
Blinds are a favorite window treatment choice across New York and beyond, offering a balance of style, functionality, and versatility. But many homeowners face the same issue: unwanted light leaking through their blinds. Whether you’re struggling with light peeking through slat gaps or around the edges, there are several solutions that can transform your space into a haven of complete light control.
This guide will walk you through practical and effective ways to stop light from leaking through your blinds, helping you enjoy restful sleep, better privacy, and improved energy efficiency.
Proven Ways to Stop Light from Leaking
1. Get a Professional Fitting
Improperly fitted blinds are the most common reason light leaks into your space. Professionals can measure your windows precisely and recommend the right size and type of blinds. If your existing blinds are too narrow, they might be replaced or enhanced with side tracks. Side tracks are discreet channels that line the sides of your window, blocking light that would otherwise sneak around the edges.
2. Invest in Custom Blackout Blinds
Custom blackout blinds are tailored to your window’s exact dimensions and built with materials that completely block light. These blinds often feature a blackout lining or an integrated light-blocking layer that prevents light from passing through slats and side gaps. While custom blackout blinds are a more significant investment, they offer long-term benefits in terms of comfort and energy savings.
Explore our range of blinds, including blackout options designed to solve this very problem.
3. Layer with Curtains or Drapes
Combining blinds with other window treatments is an excellent strategy for full light control. Layer your blinds with thick curtains or drapes, ensuring they extend beyond the edges of the blinds to cover side gaps. This layered approach enhances privacy and can also add a sophisticated touch to your space. Our drapes and curtains collection offers a range of options to suit your style.
4. Opt for Blinds with Hard Slats
Blinds made from harder materials such as faux wood, real wood, or vinyl tend to sit more snugly when closed. Their rigidity reduces the size of gaps between slats, minimizing light seepage. Soft materials, by contrast, may flex or warp slightly, allowing more light through.
5. Consider Motorized or Smart Treatments
Motorized blinds can be programmed to close precisely and consistently every time, reducing the chances of gaps. They also integrate seamlessly with smart home systems for automated light control. Explore our motorized window treatments for an upgrade that combines convenience and style.
Professional Fitting
Installing window coverings is more complicated than you may think. Like we’ve mentioned above, improper fitting can lead to your blinds leaking light through their sides and through gaps in-between their slats. If you want to block light coming from the side of your blinds, the first thing you should do is have them inspected by your window treatment company. Professionals can measure your windows and your window treatments to check whether your blinds are properly fitted or not. Professional help can provide a quick answer to how to stop light from coming in through your blinds.
The best way to block light from the side of your blinds is to have them re-fitted. If your blinds are small for your window, you can either have them replaced or install side tracks for blinds. The latter option is a cheaper solution to block light from the side of your blinds. However, sidetracks for blinds can compromise the look and feel of your window treatment.
Get Custom Blackout Blinds
Opting for custom blackout blinds is a solid solution to your light leakage problem. Custom blackout blinds are light blocking blinds that prevent light leakage in two ways. Firstly, they are custom-made for your windows. Your window treatment company measures all of your windows and makes sure that each blind sits flush with your windows. This ensures that your blinds are incredibly well-fitted. This solution will block light from the side of your blinds as well.
Secondly, custom blackout blinds are designed to completely prevent light from passing through them. Custom blackout blinds have a panel of black fabric fitted on their backside. This panel makes sure that no light passes through the gaps in-between their slats.
Custom blackout blinds will cost you extra. However, they can effectively solve your “how to stop light coming in through your blinds” problem.
Pair Your Blinds with Other Window Treatments
Pairing multiple window treatments is a popular trend these days. Curtains and blinds go together really well. This option lets you turn your existing blinds into light blocking blinds without having to change them. You can install curtains over your blinds. Since curtains are highly customizable, you can have them designed to completely cover your blinds. This option lets you convert your blinds into ones that block light and also improve their overall look.
Use Harder Materials for Your Slats
Light blocking blinds generally have slats made from hard materials. Hard slats are less flexible and sit together closer. This greatly reduces the number of gaps forming between your slats. Faux wood blinds, vinyl blinds, and wooden blinds are all great light blocking blinds. As compared to these light blocking blinds, soft blinds let more light through them.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Let’s recap everything we have discussed on how to stop light coming through your blinds. Blinds that don’t block out light can be annoying, but you can fix it in multiple ways. If you have existing blinds that don’t block out light, you can improve their light blocking ability by checking their fitting. Improperly fitted blinds let the light come in through their sides.
Another way to turn your blinds into light blocking blinds is to upgrade them to blackout blinds. This can be done by installing a panel of fabric onto your blind’s backside. Another solution on how to stop light coming through your blinds is to install curtains over them. This is a stylish and effective way to block light from the side and front of your blinds. You can also go all the way and get custom blackout blinds made for your windows.
If you’re unsure about what option is right for you, feel free to get in touch with us. We, at Alluring Windows, can help you figure out how to stop light from coming in through your blinds once and for all.
