Your windows are the main way in which light and heat enter the interior of your home, and there are a variety of different methods in which you can try and regulate that flow. Window treatments, which refer to installations like blinds and curtains, and window films are two of the most common methods in which to do so. However, due to their distinctive material differences, window treatments and window films provide a different set of advantages over one another. Understanding the differences between these two types of window installations can help you choose the one that is the best fit for your windows' needs.

Window Treatments

Window treatments are varied in the different styles that they come in, with various colors, patterns, designs, and even types of window treatments available. This allows you to pick the blind or curtain that best fits in to your interior design.

It's important to note that window treatments can help cut down on the amount of sunlight, and thus heat, that enters your home if they are closed. However, closing your window treatments will still allow a certain amount of heat to enter your home, and closing the treatments to keep out a small amount of heat will come at the cost of your view. This makes window treatments ideal if you want to enjoy a degree of privacy, but not if you want to continue to see your yard and garden.

Window Tints

Window tints can either be primarily reflective in nature, which causes the sun's rays to bounce off of the surface of your windows, or absorptive, in which they are colored darkly to absorb as much of the sun's UV rays before they manage to make it into your home. Reflective tints are more effective at preserving the view out of your window while reducing the heat levels within your home, whereas absorptive tints are better at giving you a degree of privacy – though importantly, they won't completely block your view as window treatments will.

The downside associated with window tints is the fact that they cannot add to the interior design scheme that you have developed within the room that they are installed in, since they will appear as a dull black or may even be barely visible. Further, the reflective nature of some window tints can cause glare to bounce off of your windows if you are standing outside, which can be distracting from the appearance of your home from the curb. Contact a company, like Snyders Shades & Shutters, for more help.