Do Shutters Block Out Light? How to Set Up Shutters

Shutters are becoming increasingly more popular in homes, but how effective are they at blocking out light? Whether you’re trying to let more natural light in or block it out, it’s not always obvious whether your shutters should be tilted up or down. To help, we’ve put together a simple illustrated guide so you can make the right choice, with images from our shutter installations completed by The Shutter Studio over the past years.

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Answering a common question: Do shutters block out light?

As one of the leading suppliers of made-to-measure window shutters in the south east, we know how important window treatments are to live in comfort and privacy in your home.

So it’s only natural that we are asked, “Do shutters block out light?”. And to answer that question, yes, window shutters do block out light. But it all comes down to how you set your window shutters, as to how much light you let in or block out, and your privacy levels.

shutters up or down for light fitting shutter

Shutters up to block light?

The first thing to note is that the shutter louvres tilted ‘upwards’ is considered the closed position, as demonstrated in the above photo of our fitter, Mark, installing these full-height shutter panels.

This is the louvre setting you want if you are looking to block out the most amount of light with your window shutters.

When shutters have a tilt rod, you can see the closed position by the nodules cut into the panel at the top, where the tilt rod is supposed to sit when closed.

Some shutters will also come with a nodule at the bottom for the tilt rod to sit when closed, but most of the time, only the closed position is given. Shutters are most effective at blocking out light in this position as they will fit together with a gentle click and redirect any remaining light from outside toward the ceiling, rather than into your room.

Did you know, all of our window shutters are made-to-measure to fit any size or shape of window, with a full range of hardwood and PVC materials, colours, fittings, and shutter styles. We offer flexible payment plans across all of our great-value and high-quality shutters, with free quotes available. Get in touch to find out more.

Shutters up or down for light

Shutters down to block light?

In the above picture, the slats are tilted downwards in the bottom section,- a position that would usually be considered open.

This positioning directs sunlight into the room rather than towards the ceiling and is better for bringing light into the room.

In this open position, you’ll find the louvres don’t sit tightly against each other, blocking out less light during the day and night. Tilting the shutters all the way down is a good position to leave your shutters in if you’d prefer not to adjust them with the light.

This will bring light into the room at all times, but mitigate the effects of the glaring midday sun.

Just in the middle?

On the other hand, with the louvres tilting up slightly, anyone looking into the home would only see the slats.

This reflects light into the top of the room, but it does provide more privacy. Leaving your shutters in this half-closed position will provide more privacy but also light into your home, and we find makes the room warmer.

This is because warm air rising in the room is less likely to become trapped behind the shutters and more likely to circulate through the room. For the best of both worlds, tier-on-tier shutters are fantastic as they allow you to close the bottom shutters for privacy and keep the top shutters open for light.

We hope this answers your question of “do you put shutters up or down?” as we want you to get the maximum use out of your shutters to benefit from their beautiful qualities.

Unfortunately, the tradeoff between light and privacy is something that you have to balance for yourself. But if you want to maximise the light coming into the room without opening the louvres completely, tilt the shutters downwards to bring as much light into the room as possible.

You may even find that directing the light in this way, especially with white shutters, brings more light into the room than before.

If you want your shutters to block out large amounts of light, there is a solution for you…

Shutters and blinds: The best of both worlds

If you love the timeless elegance of window shutters but want full control of light and privacy, combining blinds and shutters is a great choice for your home.

At The Shutter Studio, our blackout shutters are a popular choice for homeowners. This shutter style combines our window shutters with our blackout blinds, allowing for both the blinds and shutters to be adjusted independently.

If you want natural light entering your windows, the blackout blinds can be retracted and the shutters set in the down position as seen above. Equally, the blackout blinds can be lowered at night, or when full darkness is preferred, with the shutters set in the up position as seen above, for complete privacy and blocking out of light.

While window shutters do block out light, this is a perfect choice for bedrooms, living rooms, and home entertainment rooms to block out light for a peaceful, tranquil setting.

What’s more, you can order made-to-measure blackout shutters from the first installation, or upgrade your existing window shutters with blackout blinds, if possible with the space you have. For more information, get in touch with our friendly experts.

The Shutter Studio: Your window shutter experts

The Shutter Studio are proud to offer made-to-measure window shutters that are high-quality and great value for money. Our shutters are available with a full range of customisation options, allowing you to choose from: