Whether you reside in a townhome or rowhouse in DC, Baltimore, Northern VA, or suburban MD, you’re already familiar with the fact that window treatments selection is not the same as for a typical suburban home. The building design varies from the original. That’s because the street proximity is different. The question of privacy is not the same. The DC metro climate is one that pushes the top 90s in the summer and is cold, draughty, and damp in the winter, so it demands a certain type of window treatment from anyone.
You’ll follow step by step, room by room, challenge by challenge, to figure out how to make window coverings that really work for the structure of a townhome or rowhouse in the DC area.
The Unique Window Challenges of DC-Area Townhomes and Rowhouses
We need to first recognize why a different approach is necessary for townhomes and rowhouses before we begin comparing products.
Across the board, most rowhouses (Capitol Hill, Petworth, Adams Morgan, Old Town Alexandria, or Bethesda) are on or very close to the sidewalk. The first and second floor, which are both street facing, are continually under pressure for privacy. Residents of the adjacent property, walkers and cars parking on the street can all see directly through your front rooms. Simultaneously, these same front windows might be the main windows for what may be a long, thin house. Shut off the light and it’s like a cave. Do not close the window, and there’s no privacy.
Top-down bottom-up functionality is particularly convenient in Northern Virginia and DC townhomes where windows on the street should be privatized at the bottom while the top should remain open to allow natural light to penetrate. With that one feature, that’s the pressing issue that most rowhouse owners have on their front elevations solved.
Rear windows pose other challenges. Many DC-area row houses back up to a rear yard or alley, or to a unit that is set in a rear-facing position in another building. Again, privacy is an issue here, but the lighting is frequently excellent and the close access to kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms adds a level of moisture tolerance to the list of considerations when choosing materials.
But the climate is there too. Here in July and August, not only is it hot in DC, it’s heavy. Approximately 76% of the light that passes through the normal double-glazing windows enters your home as heat. Light and privacy aren’t the only thing window treatments can offer this market. They are a component of your home’s energy plan.
Front-Facing Windows: Privacy Without Losing Light
Most homeowners have a problem with the windows that face the street in a row house/town home. It will be different depending on the floor you are working with.
Front windows are at eye level on the first floor and will require the most privacy, as will front windows across the street. Front windows on the first floor will need the greatest privacy due to the eye level of the street and first floor windows across the street. Here, top down / bottom up cellular shades are the most functional. You draw the shade down to conceal the lower half of the window (from the street) and up to allow natural light to enter the room. You will end up with a room that is light, and still has real privacy, but without the need to permanently close your windows.
Faux wood blinds are also an excellent alternative to wooden blinds on the first floor of the front room. There is precise control over the tilt of the slats and faux wood can handle the humidity of DC summers much better than real wood. Wood will swell, warp and warp in continual wetness. Wood blinds will show signs of effects within a few seasons in rooms near outside sources of moisture even if humidity is high during the summer months. Faux wood (or faux holster wood) is a wood that has a warm aesthetic to it, but is not subject to the same susceptibility to damage.
Front windows on the 2nd floor offer more flexibility as views from the street are at slightly lower angles. Roller shades made of light filtering fabric allow natural light to pass through and prevent street level visibility into the room. For windows on the second floor or those with a south- or west-facing orientation that get direct afternoon sun, another great option are solar shades.
Rear Windows and Interior Rooms
Rear-facing windows in row houses in the DC Area typically lead to an alley, small yard or back windows of another building. There’s still some privacy, but because these windows don’t face the street, the strategy can be a bit more flexible.
Depending on the room, it can use either light filter or room darkening roller shades. Aluminum mini blinds or faux wood blinds are the obvious selection for rear kitchens, a very common galley kitchen arrangement found in older DC rowhouses. They are moisture resistant, quickly wipe clean, do not warp in a kitchen where moisture and cooking residue are permanent, and are steam resistant.
For back bedrooms, room-darkening cellular shades offer a good combination of the honeycomb insulation properties (which are important in summer to block out heat and in winter to keep drafts out) and the sleep quality benefit of the significant reduction in light.
Bathrooms in Narrow Rowhouses
Older houses and living in the City poses a unique problem: a beautiful bathroom with no privacy. Your bathroom windows can provide a line of sight to neighbors who live just a few feet away, whether you live in a rowhouse in Capitol Hill, a condo in Dupont Circle or a townhouse in Georgetown.
Moisture resistance and privacy are the two most important factors for rowhouse bathrooms. Faux wood blinds take care of the humidity. When the window is fully closed, the window is completely covered with the privacy provided by the Cellular shades in a room-darkening or blackout fabric. Sometimes it’s best to have a privacy window that you set and forget, such as a window that overlooks a neighboring building at close range, a cordless cellular window shade is the best.
Managing DC’s Climate Through Your Window Treatments
Choosing the materials in the DC market is not only a sense of appeal. The humid summer and cold winter weather have created the requirement for specific performance.
If your windows in the DC rowhouse are located to the south or west, solar shades are your only protection against summer heat gain. Unlike blackout, solar shades are constructed with a special open weave fabric that reflects infrared heat, the part of the sun’s rays that are converted into heat when they go through glass, without blocking your view or the natural light in the room.
Cellular honeycomb shades are the best insulation choice for the winter season, in every category. The honeycomb cell acts as a buffer layer by trapping air between the window glass and your room, thereby slowing the movement of heat through the glass. This insulating layer has a measurable effect not only on comfort but also on heating bills, in older rowhouses, where single pane windows and drafty frames are found.
Plantation shutters are the most effective insulating window treatment out there, especially composite shutters. Because they combine wood grain look with waterproof construction, composite shutters are the right choice for a wet climate such as DC. They are a strong physical barrier between your window glass and the room, keeping summer heat out before it can enter and affect your conditioned space, and helping stop winter drafts. The initial investment is greater but the addition is a permanent improvement to the home’s architecture that would greatly increase its value and maintenance free.
Historic Architecture and Material Choices
Many rowhouses in the DC area are in historic neighborhoods, or have original elements that can be easily influenced by certain window treatment styles and not others, such as crown molding, window casings, transoms, or divided-light sash windows.
In an historic interior, plantation shutters and roman blinds work well with the architecture and do not overpower it. For Capitol Hill Victorian or Federal style homes in Georgetown, traditional louver widths fit in seamlessly with a period-appropriate look. For an older house, linen or woven natural materials are more suitable and add softness and texture to the room.
If the windows are divided-light (windows with multiple panes separated by muntins), it is important to carefully measure inside-mount treatments. Shades or blinds on a window are usually easier to keep clean than shades covering one pane of glass. Before ordering, make sure the mounting depth of the inside of the window frame is correct, particularly with older frames, they may have very shallow mounting depths.
Room-by-Room Summary
Front living room: Top down bottom up cellular shade or faux wood blinds for privacy and light control.
Front bedroom (second floor): Light filtering roller shade or solar shade for day time privacy and glare control.
Rear kitchen: Faux wood blinds or aluminum mini blinds for moisture resistance and easy clean.
Rear or middle bedroom:Room Blackout Cellular shade for sleep quality and insulation.
Bathroom: Faux wood blinds or cellular shades with cordless operation and moisture resistance.
Home office: Solar shade for glare control without losing daylight or view.
Looking for the perfect window treatments in your DC area townhome or rowhouse? BuyHomeBlinds is a service to homeowners in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. We provide custom blinds and shades available to your precise dimensions, free samples in order to try before you buy, and free in-home consultations for those that wish to be guided from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions Blinds DC
What are the best blinds for privacy in a DC rowhouse without blocking natural light?
Top-down bottom up cellular shades are the best option for privacy for a rowhouse while allowing plenty of daylight. They can be used to draw the shade down to prevent views from the street and leave the top section of the window open. Light filtering roller shades and solar shades are great for second floor windows as they do not allow anyone to view in from the street during the day, but allow some natural light into the room.
What window treatment materials hold up best in DC's humid summers?
Faux wood blinds, composite plantation shutters, aluminum mini blinds and polyester cellular shades all work well in the DC metro climate. It is not advisable to use real wood blinds or real wood shutters in this area. Real wood swells and warps due to high humidity in the summer months (often 80 to 90 percent) and fluctuating temperatures from season to season, which compromises its ability to function properly in just a few years.
Are solar shades good for south-facing windows in a DC or Northern Virginia townhome?
Yes. Solar shades are a great window treatment for south and west-facing windows in the DC metro area. They consist of an open weave fabric that reflects the solar heat before it reaches the glass, and keeps the heat out of the glass, while still letting the view see through them. The degree of openness of the fabric determines how much light and view will be retained, a three to five percent openness will give maximum heat rejection and an openness of ten percent will give more view clarity.
What blinds work best for narrow rowhouse kitchens in Baltimore or DC?
For rowhouse kitchens, the best options are aluminum mini blinds and faux wood blinds. They will both resist moisture, wipe clean and not warp or get damaged in a kitchen, where steam, grease and humidity are every day. Cordless versions provide a simple operation without tangling cords and eliminate the cord that may end up in a way that interferes with cooking or a window above a sink.
Do I need different window treatments for the front and rear windows of my townhome?
In most cases, yes. Facing the street, front windows must be more difficult to see through, whether it’s a top down/bottom up window shade, tightly woven solar shades, or faux wood blind slats angling toward the street. The treatment for light control and privacy may vary from the front, depending on the orientation of the rear windows to an alley, yard, or adjacent unit, and their exposure to light. Considering the front and rear elevations separately results in improved performance in both spaces.
Are cordless blinds better for older rowhouses with children?
For any household, young children and old, cordless blinds are the only type of blinds that is recommended. For older rowhouses where windows are sometimes lower to the ground or near play areas, the hanging lift cord is the biggest safety concern with window blinds and can be removed. Cordless cellular shades, cordless roller shades and cordless faux wood blinds are all easy to use by pushing the bottom rail up or down and they lock in place.
Can plantation shutters be installed in a DC historic district rowhouse?
Yes, and they are frequently one of the most suitable choices in terms of architecture. Composite plantation shutters fit into the interior of the window frame without changing the exterior of the window in any way, making them ideal for historic district requirements that dictate exterior changes. Most DC area jurisdictions do not review interior window treatments for historic preservation. Wood shutters also are not as tolerant of the DC climate as composite shutters, which are practical and architecturally appropriate for historic neighborhoods on Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria and more.