6 Window Treatments to Prevent Sneaky Neighbors from Spying on Your Family

Have you ever had that neighbor? You know the one — always in your business, looking at your house from the street, possibly even looking in your window? Keep that neighbor out of your business and out of your life with these window treatments.

Wood Blinds for French Door Windows

Image via Flickr by Andy Melton

Wooden blinds are perfect for French door windows. These blinds feature small slat sizes, so they're much more difficult to see through. They can come in a number of stains and finishes. You can go with faux wood as an eco-friendly choice, bamboo shades for a durable and moisture resistant set of blinds, laminated shades, high gloss shades from richly grained premium hardwoods, or exotic shades that were sourced from renewable resources. 

Honeycomb Shades for Arches

For wide open windows or arches, go with a honeycomb shade. These shades can go from either the top to the bottom, or the bottom to top, so if you want, it's possible to cover just the bottom part of the window. 

Honeycomb Shades are great options for those looking to either combat allergies or looking for heat or cold-repellant windows. The honeycomb shades, thanks to their design of spun woven polyester, keep the wind and cold temperatures out of the house.

Shades for Skylights

While it's highly unlikely that you'll have any neighbors peeping into your home through a skylight, it's better to be safe than sorry. For skylights, you could go with a honeycomb shade, or you can order special custom skylight shades that have side rails for support. It will come at a premium price, though. To make the room extra dark, grab a set of blackout skylight shades.

Verticals for Sliding Glass

Verticals are extremely popular for sliding doors, even though they break down fairly quickly. They can be installed either inside or outside of the frame. You could also use Vertiglide, which is basically a honeycomb shade that's sideways and runs along a track by hand. These are used quite often in hotels and are easily opened and closed by sliding the shade along the track.

Curtains for All Types of Windows

Thick curtains work great for a variety of windows. Pleat curtains are pulled through a cord and have pleats that pinch together in order to fan out towards the top. They come in a variety of colors, multiple designs, and a multitude of fabrics. They require a special type of curtain rod to hang.

Panel curtains are designed to offer full privacy and cover windows as large as 96 inches. They also come in a variety of colors and fabrics. They're usually placed on both sides of the window and can be pulled back by a curtain tie. 

Drapery for Long and Tall Windows

Drapes create an elegant vibe in the room. They can have many different types of headings, such as pleated tops, tab tops, and soft tops. Drapes will need to be measured and ordered for your specifications. You can have the drapes run to the sill, the apron, or even all the way to the floor. 

Drapes are available for other types of windows, too. For arched, slanted and cathedral style windows, the drapes will have to remain stationary, so a mechanism will have to be used to hold them back. They won't offer much protection from spying, so be sure to to close them when you're not looking out of the window.

Regardless of your choice, that pesky neighbor won't be spying for much longer. Choose a treatment that matches the interior decoration of your house, or use the treatment to highlight the surrounding environment.