Homeowners who have experienced a break in or home invasion know how jarring it can be. Knowing that an outsider has violated “safe space” and taken things of value can be a very distressing experience.
According to FBI statistics, a burglary occurs roughly every 51 seconds in the United States, with 779,542 burglaries recorded in 2024 alone.
The FBI estimates the average dollar loss per burglary at $2,661.
Burglaries can also take an emotional toll, especially if burglars have taken things with sentimental value. Also, it may take you a long time to regain the feeling of safety you had before the break-in.
Preventing burglaries in your home, therefore, can save you from both financial and emotional damage.
Reasons Why Thieves Might Target Your Home
There are many reasons why a burglar might target your property. The most common are:
- Easy access. Burglars look for homes that are easy to break into, such as those with unlocked doors or windows. They may also target homes that lack security systems, surveillance cameras or other security measures.
- Hidden from view. Properties with tall hedges or fences can provide cover for burglars. Likewise, if the area is poorly-lit, burglars can pass through unnoticed.
- Access to valuables. Burglars often seek valuable items, such as jewelry, electronics and cash. They will target homes that they believe have expensive items inside.
- Absence of occupants. Burglars want to avoid confrontation and reduce their chances of being caught. So, they will target homes that they believe are empty. They may look for signs such as no lights on at night, an empty driveway or mail piling up.
As such, windows can play such a vital role in preventing burglaries. Potential burglars could be assessing the safety of your windows as a possible entry point and looking through them to ascertain if you’re absent or have valuables in your home.
How Window Treatments Prevent Burglaries in Your Home
According to The Zebra’s analysis of FBI data, 23% of all burglaries in the United States happen due to a burglar entering through a first-floor window.
However, with certain window treatments, you can reduce the chances of being the victim of a burglary.
Here are a few ways to keep your home safe with blinds and shades.
Keeping your blinds down when a room isn’t in use removes the guesswork for anyone watching from outside.
1) Keep Window Treatments Down When the Room Isn’t Occupied
As thieves don’t want to be seen, a burglar is highly unlikely to attempt to enter a property if they know that someone is home.
If you have your window treatments fully drawn up, this can give a thief exactly the information they need to decide whether or not to intrude. Creating doubt, therefore, can make a huge difference and help avoid disaster.
If a room is not in use, keep your blinds or shades down. This ensures zero visibility from the outside and makes you less likely to fall victim to opportunist thieves.
Our guide on light filtering vs. room darkening blinds breaks down how different materials affect visibility from outside.
Want to Improve Your Home’s Privacy and Security?
Our team provides free on-site consultations across Madison County and St. Clair County.
2) Make Use of Home Automation Technology
Burglars are always gathering information. In fact, some burglars will scout out a property to try and work out an owner’s weekly schedule before attempting a break-in.
However, you can throw a burglar off the scent thanks to new technology.
Nowadays, new technological innovations mean that window treatments can be made to sync with your home automation system, or even an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device.
If you have a compatible model, you can create schedules so that your blinds or shades move at certain times of the day or specific days of the week, even if you’re not at home.
For a burglar that’s gathering information, seeing that your blinds have moved could make them think again about burglarizing your home.
For a walkthrough on setting this up, check out our blog on how to close blinds with smart home technology. Homeowners in Troy, Edwardsville, and greater Madison County are increasingly pairing window treatments with smart home systems for both convenience and security.
3) Choose a Design That Maximizes Privacy
It can be difficult to strike a balance between form and function, but the window treatment industry offers countless options for design. Whether you’re looking for a specific fabric that offers different levels of visibility or a specific lifting system, various window treatment options are sure to satisfy most people’s needs.
Some of the most popular products currently on the market offer a bottom-up/top-down feature. This can be particularly useful in protecting your home from burglars if you frequently forget to close your blinds or shades when leaving home.
The bottom-up/top-down feature allows natural light to enter from the top, while keeping your home safe from peeping eyes from outside.
The bottom-up/top-down feature lets natural light in from the top while keeping the lower portion private.
Our article on different types of blinds covers styles and lifting systems with built-in privacy features.
Quick Window Security Checklist
| Action | Done? |
|---|---|
| Lower blinds or shades in unoccupied rooms | ☐ |
| Set up automated schedules for blinds while away | ☐ |
| Choose bottom-up/top-down shades for ground floor windows | ☐ |
| Avoid leaving valuables visible near windows | ☐ |
| Install room-darkening or blackout treatments in street-facing rooms | ☐ |
| Pair window treatments with exterior lighting and cameras | ☐ |
Choose BlindQuest for Safe Window Treatment Solutions
As the leading provider of high-quality window coverings and treatment solutions in Madison County IL, BlindQuest has been helping customers since 2002.
Whether to improve the safety of their property or its aesthetics, we’re always here to help our customers in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Troy find the perfect solution for their window treatment needs.
If you’re looking for a high-quality, affordable solution for your window covering needs, contact us today to schedule a consultation!
Ready to Make Your Home Safer With the Right Window Treatments?
Visit our Troy, IL showroom or schedule a free in-home consultation. We serve homeowners within a 50-mile radius.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do window blinds actually deter burglars?
Yes. Closed blinds or shades remove a burglar’s ability to see inside your home. Most burglars want to confirm a home is empty and has valuables before attempting entry, and closed window treatments create doubt.
Should I keep my blinds closed all the time for security?
Not necessarily. Blinds that never move can signal that no one is home. The best approach is to vary your window treatments throughout the day, either manually or with a smart home schedule, so it looks like someone is actively living in the house.
What type of window treatment offers the most privacy?
Room-darkening cellular shades and blackout roller shades block all visibility from outside. For a balance of privacy and natural light, bottom-up/top-down shades cover the lower portion of the window while letting light in from the top.
Can smart blinds be programmed to open and close while I’m on vacation?
Yes. Smart blinds compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Hunter Douglas PowerView can be set on custom schedules. Program them to open and close at different times each day, creating the appearance that someone is home.
