We at Strickland’s Home have noticed that skylights sometimes have a “can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without them” effect on Wilmington, NC homeowners and beyond. We understand why. The wonderful thing about skylights is that they can bring a lot of natural light into a space. The downside of skylights is that they can bring a lot of natural light into a space—oftentimes more light than desired. Plus, uncovered skylights can lead to lost heat or less effective air conditioning, making them occasional energy-wasting culprits. Thankfully, skylight shades are an easy way to fall back in love with skylights. Here are a few things you need to know about these window coverings:
Blackout or Room Darkening Skylight Shades
This type of skylight shade completely blocks light, giving you precise control of how much sun your room gets. The most effective blackout skylight shades are cellular shades, which have a pocket of air between the front and back layers of fabric. That pocket of air makes these shades excellent insulators and solar heat reflectors, in addition to being a good defense against light and UV rays. Because blackout skylight shades pair perfectly with afternoon naps, sleeping in on weekends, and watching movies without a glare, they’re typically used in bedrooms and media rooms.
Manual Skylight Shades
When skylight shades fall into the “manual” category, it means that they are operated manually, moving from an open to a closed position with the help of a telescopic extension pole. Both fabric cellular shades and skylight plantation shutters can be manual. In the case of plantation shutters, a specially designed extension pole with a hook and rubber bumper at the end is used to gently tilt louvers. Unlike their motorized cousins, manual shades don’t require any mechanized equipment, so they can usually be placed on any skylight in any room.
Remote Control or Motorized Skylight Shades
Automated shades can be operated with either remote controls or a wall switch. They can also be connected to a programmable timer for even more control and flexibility. One of our most popular motorized shades is the honeycomb-style Hunter Douglas Duette Shades, which use a radio frequency remote control that can open or close multiple shades at the same time. Motorized shades are ideal for skylights that are hard to reach.
From art studios…
to bathrooms…
to kitchens…,
skylights can be a welcome addition to any room. If you’re interested in managing your skylights with the help of shades, visit one of our Strickland’s Home showrooms to get started.