Sidelight Window Treatments | Window Coverings for Sidelights

Have you ever wished you could cover up those little windows on the sides of your doors? Annoyed when you don't want to answer the door, but people peek in your sidelight windows? They are designed to be an improvement, but can often be design dilemmas.

I've got a couple solutions for you.

Most of the difficulty in finding window treatments for your sidelights comes from the fact that they are so small. Roller shades are an easy solution that can be bought at any hardware store and they will cut them to fit your window.They work best on half sidelight windows.

There is one problem with this solution - they aren't very pretty. Usually you have the choice of plain white plastic or off-white plastic. However, they do provide a blank palette for those of you who are artsy.

• Wallpaper, Stencil, or Paint your own design on the roller shade
• Use decorator fabric instead of the plastic shade

Your first option is to use a window tint.You might be thinking "Huh? Window tint is for car windows!" Yes, window tinting is most commonly used on automobiles, but it does have some very practical and money-saving uses in your home as well.

Window film is traditionally a black or gray film that is applied to the window to decrease the amount of heat, light, and glare that comes through the window. It is also used for privacy as well.

There are also some decorative window tints that are specifically made to use in your home. Selections include various stained glass designs, frosted appearance, and etched glass looks.

While the stained glass window films are a beautiful way to cover your sidelights, they don't always fit into the design or architecture of your home. The most commonly used decorative window film is a frosted film.

Rice paper, etched film, and frosted window films are the most popular window treatments for sidelight windows.

1. Measure the exact size of the glass in your window.
2. Cut the film to size, taking care to cut it so that the design will show the way you want it to.
   
3. Clean your windows well with a window cleaner.
   
4. Using a spray bottle, apply a light layer of soapy water to the window.
5. Remove the backing from the film, and apply it to the window.
6. Spray the front of the film with the soapy water.
   
7. Remove the air bubbles with the small scraping tool that comes with the window film. Start in the center and work your way out.
   

If you like the look of stained glass, and want to use the real thing - check out the stained glass panels. These are mounted with a bracket and hung on a small chain. They will hang just behind the window.

The most traditional solution for sidelight window treatments, is to use a sash rod and shirred curtain panels. Most often these are sheer curtain panels. These work to allow the light to filter in, but still give you a bit of privacy.

If the frame around your sidelights are steel, you can use a magnetic curtain rod. If it is fiberglass or wood you will need to use a traditional sash rod. An easy way to find out is to see if a refrigerator magnet will stick to it. Do not test it on the door - often you can have a steel door with wood or fiberglass framing.