Last updated on February 13th, 2024 at 05:01 am
Shading windows is often an afterthought for homeowners as they decorate their property, this often results in homes that aren’t properly shaded, which can create issues around the home and even result in the window shades deteriorating quicker than they should.
This is why we spoke to the window shading experts at DotcomBlinds.com to learn how you can properly shade the windows in your home.
Decide What Type of Shading You Want
First things first, you should work out what sort of shades you want for your home. The big choice is whether you opt for window blinds or curtains, each type of shading has its own pros & cons of course, but both will do a perfectly good job of shading your windows.
Curtains are great if you’re just simply looking to shade a window, but if you want more functionality a blind would be a better choice for you as there is a wide variety of types of blinds, which fulfill different functions.
Figure Out What Features The Shading Should Have
Once you’ve figured out what sort of shading you want to use on your windows, you should work out what features you want your shades to have.
First off, you should decide how much light you want to let in through your shades. If you want to completely block out all outside light, a blackout shade will be needed, if you want some light to pass through a dimout shade will be needed, or if you want to keep natural light coming into your home a voile or screen shade will be best.
From there, you’ll have a whole other host of features to choose from, some shades like Venetian blinds with tapes are great for securing privacy, shades made from PVC will be good for homes with messy children as PVC is easy to clean or you may even want a shade that’s compatible with smart home tech.
Find A Window Shade That Fits Your Needs
When you have a shortlist of needs your new shade will have to fulfill, you should look around shades retailers to see what shades they can offer to suit your needs.
You should have a few different shades as options for your home, most retailers will be happy to provide samples of the fabric so you can see them in person and decide whether they’re right for your home. Then you just need to pick the window shade you want from those samples.
Purchase & Install Your New Window Shades
Once you have found a window shade that suits all of your needs, you will need to purchase it. If you’re opting for a made-to-measure blind or curtain, you will have to measure your window first so that you know what size shade will be required.
After you have purchased your new window shade, you will have to install it in your window. Unfortunately, there is no ‘catch-all’ way to install window shades, but fortunately, retailers will often provide you with instructions for installing their window shades, so just follow those instructions as best as you can.
Congratulations, you have now added new shading to your home’s windows, and your home should now be properly shaded from the outside world!
