Silver Spring, MD is one of the richest and the most diversified in architecture communities in the DC metro region. The high-rise condos on Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue, the mid 20 th-century Cape Cods and colonials in Woodside and Four Corners, almost every Silver Spring house has at least one room in which light control is a real issue.
It may be the east-facing bedroom that opens at 5.30 AM, the home office with the sun blazing in through the window onto your computer screen, or the living room directly facing the West with the sun pouring in during the summer – then the best bet is to install blackout blinds and darkness shades in a room. This guide has all the information that Silver Spring homeowners ought to know before making the purchase.
Blackout vs Room Darkening — What’s the Difference?
The two terms are frequently used interchangeably yet they imply different things and it is worth knowing the difference before you order.
When completely closed, blackout blinds and shades prevent 99-100% of the incoming light. They apply opaque lightproof material, not letting any light through the material, in most cases, a thick fabric with a foam or vinyl backing. Complete blackout is of utmost importance to shift workers, nurseries of babies, and home theaters, and any other person who requires total darkness to sleep.
Room darkening blinds and shades prevent 95-99 percent of light. They also cause much brightness to be inhibited and a dark sleep-friendly atmosphere is produced, although a little light can penetrate through the material on very high angles of the sun or around the frame of the frame. Room darkening suffices in the majority of Silver Spring bedrooms and living rooms.
One point to make: even a flawless blackout fabric will still be able to transmit some light around the sides and the top of an inside-mount blind when the window frame has only a shallow reveal. Outside mount installation when the blind covers the frame on the outside is the best to achieve a complete blackout.
Best Blackout Blind Styles for Silver Spring, MD Homes
1. Blackout Roller Shades
The most popular Blackout roller shades used in the condos and apartments in Silver Spring are mostly in the high-rise buildings along the Red Line. These are drawn in as a small tube at the top of the window, and the appearance is clean and sparse. A quality blackout roller shade is a blackout shade that blocks the light entirely when closed with the use of fabric, but outside mount installation is preferred to cover a larger area.
Room darkening roller shades are a whiter version – same appearance, a little bit softer, and a greater variety of colors and fabrics such as linen-like and solar screen type. These would be the ones that you would turn to the Silver Spring home offices where you need to minimize glare without making the room darker than dark.
2. Blackout Cellular Shades
Blackout cellular shades – also known as blackout honeycomb shades – are a blend of full light rejection and outstanding insulation. The cellular honeycomb texture encloses air and forms a thermal barrier that is important in the climate of Silver Spring: hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter, and huge temperature changes during spring and fall.
In older windows, which is typical of Silver Spring homeowners living in Woodside, Bonifant and East Silver Spring neighborhoods, Blackout cellular shades which are double cellular can achieve significant savings in heat gain during summer and heat loss during winters, as a result of which they will save on their bills in the long run. Cordless ones are the most preferred in the bedrooms particularly in the home that has kids.
Top down bottom up blackout shades may be considered when using Silver Spring ground-floor rooms that face the street. They allow you to have the bottom half completely closed as a privacy measure and the top half dropped down to allow in natural light and is a practical solution to rooms that require both.
3. Blackout Vertical Blinds
The best fit in the case of Silver Spring homes has sliding glass doors is blackout vertical blinds, which were the ubiquity in the townhomes and garden apartments of the 1970s and 1980s. Vertical blinds are neatly stacked to one side when open, they move on a track easily and in their broad slats they suit well over a large glass door opening where a roller shade or cellular blind would be very inconvenient.
In the case of sliding doors that face west, which receive direct afternoon sun during summer months at Silver Spring, one of the few products that can provide you with complete light blocking and be able to pass through the door, at the same time is documenting the blackout vertical blinds.
4. Blackout Shades for French Doors
Silver Spring homes especially those in the neighborhoods of Woodside Park and North Hills often have french doors that open up to back gardens and patios. The french doors are not well suited with standard blinds since the door opens and the blind slides along with it, and it becomes trapped and bent as time goes on.
French door blackout blinds are made with this in mind specifically, it is attached to the door itself with hold down brackets on the bottom that make sure the blind is flat against the glass as the door opens and closes. French doors can be custom-sized with cellular or roller french doors both in blackout.
5. Zebra Shades with Room Darkening Liner
In newer buildings of Silver Spring and older houses that have been refurbished, zebra shade or dual sheer shade is a fashionable colour. They alternate black and semi-black fabrics giving you an opportunity to alternate between filtered light or virtually total privacy by adjusting the orientation of the bands.
Normal zebra shades are not blackout. But you have the best of both worlds with zebra shades that have a room darkening liner, which provides you with the stylish layer look of the zebra shade and the true light blocking performance when you need it. Commonplace in living rooms and master bedrooms of Silver Spring where a value is placed as much on style as on functionality.
How to Choose the Right Blackout Option for Your Silver Spring Home
The right product depends on your specific situation:
- Bedroom facing east or south — Blackout roller shades or double-cell blackout cellular shades, outside mount for maximum coverage
- Home office with afternoon glare — Room darkening roller shades in a solar screen or linen weave, inside mount
- Sliding glass door — Blackout vertical blinds, full-width outside mount
- French doors — French door blackout cellular holds down bracket shades
- Ground floor street facing room – Top down bottom up blackout cellular shades of privacy and light balance.
- Living room in which aesthetics is important – Zebra shades with inside mount room darker liner.
Measuring for Blackout Blinds in Silver Spring, MD
Here are several Silver Spring peculiarities of measurement that you might follow our complete measuring guide to know before you order :
Windows of condos and apartments in Georgia Avenue and Colesville road are non-standard size and shallow framed – take care and note outside mount when frame depth is less than 2 inches. Outside mount also provides 2-3 inches of overlap on each side, and this also enhances the performance of blackout considerably.
In Woodside, Four Corners and the Sligo Park Hills, mid-century houses often have out-of-square windows, wider on one side than on the other. It is always essential to measure the width at three lengths (top, middle, bottom) and apply the thinnest length to inside mount orders.
Ripley District, the Downtown Silver and East Silver Townhomes usually have ordinary modern frames with sufficient depth to internal mount. Measure jamb depth prior to ordering cellular shades – you should have not less than 2¼ inch inside mount cellular.
All Silver Spring orders have to be measured to the nearest 1/8 inch and must be typed in verbatim dimensions never rounded. Blinds are custom made and prepared to our exact specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best blackout blind for a Silver Spring bedroom? The most effective bedroom choice to be used in the Silver Spring homes are Cordless double-cell blackout cellular shades in the outside mount because they block light passing through the fabric and the outside mount cover removes openings on the edges. In close second will be blackout roller shades that are relatively cheaper.
Q: Do blackout blinds help with Silver Spring’s summer heat? Yes, especially blackout cellular shades. The honeycomb construction is a purposeful insulation against heat gain and this can be felt in the west and south facing rooms of Silver Spring during summer afternoons. Roller shades that have a reflective layer also prevent a heat gain through the sunrays, but they are not as effective as cellular.
Q: Can I get blackout vertical blinds for my sliding door in Silver Spring? Yes. BuyHomeBlinds customizes blackout vertical blinds to all sizes including wide measurements required in sliding glass doors which are prevalent in the Silver Spring townhomes and garden apartments. The best recommended blackout coverage is outside mount.
Q: How long does delivery take to Silver Spring, MD? Custom blackout blinds ship within 5–10 business days to all Silver Spring zip codes — 20901, 20902, 20903, 20904, 20905, 20906, 20910. Free standard shipping included on all orders.
Q: Are blackout blinds and room darkening blinds the same thing? No. Blackout blocks 99–100% of light through the fabric. Room darkening blocks 95–99% — enough for comfortable sleep in most situations, but a small amount of light may still enter. For nurseries, shift workers, or home theaters, true blackout is recommended.
Order Custom Blackout Blinds — Shipped Direct to Silver Spring, MD
BuyHomeBlinds manufactures and ships custom blackout blinds and room darkening shades to all Silver Spring, MD zip codes — 20901 through 20910 — with free standard shipping on every order. Custom sizes at no extra charge. Free samples available before you commit to a full order.
Call (301) 847-7000 or visit buyhomeblinds.com
“Also Read: Faux Wood Blinds vs Real Wood Blinds: Which Is Better for Your Home?“