Luxurious Window Treatments

Archive for the ‘Buying & Comparing’ Category

Traditional aluminum mini blinds are falling out of fashion due to their tendency to warp, bend, and break. Many people these days are instead choosing to install 2 inch blinds produced using wood or vinyl. These new blinds add a nice touch to almost any style of room.

Blinds are a great inexpensive alternative to wood shutters, giving you a variety of design choices and great functionality. They also allow more light to enter the room, and give you more control over exactly how much light enters the room. While 2 inch blinds used to be a very expensive option these days there are many choices that will be a great fit for those on any budget.

There are advantages and disadvantages to choosing to use either wood or vinyl for your blinds. Price and color are the two main differences among the two materials. Wood blinds are usually available in several more colors than vinyl and also come at a much higher price.

You can order blinds that match the specific color of stained wooden trim around your windows. The stain used on your blind can really make all the difference in a room’s appearance. It is possible to find the perfect stain that makes your room look amazing, although it may come at a price.

Wood is the best choice for double or triple windows as it tends to be lighter than vinyl. You can custom order both wood and vinyl blinds to give you the perfect fit for your windows.

Many high quality vinyl blinds can be easily mistaken for wood, even though they cost a lot less. Those on a budget will be very happy with a vinyl blind in either white or off white. Vinyl blinds are easier to maintain than wood blinds as they will not warp or crack when exposed to water.

Visit your local supply warehouse when you are ready to purchase your new blinds, either wood or vinyl. These stores tend to offer the best prices on the biggest selection of blinds.

Those with unlimited budgets may want to visit their local window treatment specialty store where trained professionals are available to assist you with measuring your windows and selecting the perfect blinds. They will also be willing to install your new blinds for you once they are created.

One of the most popular window treatments continues to be interior shutters. These attractive window treatments add value to your home and really improve the look as well. Other advantages of interior window shutters is their ability to regulate light, insulate, and coordinate will with almost any style of decor.

The popularity of interior shutters just continues to grow. For this reason we are seeing more manufactures constructing them using more types of materials. Vinyl compound shutters are the most notable addition to this trend.

Wooden Interior Shutters There are a variety of reasons why you would prefer to have wood shutters. One reason is a real preference for natural materials over synthetics such as vinyl. There is nothing like wood shutters to give you that genuine, traditional appearance.

Another reason to choose wood over vinyl is the limited colors choices that vinyl offers, mainly various shades of white. You can not stain vinyl shutters and will not be able to get an exact color match to your cupboards or trim. The low cost of vinyl shutters is in part do to their inferior construction using inferior materials.

Vinyl Interior Shutters Quality vinyl shutters should be considered. Even the highest quality vinyl interior shutters will be less expensive than custom wood shutters. One of the most practical reasons to purchase vinyl instead of wood is the reduced maintenance costs since vinyl will not peel, fade, or otherwise break down as wood shutters will.

Areas in the home that have high humidity, such as the bathroom, are great places to use vinyl shutters. They are moisture resistant and will not warp or crack as wood shutters would.

Vinyl shutters also offer better insulation than wood shutters and are flame retardant. Their durability and ease of maintenance make them perfect for children’s rooms. You can also have them made in about half the time it would take to have custom wood shutters produced.

Your personal style and home dcor will ultimately determine which type of interior shutter is right for you. There are pros and cons to both types of shutters. With the easy maintenance they offer it is not hard to see why vinyl is quickly gaining in popularity.

Always do some research before making your final decision. Look at both quality and price among various manufacturers for both types of shutters. A little research ahead of time will help you find the perfect interior shutters for your home.

Designing a new home can be a little overwhelming, and many times people overlook the fine details such as window treatments. The tips below can help you keep window treatments in mind as you design your home and save you time and money down the road.

First, always make sure you have at least 2 ? when you are planning to use decorative casings such as shutters and 2? plantation size wooden blinds. Think about including vertical trim strips between each window when you have a double or triple window encased within one window opening. This trim piece should be included when measuring the window depth. The usual depth for installing blinds over sliding doors is 4?, being sure that this leaves enough clearance for the door handle.

There are many different types of window treatments available, including angled, circular, arced, and eyebrow arched. While they are all beautiful and add wonderful design elements some, such as eyebrow arches, limit your choices when it comes to window treatments.

French doors require that you keep a few pointers in mind. The valances will need to accommodate the fact that French doors will usually swing into the home. Good solutions to this are having the door swing outward or attaching the valance directly to the door. Handles and locks should be accounted for when choosing blinds, shades or shutters.

Window placement should be carefully considered when deciding upon window treatments. When you have a baseboard or chair rail around the window opening you will have some restrictions. These same issues could also impact the installation of draperies.

Some common issues are that the drapery will not extend to the outside of the window or that the drapes will not stack back properly. Whenever possible, centering your window will make the installation of draperies easier.

There should always be sufficient space between the top of the window and the ceiling of the room. To place brackets you will need at least 2?. Heaver treatments should be installed on a wood header that extends all the way to the ceiling. Molly or toggle bolts will need to be used when a wood header is not.

All the windows in your home should be accessible, even those that are placed in an attic. This will make decorating and any future room expansion simpler. Every window within a room should be of the same style.

Vinyl mini blinds are the perfect choice for rooms that see high humidity such as bathrooms, kitchens, or waterfront rooms. Another advantage of vinyl mini blinds with standard braided cords is that they feature slats which are easy to clean, resistant to fading, and unbreakable.

They can also feature embossed prints, wood tones, or neutral colors. You can find vinyl mini blinds in a wide selection of sizes, colors, and finishes.

Another durable mini blind option for your window is PVC blinds. Like the vinyl mini blinds they are easy to maintain and durable in a variety of humidity and weather conditions.

The least expensive type of mini blind out there is the lightweight vinyl mini blind. Some of the disadvantages of these blinds are that they can start to sagging, broken mechanisms, and shredded cords.

It is possible to find vinyl mini blinds for as little as six dollars on sale. Better quality vinyl mini blinds with slats with less space between them so you can darken the room can be found for as little as ten dollars on sale.

Be careful about purchasing imported mini binds that contain lead, as lead can be seriously hazardous to your health. Small children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. You will not find any lead in vinyl blinds which have been produced in the United States.

Besides being the least expensive to purchase, vinyl mini blinds also require the least amount of work to maintain. The easiest way to clean them is spray them with the garden hose while they are hanging on a clothesline.

The standard for high quality window shutters is wooden shutters, although it is now possible to find shutters produced from a variety of different materials. Top quality wood shutters are built to last as long as your home. Your first step in purchasing new shutters is determining what type of material they should be made from.

Selection Your Shutter Style The two main types of shutters are traditional shutters and plantation shutters. Traditional shutters will feature 1 ? louvers and narrow shutter panels. The louvers for traditional shutters are usually thicker in the front and narrower in the rear, shaped like a wedge. Plantation shutters feature larger louvers that are normally 1 1/8? thick.

Shutter Finishes You can stain or paint a shutter, and some people even choose to do both. You can find a wide selection of paint and stain colors available from most shutter manufacturers. Common paint colors are whites and other light colors. You have a much bigger selection of stains, raining from light natural tones to those that almost appear black. You can not stain shutters that are made from synthetic materials or composite materials.

Shutter Prices There is a wide variety of prices when it comes to shutters, most often depending on the materials that you choose. Most of the time your price will be calculated by the square foot. Other things that can impact price include style, number of panels, and finish.

Deciding on the Unit Within a window there are a number of different potential shutter panel configurations. The width of the window and the style of the shutter will help determine the number of panels across the shutter. You would use more panels with a traditional shutter since the panels are usually narrower.

The number of panels within a specific window will vary between shutter manufacturers. Tall windows may look best with either double tier or two tier shutter configurations. In a two tier configuration both the top and the bottom shutters can open independently of the other. Another option is to use a divider rail which allows the top and bottom sections of louvers within one panel to operate independently.

Measuring and Ordering You will want to read the measuring and installation instructions for your window type that have been provided by your shutter manufacturer. These instructions should be easy to follow even though they are likely to be very detailed.

Most quality manufacturers will also provide a customer service line you can use if you have additional questions.

Finding the perfect window coverings is a matter of considering several different factors. The two main reasons to install window coverings are privacy and light control. Other important things to consider when choosing among various options are price, safety, durability, ease of cleaning, versatility, and their ability to match the dcor of your room and home.

Light Control
When it comes to controlling light window coverings will most likely fall into one of the following five categories.

1.Transparent : Clear so it does not obstruct light or views. 2.Translucent : Prevents the recognition of distinct objects thanks to diffused light. 3.Filtered : Mutes bright light. 4.Semi-Opaque : These types of treatments have gaps that allow some light to come through but block light out for the most part. 5.Opaque : Blocks all light from entering.

Privacy Almost any type of window covering can provide privacy, as long as it is translucent or better. You can also get privacy by using either glass blocks or frosted glass.

Price When looking at price you must look at total value for the price, not just the number. Think about what type of return you will receive on your investment over the long term.

Safety Any window treatment in your home needs to be both child and pet safe. For example window treatments that have cords for raising and lowering them can end up being dangerous for both children and animals.

Durability Windows expose your window treatments to humidity, temperature fluctuations, and direct sunlight. Looking at all these factors lets you know that you need well constructed window treatments. Fabric window treatments tend to be less durable than solid coverings such as shutters, and tend to fade over time with exposure to sunlight.

Cleaning Dust and dirt collects on all window treatments. The most difficult window treatments to clean are those made from fabric. Solid window covers can usually just be wiped cleaned.

Versatility Some window treatments lend themselves to casual dcor while others will blend well in a more formal setting. There are also some styles that have the flexibility to blend well with several different styles.

Those window coverings that are least expensive also tend to be least durable and need frequent replacement. Shutters, on the other hand, are probably the most expensive but can be expected to last as long as your home.

Shutters provide excellent visibility when they are opened but are semi-opaque when they are closed. They are incredibly durable and very versatile, blends well with just about any decorating style.

Many people find installing quality interior wood shutters to be beyond their budgets, even though they know that they provide value to their homes. Some of the alternatives to wood shutters include PVC, poly, and vinyl. Unfortunately these materials often give you an inferior product that is much less attractive than real wood.

One way to save money but still get high quality wood blinds is to purchase them from a company that sells individual wholesale wood shutters at a discount. You can then take these shutters and install them in a configuration that works for your application. Sometimes these shutters are called Do-It-Yourself or DIY shutters.

There are a few things you should know before purchasing individual shutter panels at a discount price. The material used to produce the shutter is the most important factor in getting a high quality shutter.

The best wood to use for shutters is basswood as it is a hardwood with the best characteristics and offers very little distortion. Basswood is ideal for either painting or staining thanks to its indistinct grain and find uniform texture.

You will want to figure out how you will mount the shutters before you purchase the panels. When attaching shutters outside the window opening you will sometimes need to use hanging strips. Most quality manufacturers and retailers will offer detailed installation information to make it easier for you to determine the best way to install the shutters for your window configuration.

You always want to do some research prior to purchasing discount shutter panels. Be aware that not all manufacturers are equal, with some offering a much higher quality product. A small investment of time in the beginning can help ensure that you end up with the best quality shutters at the lowest possible price.