While wooden blinds cannot accurately be described as blackout blinds, they do certainly make the room they're used on very dark; to the point that even when you've given your eyes time to adjust and pick up any small amount of light that did make it into the room, you'd still probably find yourself unable to see your ...
Yes, wooden blinds make a room dark, but they do still tend to let some ambient light in from outside too. How much light makes it through and the effect it has on the room depends on how the blind is hung, the slats/construction of the blind itself, how bright it is outside, and even what colour your walls are!
The best blackout blinds are honeycomb cellular pleated perfect fit blinds in blackout fabric. These fit onto/into the window itself and totally negate the issue of any potential light leakage. The second-best blackout blinds are Roman blinds.
While real wood blinds are very durable, they may suffer from discolouration and water damage over time. This means that they may require more maintenance and care. Real wood blinds can also be quite heavy, making them more difficult to install and operate.
What blinds are best for blocking sunlight? The best blinds for blocking light are blockout roller blinds. Blockout fabrics have special treatments and backings to make them block light and, unlike other window treatments like Venetian blinds, custom-made roller blinds have minimal gaps to let in light.
Translucent blinds diffuse sunlight which increases your privacy from the watchful eyes of those passing by, as they will only be able to see shadows inside the room. > Opaque blinds offer complete privacy, blackout blinds will not allow light to pass through or nosey neighbours to see in.
While wooden blinds cannot accurately be described as blackout blinds, they do certainly make the room they're used on very dark; to the point that even when you've given your eyes time to adjust and pick up any small amount of light that did make it into the room, you'd still probably find yourself unable to see your ...
Real Wood Blinds
The beauty and versatility make them a worthwhile investment for any window space. While real wood wouldn't be suited for moisture-rich areas, they are perfect for bedrooms or busy rooms such as living or dining rooms. Allow your blinds to shine against the rest and bring a warm feeling to the room.
The choice ultimately comes down to your home's design and your style preferences! If you're choosing blinds for a rustic, warm room, the faux wood will match perfectly. If your home has a more minimalistic, clean feel, classic vinyl blinds are the way to go. Still unsure what treatments are right for your home?
Wooden blinds are perfect for bedrooms or living rooms – those spaces where you deserve a touch of luxury to indulge in. Plastic blinds are a cheaper option. PVC is also a strong solution that can withstand exposure to UV rays while being ideal for rooms including the bathroom and kitchen.
According to Blinds.com's Sansone and Stoneside's Musgrove, cellular shades are often the most effective at blocking light. These shades are constructed with either a single or double layer of hollow cells, which not only block light, but also improve insulation and muffle noise.
The simpler the style, the brighter a room will look, so opting for venetian, roller blind styles or traditional shutters is the perfect way to brighten up your darker rooms.
Faux wood blinds are actually heavier than real wood blinds; around 20% heavier, in fact. This comes as something of a surprise to some people who assume that faux wood blinds would be lighter, as they're made of rigid PVC (a type of plastic) but in fact, this is actually a very dense, thick material.
Wooden blinds are lighter in weight than their faux counterparts, making them easier to open and close, raise and lower. Because of their lighter weight, real wood blinds may be available in longer spans than their faux wood counterparts.
Wood and faux wood are poor conductors of heat, making them one of the best insulating materials. In addition, wood is opaque, thus providing the needed privacy in the bedroom. If you've been asking yourself what blinds offer the most privacy: Wood blinds are one of them.
Real wood is more expensive than faux or composite blinds but allows for excellent insulation, shielding from direct sunlight, as well as privacy. Harsh chemicals need to be avoided with real wood and these would definitely not be the choice above a bathtub or other high moisture area.
Faux Wood Blinds are typically more cost effective when compared to traditional Wood Blinds because faux wood is made from man-made materials that are more affordable to source and process than real wood. This means you can get an authentic real wood look for less.
If you live near the coast or in the South, in areas of extreme humidity and heat, you will want faux wood blinds. Faux wood blinds are easy to clean as any type of cleaning products can be used since you don't have to worry about damaging any of the fine grain of real wood.
Wooden blinds might warp in the sun if they're made of a wood unsuited to the task. Hardwoods are best for making wooden blinds, like the basswood we use for ours, because it is both an excellent material to make long lasting wooden blinds from and because it is sustainably grown and ethically produced.
Cons: The greatest con, however is that at the end of the day faux wood isn't as high quality as real wood. You won't receive the same richness from faux wood and it tends to collect dust more easily, making the slats harder to clean.
This means that wooden blinds from a decade or more ago still don't look out of date or unfashionable now, even if the room around them has been revamped a couple of times since. Also, depending to an extent on your colour and finishing choices, a wooden blind works well within more or less any type of interior.
As with any product exposed to the sun for a long period of time, the protective coating can wear thin or diminish over time. Newer wooden blinds have very strong UV protective coatings to avoid future yellowing. If you have identified yellowing as a result of UV damage, then there is one last thing you can try.
Dark coloured blinds, especially black blinds, can have the opposite effect. They'll do their job in terms of privacy and light control, but the dark colour will attract the sun and could potentially add to overheating.
No. You can't see through faux wood blinds when they're fully closed, in 99.5% of cases. Even in those remaining 0.5% of cases, you can't see anything worth seeing, if you will.