Choosing the right blinds for bathroom windows can be difficult. If you have a small bathroom or just one small window, then this often involves a trade-off between privacy and light.
You probably need blinds to give you some privacy in this room. Even if you have opaque or tinted glass, people can still see in when you have the light on if you don’t have anything covering your window. However, your bathroom may not have a lot of natural light coming in, so you’ll be keen not to make your windows too dark.
To make things more complicated, you also need to factor the bathroom environment into your choice of blinds. This room has to handle a lot of moisture and steam, and not all blinds can cope with this kind of damp atmosphere.
To find a blind that meets your privacy, light and environment requirements, try the following tips.
1. Look for Privacy and Light
It’s important to choose the right design of blind for your bathroom. Any blind will block some of the light coming in when it is closed. However, certain blinds minimise light loss while giving you extra privacy.
For example, venetian or vertical blinds have slats or blades that you open or close to control light coming in. You can open these blinds a little, a lot or even fully depending on how much light you want to let in. Plus, even when the slats or blades are fully open, you still get some privacy. They sit in front of the window even when they are in the open position.
Roller blinds are great for privacy; however, they may block out more light than venetian or vertical blinds when they are rolled down. You can open roller blinds part way or all the way to let in more light, but this effectively exposes part or all of your window again.
Tip: If you’re set on roller blinds, choose translucent or light colours rather than darks. White or cream blinds let in more light, while dark colours keep more light out.
2. Choose Waterproof Materials
No matter how well ventilated your bathroom is, it’s a wet room. Moisture, steam and damp don’t mix so well with some blind materials. For example, wood blinds won’t be able to withstand this kind of environment. If they are regularly wet, the wood warps or swells.
Whichever design of blind you choose, look for materials that are water resistant. Treated metal and plastic blinds work well in this room, as do materials that have been waterproofed during the manufacturing process.
Tip: Bear in mind, you don’t always have to compromise on blind styles to get the right materials. If you really want wooden blinds in your bathroom, try timber-look products. These blinds look like wood but are made from waterproof materials like PVC.
3. Combat Mould and Mildew
As well as water damage, some blinds develop mould spots and mildew growth in the bathroom environment. This is often a problem if your blinds are made from fabric materials and your bathroom has ventilation problems that make it prone to condensation.
Mould and mildew look unpleasant, aren’t really healthy to have in your home and are hard to clean off blinds without leaving nasty stains. To avoid this, buy blinds made from materials that have been treated with an antifungal barrier. These blinds won’t grow mould or mildew no matter how wet it gets in your bathroom.
To see some examples of blinds that can tick all your bathroom boxes, contact Blind Outlet. Our range of venetian, vertical and roller blind products is sure to contain the perfect blind for you.
