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Blinds 101
by Lawren Gournay
Every thing you wanted to know about blinds, shades, and shutters but
were afraid to ask. A beginner's guide for buying window blinds.
Ever shopped on line for blinds, shades, or shutters and were confused
by all the different products and prices? This page should help. We are
currently working on Window Shades 101 and Plantation Shutters 101 to
help with your plantation shutters or window shade decisions.
Grab & Go Blinds vs. Custom made Blinds
Grab & Go blinds are simply a name given to pre-cut shades that you buy
off the self. They are made to common generic window sizes. Because all
windows are not exactly the same dimensions and grab & go blinds have to
fit windows in certain size ranges, grab and go window coverings do not
fit as well as a custom made blind or shade. The widths of a grab and go
window blind must be shorter to accommodate as many windows as possible
(this usually causes a light gap, or reveal, at the sides of the blind
or shade). The blind's length also has to fit several different sizes
and quite often must be shortened. Grab & go blinds are usually the
lowest priced blind or shade on the market. The lower price is due to
the use of lighter weight cheaper materials, lower quality hardware,
fewer sizes, colors and lack of a warranty. A grab & go blind has a
product life expectancy of 2 to 6 years. Price makes these a good choice
for certain applications like basements, garages and attics. These
window coverings are available at most discount chain stores, large
department stores, and home improvement centers.
Custom made blinds is made to measure. Each window is measured for it's
width and height to the nearest 1/8" and the blind is built to fit the
opening. The light gap, reveal, on each side is about 1/4" and the
bottom rail (bottom of the window shades) comes right to the window
sill. Custom blinds are made with better materials and hardware. The
come from well known companies such as Hunter Douglas, Levolor, Graber
and Bali. They are usually warranted for as long as you own the home.
The color choices range from several shades of white to the most common
stained wood tones. The material choices are PVC blinds, wood composite
blinds, and real wood blinds. These custom made blinds can be purchased
at most retailers and internet companies such as Shades Shutters Blinds.
They are usually slightly more expensive than the grab & go blinds.
Mini Blinds
Mini blinds are made in several slat widths, 1/2", 1", 2". The slats of
this blind are made from several different gauges (thickness) of
aluminum. Some of the Grab & go mini blinds use plastic slats to further
lower their cost. The higher the gauge the better. Mini blinds were very
popular in homes about 10 years ago and are still used extensively in
commercial building. Color choices for mini blinds are unlimited. For
affordable mini blinds. See Mini Blinds.
Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds is a large category in blinds. The original Venetian
blinds were made with wide curved metal slats much like a mini slat.
Over time the slats have evolved to different materials, sizes and
shapes. Venetian blind slats are made from plastics, woods, and
combinations of plastics & wood. They are made in 1, 2, 2 1/2, & 3 inch
slat widths. Venetian Blind's shapes can be curved, flat or elliptical.
Most window covering manufacturers buy slats from the same 3 or 4
companies that produce them. To confuse things further, the window blind
manufacturers have made their own names for the same materials, same
sizes, and same shapes (a 2 1/2 " composite blinds slat can have as may
different names as there are companies using them). Hopefully this site
can simplify this for you. We will attempt to break down this mess to 4
basic types, PVC blinds, Composite blinds, and wood blinds. See
products.
PVC Blinds or Faux Wood Blinds
Faux or PVC blinds are made of a solid or foamed poly vinyl chloride
plastic. That's right, the same stuff milk bottles are made of. PVC s is
one of the newer materials being used for blind slats. Slat widths are
generally 2", 2 1/2", and sometimes 3". The blind slat's surface can be
smooth or embossed with a wood grain. Color selection is limited most
often to whites but there are a few wood tone colors available. PVC
blinds are starting price point in this category. They are very durable,
UV resistant, waterproof (as in when the windows are left open and it
rains or the sprinklers come on), and easy to clean. The one main draw
back to Faux Blinds is the weight of the slats. PVC slats are heavier
than wood or composite slats and with large windows can make raising the
blind a little difficult.
The large building centers offer a PVC window blind that is a cross over
between the grab & go blind and custom made window treatment. These are
"cut as you wait". You take the measurements in and they cut your blind
at the store. These PVC blinds are cheap and you get what you pay for.
The slats are PVC, but so is everything else like the head rail
(normally metal), tilt mechanism (normally metal), barrels (metal best)
and etc. Customers are more often than not are dissatisfied with this
type of PVC blind and there is no warranty.
PVC blinds -Synonyms Here a brief list of some of the trade names blind
companies give to blinds made with PVC slats. Many of these are trade
marked names.
Woodmates (Hunter Douglas), Doverwood (Comfortex), Faux Wood Blinds
(Generic Term), Infusion, Lake Forest (Graber), Wood Look (Levolor),
Wood Plus, Inspire, Panama and many other generic names. Be sure to ask
your dealer if it is a solid foam PVC blind and ask about the warranty.
See faux wood blinds.
Composite Blinds
Composite blinds are made from a combination of wood by products and
polymers. Composite Slats are also a newer material being used for the
window covering. Slat widths are generally 2", 2 1/2", and sometimes 3"
and come in flat or elliptical shapes. The blind slat's surface is a
smooth poly-coating or a solid composite material. Like PVC, the color
selection is limited most often to whites but there are a few wood tone
and stain colors available. Composite blinds are priced in the low mid
range. They are very durable, UV resistant, water resistant, less likely
to warp than wood and easy to clean. The one main draw back to composite
blinds is the weight of the slats. Composite blinds slats are lighter
than PVC blinds but heavier than wood and therefore a good choice for
large windows coverings.
Composite Blinds- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the trade names
blind companies give to blinds made with Composite slats. Many of these
are trade marked names
Everwood (Hunter Douglas), Devonwood (Comfortex), Wood Impressions
(Timber Blind and Shutter), NuWood (Levolor), Faux Wood (generic term).
Other copywrited names for composite blinds are: Windsorwood,
Woodperfect, Woodwinds, Distinctive Blinds, Privacy Plus, Shutter
Blinds, and Intrigue. See Composite blinds.
Wood Blinds
Both value & premium wood blinds are made from real woods. The value
wood blind slats are made from assorted Oriental hardwoods. The premium
wood blind slats are made from American hardwoods (usually Basswood).
Slat widths are generally 1",2", 2 1/2", and sometimes 3". The blind
slat's surface is either painted or stained. The color selection of this
window covering is quite large with several different whites and the
most popular hardwood stain colors. If you are wanting to match a
cabinet or trim stain, wood blinds are your best bet. Wood blinds are
the most expensive blinds in this category. All wood slats can warp and
may color fade over long periods of time. Wood blind slats are the
lightest material and work well for large windows.
Wood Blind- Synonyms- Here a brief list of some of the trade names blind
companies give to blinds made with wood slats. Many of these are trade
marked names.
Country Wood (Hunter Douglas), Design Basics, ValueWood (Timber Blind &
Shutter), Southeastwood, Olympian Wood, Classique, Chalet Wood (Hunter
Douglas), Premium Woods (Timber Blind & Shutter), Northern Heights. See
wood blinds.
FAQ's about Shades Shutters and Blinds
I also have an article about the frequently asked questions about shades
shutters and blinds. See Frequently Asked Questions.
I hope this information about this type of window blinds was helpful. If
you would like to get more information about these blinds and the many
other products we provide, please visit us at Shades Shutters Blinds or
e-mail me at support@shadesshutterssblinds.
About the Author
Lawren Gournay has been selling blinds in Colorado for the last 15
years. Visit
www.shadesshuttersblinds.com
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