Window Shade Materials In Houston
Window shades are available in a variety of different materials, each of which has different advantages and disadvantages. These materials are grouped together into categories that include Blackout, Open Weave or Sun Screen, Light Filtering or Room Dimming, and Translucent.
Light Filtering, Room Dimming & Translucent Window Shade Materials
These materials are commonly grouped together since they share a lot of the same characteristics. The primary difference between room dimming and translucent shade materials has to do with the fabric color. Light-colored fabrics capture the light much like a lampshade, allowing it to filter into the room. Sunlight is reflected off of light colors like these.
Dark colors, on the other hand, absorb light. Shades that are made out of dark fabric don’t allow as much light into the room since the fabric does not reflect the light like lighter colors. With translucent materials, the amount of light entering the room through the shade depends on how much sunlight is available. For instance, using a shade made out of translucent fabric in a light color on a window that isn’t directly in the sun can provide room-dimming properties.
Shade materials that fall into these categories include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cotton, polyester, linen, and more. Most of these materials are tightly woven with tiny holes between the threads. Typically, they are categorized as zero in terms of their openness. Depending on the material, however, you may see extremely small pinholes in the material if the sunlight is hitting the shade directly. Compared to other material categories, these materials are usually quite thin. The goal of using shades made out of light-colored translucent materials is to maintain privacy while still allowing light to enter the room. Darker shades in this category, on the other hand, are designed to darken or dim the room.
Sun Screen & Open Weave Materials For Roller Shades
Materials like these are usually made out of polyester or fiberglass that has been coated with PVC. Today, environmentally-friendly choices are also being introduced to the market. Some of these options include cotton, polyester, and linen blends. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 100% polyester shades are also popular options.
Fiberglass or polyester shades that are coated with PVC are the most common materials in this category. These materials feature an open weave design that makes it possible to see through the shades. The visibility is provided by the open spaces in the weave rather than by the fabric itself. We define open weave a little bit differently than some people since we include sheer materials in this category. Sometimes, sheer materials are categorized along with translucent materials. For our purposes, we define open weave or sunscreen materials as any type of material that provides visibility, no matter what color it is. Open weave designs have varying levels of openness, usually ranging from 1% to 20%.
Blackout Materials
Materials in this category are designed to block out all light. They don’t have any pinholes and they don’t allow light to filter through them. Typically, these materials are made with fiberglass that has been covered with PVC. 100% polyester shades are also popular. In most cases, these shades have an acrylic foam backing to block the light. Blackout materials were once quite industrial in terms of their style. Today, however, more stylish or decorative options are being introduced to the market, making them a popular choice for bedrooms and nurseries.