Should I Tilt My Blinds up or Down?

When you wake up every morning, one of the first things you probably do is open the blinds to welcome the light of a new day. Do you angle the blinds up toward the window or down toward the room? Is one option better than the other? There’s no wrong answer, but the ideal tilt of your blinds depends on your heating, lighting, and privacy needs, along with your personal preference.

When to Tilt Your Blinds Up

The blinds are turned up when the top of each slat tilts toward the window. Angle your blinds this way if you’re looking for:

• More privacy: Upturned blinds make it impossible for anyone outside your home to look in. The next time you try on clothes in a dressing room with a wood-slatted door, pay attention to the direction of the slats. You’ll notice they tilt up to ensure privacy.
• Better light control: If you want to create a softly lit environment, tilting your blinds up is the right choice. This angles the light toward the ceiling, diffusing it softly into the room below and cutting down on glare. Close your upturned blinds all the way for superior room darkening.
• More UV protection: The sun’s ultraviolet rays fade your furniture, carpet, and wall coverings. Tilting your blinds up during the day reduces the effect of UV damage.
• Cooler temperatures: Preventing the sun from shining directly inside is a must in the summer. Upturned blinds reflect most of the sun’s light and heat back outside, making south-facing rooms more comfortable and reducing your energy costs.

When to Tilt Your Blinds Down

The blinds are turned down when the top of each slat tilts toward the room. This is the ideal angle if you want:

• A more aesthetically pleasing appearance: Some people believe mini blinds look more attractive when tilted down because, at this angle, the rounded side faces the room. If it’s important to you to have the soft, smooth curve visible, tilt your blinds down.
• More sunlight: Downturned blinds direct sunlight onto the floor. When opened slightly, this brightens the bottom half of the room more than the top. When closed, more light filters through the downward-angled slats, so the room-darkening effect is less pronounced.
• Free solar heat: There’s no reason to turn down free heat in the winter. Take advantage of sunny days by tilting the blinds down to direct the afternoon sun inside, or raise the blinds completely so the sun can enter unhindered.

If you’re ready to enhance your Denver home’s beauty, privacy, and light control with new window blinds, check out the selection available from Value Blinds & Shutters. We supply and install Hunter Douglas blinds, shutters, and shades in hundreds of customizable colors, patterns, and varieties. To request a free in-home consultation, please call 303-663-8120 or contact us online. You can also visit our showroom in Castle Rock on weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.