Blackout Blinds

Blackout Blinds are a special type of window treatment. They're designed to keep the sun from waking you in the morning. They are popular with hotels and motels where people may need to sleep at anytime of the day. They are also popular in the baby's nursery or the children's nap room. Other uses include conference rooms that need to be able to provide projection screens. Anytime you need to darken a room during daylight hours, blackout blinds are the best choice. They're also gaining popularity as energy savers: customers are using blackout blinds to help keep rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

If you're buying blackout blinds online dealers, it is essential you visit the merchant's web site in order to read their window-measuring instructions. All blackout blinds are cut to measure, which means it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to get a refund if your measurements are wrong or if the color you chose does not work with your room.

Specially Made Roller Blinds

Blackout blinds are generally roller blinds that are designed to eliminate as much light as possible. They're made from special, heavy fabrics and roll up and down on mechanical rollers.

The are constructed differently than ordinary blinds that roll freely over a roller which is attached at the top of the window frame.  Blackout blinds are designed to stay close to the window. This is accomplished by side channels that are attached to the inside of the frames. This prevents the light from entering on the sides of the blinds.

Specialty Fabrics

The fabric is also different. Good blackout blinds are made with specially treated fabric which keeps out the light. Many different kinds of fabric and materials can be treated. Different companies usually choose several different combinations of material. Some of the most popular are acrylic, fiberglass and aluminum, but any material that can reduce the incoming light and reflect it away along with the heat will work.  

Blackout blinds can be purchased in a wide variety of colors and styles. Though practical, they are also stylish and can be designed to blend well with your decor. Color should not be a factor in reducing light leakage-if it is, the product is using old technology. The elimination of light in new blackout blinds is dependant upon the material used to make the blinds. You should be able to choose any color, pattern, or print that you want in order to match your taste and dŽcor. 

Dim Out Blinds

If you don't need total light blockage, there are options that allow you to simply dim the lighting in a room. Dimming the lighting also aids in keeping a hot summer room cool, and it will also help you retain heat during cold winter months. Blinds that only dim the light are usually called Dim Out Blinds. They're material construction is like that of the Black Out Blinds, they don't have to be fitted into the side-channels that block all incoming light. Like Black Out Blinds, come a range of colors and patterns and can be designed to blend with the existing dŽcor in any room. It's well worth your time to shop around until you find the exact window treatments your looking for; they really are out there.

Cellular Blinds

Cellular blinds are a recent entry into market and not every manufacturer offers them. You may have to custom order them, especially if you want them as blackout blinds, but their value lies in the options they provide, most of which you can not find with standard blackout blinds. For example, instead of a top down roller, cellular blackout blinds can be raised from the bottom.
Cellular blinds usually block about 80% of the light, and like blackout roller blinds, come in both room darkening and light filtering styles. They also come in the same wide range of color, so whether you're looking for soft lavender and sea green, or for bold earth tones or bright, modern hues, you should be able to find what you're looking for.