Do wooden blinds make the room dark?

Yes, wooden blinds make your room dark but to a certain extent. However, it allows you to control how much light enters the room by rotating the slats. With such control, you can shade the room, leaving room to see outside, depending on the direction from which the sun is coming. 

You can still use wooden blinds for living rooms, dining rooms, or any other place that needs some natural light but not the full-on glare of the sun. These should be spaces where you want to have a visual impact.

Where can you use wooden blinds?

Wooden blinds work better on small windows. Wooden blinds look heavy when decorating your windows, but are ideal for small windows. They can block light, as well as blackout blinds, due to the thick material. They allow you a blackout when you require it and the ability to adjust the light rays when you need to.

They block 90-95% of the light, depending on their slat width. Wooden blinds block out light effectively when fully closed, but they don’t block as much light as a blackout blind. However, in a room darkened with a blackout blind and another darkened with a wooden blind, there is no big difference in lighting levels.

apartment windows with wooden blinds

Do wooden blinds block out light in the same way blackout blinds do?

No, these two do not block out light the same way. Wooden blinds are not blackout blinds, although similar. Blackout blinds do not allow light across the fabric of the blind when the blind is fully closed, which is different from wooden blinds.

The reason why wooden blinds do not make the room complete is that wooden blind slats do not form a complete seal. That is why light can still filter through the tiny gaps in the slats. These slats are suspended by lift cords, the control mechanism that allows them to be raised and lowered.

They lift cords running up through little holes in the slats of the blind. Although these holes are tiny, they still permit light to pass through. If your blind has ladder tapes over the lift cords, potential light leakage from lift cord holes becomes minimal. 

Your room needs to be dark inside with direct sun or another lighting outside before acknowledging the level of light leaking through a wooden blind.

There is also a small degree of light leakage around the edges of the blind. More light comes with blinds hung inside the window recess rather than over it. That works better with additional wall coverage on all four sides around the blind.

Do wooden blinds make rooms dark?

Yes, wooden blinds make rooms dark. Although wooden blinds cannot work as blackout blinds, they make the room dark. You get to a point where you need to give your eyes time to adjust and pick up some small amount of light available in the room. You might even fail to see your hand in front of your face or bump into the furniture.

Closed wooden blinds have a level of darkness for sleep, especially if the outside world is not sunny. If you can get a level of light leakage with blackout blinds, meaning you have better lighting with wooden blinds.  

Do wooden blinds keep out light well enough to allow you to sleep?

Yes, depending on what level of light is ideal for your sleep. You might not be able to catch your sleep in no-pitch darkness, but that is rare. Only a few people need that. More people struggle with darkness than those who do not. They have problems with waking up or a natural sleep in a fully darkened room (Mysplus.com).

However, more people cannot stand any light when trying to sleep, which might be a problem with the wooden blinds. For sleepers, wooden blinds would be a pick to keep the light out enough to allow them to sleep. Wooden blinds might be good at deterring light for their sleep.

How to avoid darkness

  • Choose light colours, and you can still match your wood blinds with existing furniture to make your small room feel more enclosed. 
  • In small spaces, avoid dark colours. 
  • Choose light-colored shades, such as white wood or vertical blinds.

Can wooden blinds be blackout?

It depends on the type of wooden blinds. When it comes to  Wooden Venetian Blinds, the wooden slats are blackout as they block 100% of the light from passing through the slats. However, where they touch up against each other when closed, and at the edges of the blinds, there is a gap at the edges that brings some light. 

Differences between wood and faux wood blinds?

  • Wooden blinds are wood, and faux products are vinyl. 
  • Wooden blinds are not resistant to moisture.

How to clean wooden blinds

To clean wood blinds, dry the dust with a clean cloth. When it comes to deep cleaning, avoid using water at all costs (heartlandamish.com). The use of water causes damage to the wood. Instead, use a soft cloth, lightly sprayed with furniture polish or lemon oil.

For soiled blinds, use a mild detergent in tepid water on a clean cotton cloth. Rinse with clear water and dry with a cotton cloth to remove the moisture. Moisture can damage the wood.

Advantages of wooden blinds

  • They are durable.
  • They stay longer without being damaged or weakened.
  • They are a cost-effective investment compared to other blinds.
  • Wood complements homes with modern architecture as it pairs well with any wooden furniture.
  • Wooden blinds protect the user from external weather conditions. They block UV rays and reduce solar heat gain. 

Disadvantages 

  • Wood blinds cannot withstand high humidity, so avoid installing real wood blinds in areas like the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Long-term exposure to humidity causes wood to warp or fade.

Conclusion

In summation, wooden blinds make the room dark when closed, but you can still choose a bright colour that brings light to your room. There are types of wooden blinds that you can choose from. The versatility of wood blinds lies in the idea that they can be as light or dark as you want them to be. It all depends on the room, its colour, and what you want to achieve. All the best. 

Elissa Smith
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