All window treatments are beautiful, but choosing the right one for your home will do wonders in providing you with the aesthetic and privacy you deserve.

Up Next: Why You Need To Upgrade Those Old Window Treatments

That means understanding window treatment opacity and how each option affects your home and privacy. You can choose the shade you like and then choose what opacity you prefer within that shade.

Here are the different window treatment opacities and how they filter light:

Screen Shade Opacity Is Categorized By Openness

When it comes to the opacity of your screen shades, there may be some confusion on what each term means and how it affects your home. When talking about the transparency of screen shades, the term “openness” is used. This term refers to the tightness of the treatment’s weave that dictates the amount of light that comes into the home.

If you have a low openness value of 3%, then that means less light is allowed through but you are allowed a view outside. Higher values such as 14% allow for a looser weave that provides a view to the outside but will not do much in terms of privacy.

Some shades such as Designer Screen Shades are designed to come in a range of openness from 0-14% so you may customize them as you wish.

Opaque Reduces Natural Light, Increases Privacy

Opaque window treatments are those you cannot see through. These are used to add privacy to your home and reduce the amount of natural light coming in.

Room darkening shades are an excellent example of opaque window treatments that allow in no light. These treatments are designed to do exactly what they’re named for: darken rooms. Depending on the shade you choose, like the Sonnette® Cellular Roller Shades, there will be a tighter window trim fit to prevent light from seeping around the edges.

Other shades, like Roman Shades, have patterns that you can choose that allows natural light to filter through while offering a room darkening liner to maximize privacy when lowered.

Light Filtering Treatments Offer UV Protection

Light filtering window treatments provide your home with some privacy while softly diffusing natural light into your home and allowing a view to the outside. These shades, like all shades, help protect your floors and furniture from UV damage like fading.

Light filtering shades includes Designer Screen Shades, Sheer Shades, and Alustra® Woven Textures®.

Get The Best Of Both Worlds

If you wish for the best of both transparent and opaque window treatments, Victor Shade has the solution for you! Top-down bottom-up window treatments like Applause® Duolite® Honeycomb Shades and Duette® Duolite® Shades offer two shades in one: a standard honeycomb shade  and a sheer shade.

This combination allows you to choose your desired level of privacy and light with the touch of a button or the pull of a cord.

To find the window treatment opacity to fit your lifestyle, make an appointment with Victor Shade for a free in-home consultation or stop by the Showroom to see these treatments in action.

Schedule Your FREE In-Home Consultation With Victor Shade!

Call Us Today At 314.428.7979

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