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Evaluating Window Treatments By Feature In Chicago

June 20, 2023

Window treatments have more to offer than merely looking good. They block undesired sunlight, establish privacy, and handle many other tasks. They should also accommodate your lifestyle. If you have pets or kids, you’ll have to consider that when picking window treatments. So it’s wise to shop for window treatments by function in Chicago and not merely for how they look. Read on to see what window treatments work best for differing needs, and then get together with your Sunburst consultant for extra assistance.

What Window Treatments To Use For Energy Efficiency

White Polywood shutters on a large kitchen window

Windows are a major source of thermal loss within your home. They also let in hot UV light that cause your air conditioner to exert extra effort. You can give your HVAC system a break and enjoy savings on utility expenses by using energy-efficient window treatments.

Polywood® shutters are without question the best energy-efficient window treatments in Chicago. Their durable wood composite material and proprietary weather resistance provides a formidable defense against drafts and UV rays when you close the louvers. If you shut their panels, frigid air and warm air can't infiltrate around their frames. This exceptional method of insulation stops up to 30 degrees of thermal transfer to keep your house cozy all year long and cut energy costs.

Polywood shutters are so good at saving energy that you can enjoy an energy tax credit of up to $1200 in 2023 when you integrate them into your interior!

If you would like a substitute for shutters, look to energy-saving cellular shades. By using their accordion-style folds, cellular shades can trap a portion of the airflow from reaching your living space. They are fabricated with multiple layers of material to present a soft and stylish barrier beside your windows.

Products To Install For The Best Room Darkening Window Treatments In Chicago

White Polywood shutters in a dim bedroom

Room darkening window treatments obstruct as much light as possible to help you maintain a cool living environment and get a great night of sleep. A good number of window shades and blinds come with light-blocking options. Thicker fabric shades with full coverage provide effective room darkening.

Another fantastic way to obstruct the light in Chicago homes is to use plantation shutters.

Louvered shutters are solid wood or composite wood and include a frame that surrounds your window. They can’t sway and don’t have openings along the borders for light to penetrate. If you close their adjustable slats, you see just the slimmest glimmer of light, and no exterior light or warm ultraviolet rays are allowed into the space.

The Best Light Filtering Window Treatments

White sheer shades on a wall of windows in a white bedroom

The best light filtering window treatments for Chicago homes allow soft light while still giving you a little privacy and obstructing glare from the sun. Sunburst’s sheer window shades achieve this perfectly. Their dual fabric panels soften exterior light when lowered over windows, and they have opaque louver-type slats placed two inches apart inside the sheer panels to provide some privacy. Whenever you wish to have additional privacy and lower amounts of light, just move the slats to impede unwanted views and exterior light.

Another great option for light filtering is roller shades with transparent fabrics. This alternative is good for setting the right mood. In the event you require more room darkening or privacy, you can install another roller shade behind it.

The Top Pet-friendly Window Treatment

White Polywood shutters in a bedroom with two cats climbing on the bed

Pets and window coverings don’t always co-exist well together. Dangling materials are entertaining for mischievous animals to bite, paw, scale, and tug at. Before long, your window treatments are ripped or falling down.

Plantation shutters are the best pet-friendly window treatment for Chicago residents. As a solid unit attached straight to the window’s frame, they just don’t tempt animals in the same manner that other options seem to. Nothing on them hangs down or slides around. If an animal tries to ascend them, they won’t fall down. Polywood shutters specifically withstand most scratches. And if Spot does chomp down on a louver, contact Sunburst to ask for a simple repair.

The Best Childsafe Window Treatments In Chicago

Two girls playing in a toy room with Polywood shutters on the windows

Some window treatments are unsafe for young children—and you might say kids are unsafe to window treatments! Cords for shades and blinds are deemed a risk forstrangulation. You are able to get cord-free shades and blinds, but they won’t survive a child yanking or clinging to them. Alternatively, consider strong Polywood shutters. They withstand exploring hands better than blinds and shades and never come with strings. You may put them in a little one’s bedroom or playroom without stressing.

Top Window Treatments To Install On Sidelight Windows

Polywood shutters on skinny sidelight windows by a front door

Sidelight windows are those vertical, skinny, windows on one or both sides of your main entry. They are so narrow, that not every window covering looks good on them.

Blinds are too flimsy and simply look awkward there. Most window shades have difficulty fitting on these windows. But a interior shutter is the right solution for a sidelight window in Chicago since they are fastened permanently for a perfect fit. The frame around them makes a terrific completed look. And the easy to move slats give you the light control and privacy you need at your front door.

What Window Treatments To Use On Specialty Windows

curved shutters in a bathroom

Specialty windows are any windows that aren’t a typical size or standard rectangle. You could have a circular or octagon-shaped window, a French door, or a sliding patio door within your home that you need to shield for added privacy and reduced glare. Technically speaking, you could place shades or blinds over these windows, but these will cover up unique window shapes and are a challenge to use on very small or large windows.

The best window treatments for specialty windows in Chicago are interior shutters. Polywood and Ovation® shutters are custom-tailored to accommodate the precise measurements of your window. They can even be built for circle and arched windows. Better yet, they maintain functionality irregardless of what size or shape you custom-order.

The Best Motorized Window Treatment Choice

Light gray window shades on a row of windows in a gray living room

If you’re looking for the best motorized window treatments in Chicago, you already understand how beneficial they are. With the easy touch of a button, you are able to open or lower your window treatments from wherever you are. You are even able to arrange smart motorized window treatments to go up or down on a fixed schedule.

Automated roller shades are the best motorized window treatment. Roller shades come in various styles and designs to accommodate your wishes and needs, and then you can request motorization for even more convenience. Regardless of what style or color of roller shade you get, you’ll upgrade your window shades when choosing motorization.

The Window Treatments That Are Simple To Clean in Chicago

White Polywood shutters in a neutral colored dining room

Cleaning window treatments is a chore if you have to use the vacuum or take them off the window to wash. Then there are the stains that just won’t come out of fabric window treatments. Polywood louvered shutters are the best easy-to-clean window treatments for Chicago residents who hate cleaning window treatments. Their durable coating won’t stain and is simple to dust with a duster or cloth. For more challenging grime and sticky residue, just wipe them down with a lightly dampened cloth, and they will look new again!

The Best Door Window Treatments

White Polywood shutters on a sliding glass door in a family room

Picking the best door window treatments for your Chicago home can be a challenge. You need the same control over outside light and privacy that you enjoy with your windows, but most window treatments shift and bang against the door when you go through it. To put a stop to this, turn to plantation shutters. They affix to your door and won’t shift around when you use it. They also provide full mastery over outside light and privacy with their hinged panels and adjustable louvers.

Louvered shutters are also a great choice for French doors and sliding glass doors. They are custom-built to match your door and won’t shift back and forth when you go in and out. Furthermore, they’re the right solution for large door windows and provide tremendous insulation on doors that are known sources for heat loss.

What To Use For Sound Absorbing Window Treatments In Chicago

 Exterior view of white Polywood shutters on a front window

If you dwell on a busy street, the correct window treatments can help block unwanted racket. Sturdy plantation shutters do this best. They are constructed from wood or a solid wood substitute that serves as a buffer between you and noises outside. Shut them during busy periods and before bed to cherish the tranquility and stillness within your home. Additionally, they add to your home’s curb appeal, which is crucial when you reside in a crowded area.

Explore Sunburst Window Treatments By Feature In Chicago

Sunburst Shutters Chicago has the widest assortment of attractive and functional window treatments you will find! Simply inform us about what you would like from your window treatments, and we’ll be happy to help. Dial 847-250-6544 or fill out the following form to arrange a free in-home appointment. Your consultant will recommend solutions per your needs and showcase our products right in your home so you can discover the right window treatments for every room.