The Curtain Alternative That Blocks More UV Rays

As an item that helps regulate light in your home, aid insulation, add privacy, and complement your decor, your window treatments deserve special consideration to choose the ideal option for your needs. Due to their ease of operation and endless design possibilities, curtains are among the most common window treatment types people opt for. Still, depending on the specific features you're looking for in your window treatments, curtains might not always be able to get the job done. For example, if your priority is blocking more UV rays, solar shades might be the most effective solution for your windows.

While you can find curtains with UV-blocking features, they might come with some drawbacks. Most curtains that deliver this perk are made from materials that completely block sunlight from your home, which means you wouldn't be able to enjoy natural light and UV protection at the same time. Meanwhile, solar shades are specifically designed to block UV rays from entering your home while still letting light through. This way, solar shades protect your home from the harmful effects of prolonged UV exposure, including the discoloration and fading of your flooring and furniture, without causing you any inconvenience.

When choosing solar shades to improve natural light in your home while reducing UV rays, striking the right balance between the two depends on your blinds' openness percentage. Shades with a lower openness percentage will block more UV rays, but they'll also let less light through. For example, a shade with 1% openness can block 99% of UV rays, but it also comes with high opacity. Meanwhile, 10% openness can protect you from 90% of UV rays while providing your home with more natural light. To make the best choice for your home, consider your priorities and pick an openness percentage that best reflects them.

While solar shades provide a decent amount of privacy during the day, they don't block the view from outside into your home at night. To rectify this drawback, one easy home upgrade that gives you more control over privacy and light is combining your solar shades with curtains, which you can just draw over your shades whenever necessary. This way, you get the best of both worlds — unparalleled UV protection and natural light during the day combined with curtain-delivered privacy at night.