Curtains vs Shutters
Choosing a window dressing for your dream Window/Bay Window depends on the practical and visual requirements of your room.
Factors affecting your decision:
– Light – during day to allow light into room
– Dark – room darkening properties for sleep
– Privacy- providing privacy during the day and early evening.
– Dressing of window – softening
Popular questions we receive from our hundreds of customers are -
1- Will the shutters or curtains block out too much light?
With Shutters, it depends on the shutter’s design and configuration- Louvre sizes range from 49mm – 114mm with the most popular sizes being 63,76 or 89mm. The bigger Louvre you choose the more light you will get passing between them. We would also use vertical t posts to enable us to fully align all of the shutter panelling behind your widow transoms and mullions so as not to impede on any of your glazing space.
With regards to curtains, a special bay track will be required to be made to measure your bay. The curtains will naturally stack to either side of your bay and will cover the side sections and yes this will block light during the day.
2- What’s best for privacy as we have people walking past at night?
With Shutters we offer our unique hidden split (as opposed to the bulky solid mid-rail offered by our competitors) – this means you have complete control over privacy. You simply close the bottom louvres at a position agreed to an angle where people cannot see into the lower half of your room, leaving the top section open to enable you to enjoy your views and keep the light coming in. We would normally align this with a natural break on your window frame or an opening casement so you can leave a window open in the summer months but still maintain privacy.
Curtains would have to be closed during the day to provide privacy and so block out the entire window during the day.
With regards to curtains, a special bay track will be required to be made to measure your bay. The curtains will naturally stack to either side of your bay and will cover the side sections and yes this will block light during the day.
3- Will I lose the use of my window cills?
The most popular sized shutter frame we use is a 60 mm Frame, a typical window handle projects around 40 mm. Therefore, from the window frame to the front of our shutters is 100 mm. The average window cill is around 250 mm, so leaving you enough room for your ornaments etc…
The curtains would normally close to the outside of the cill so as not to block the cill area. However, this does mean it covers your pictures and ornaments in the evening.
4- Will they darken the room to enable us to sleep on bright summer mornings.
As master partners with s:Craft we are able to offer our Shutter & Shade solution Unlike traditional blackout blinds, it has an integrated room darkening blind, sitting snugly in its own channel, eliminating most light bleed from outside. As the frame overlaps the blind, you get a beautifully designed shutter to suit your interiors, as well as a stylish shade too.
We can add blackout linings to our curtains, keep an eye out for our seasonal offers as we include this free of charge during certain months of the year.
So for the curtains vs shutters debate?
Deciding on the right window treatments is not just a case of picking a stylish tone or design. There are other factors to consider, like insulation, adaptability, and how effective they are at blocking out the sun.
We all like to keep our home cooler in summer, and warmer in winter, Our shutters work as an insulating layer when they are closed and In the warmer months you are able to leave your windows ajar, the open shutter louvres still allow airflow, also helping you to control the temperature of your room whilst maintaining a level of privacy.
With regards to curtains, they can offer differing levels of insulation, depending on which type of lining is chosen. Sheer or voiles are not effective shades against damaging UV, whereas a thermal blackout can offer some protection against heat, although do make your room feel much duller when closed.
A traditional choice, curtains are either open or closed to keep the sun off your valuable furnishings, but they completely block the view outside, making your house much darker.
The main advantage of choosing shutters is that they offer moveable louvres that can be tilted to a different angle, without the need to fully shut them. Making them more flexible for shading, enabling you to control the sunlight whilst maintaining the view of the outside.
To summarise:
Traditionally thought of as the most effective window shade for preventing damaging UV, blackout curtains create a dark environment, plus also allowing light to bleed around the perimeters of the curtain.
With Shutters, however, you only generally get small gaps in the louvres, which is why we offer the option of an integrated room darkening blind sitting in its own channel behind the shutter panel that blocks out virtually all light.
Shutters offer the best all round with regards to UV protection, privacy whilst allowing light into the rooms. They are also a better long term investment as they are timeless and unlike curtains do not have designs/patterns that will go out of trend and require updating in the future.
