Window blinds are available in a wide range of materials, colours and styles to suit any aesthetic. Some types, such as cellular shades and wood blinds, are also highly energy-efficient and help keep rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
The sun’s UV rays can fade furniture and carpets over time, but blinds reduce their impact by diverting or blocking them from entering windows. They also provide privacy and light control. Visit https://www.customblindsandshadesky.com/ to learn more.
If you’re looking to block out the sun and create a dark space, blinds can offer excellent light control features. They come in a range of fabrics, materials, designs, and controls, making it easy to find the right shade for your home. Popular blinds include sheer shades, cellular shades, and layered (zebra) shades.
Blinds have rigid horizontal slats, which can be tilted to control light filtration into your rooms. If you want more filtered sunlight, choose blinds with more slats or a lighter fabric; for more privacy, opt for darker, opaque fabrics. Blinds can also be lowered or raised and are fixed either inside (Recess) or outside (Facefix) of your window’s reveal.
Roller blinds are another simple and affordable option for achieving light control. The polyester fabric wrapped around a plastic or metal roller can be pulled up or down on a side chain to raise or lower the blinds. Blinds can be bought in ready-made or made-to-measure sizes to fit your windows perfectly.
Honeycomb shades, or cellular shades, are another way to improve your light control. They’re crafted from a more opaque and soft fabric than regular blinds and are available in a wide array of colors, offering incredible thermoregulation for your home. They’re also motorized, allowing you to open and close them on a schedule that’s optimized for your lifestyle.
Sheer shades are a modern take on net curtains and help diffuse natural light in your rooms, bringing a delicate and soothing aesthetic to your decor. They’re available in a range of colors and fabrics, with upgrades such as decorative tapes to further customize your look.
While curtains can be hung on a rod or track system above your windows, they don’t offer the same level of light control as blinds. They’re often gathered into large panels and require regular maintenance to keep them looking good. Blinds, on the other hand, are a simpler solution that’s much easier to clean and requires less maintenance than traditional drapery.
Blinds are a great choice for most rooms, but it’s important to consider the size and position of your windows when selecting them. You don’t want to install vertical blinds in rooms where the sun reaches directly into the room, as this can cause damage to furniture and electronics. A smart home lighting control system can help you avoid this issue by automatically closing your blinds when the sun moves across a number of windows in your house.
Privacy
Blinds serve several functions, and privacy is a big one. Blinds can be angled so that outsiders only see your ceiling, and they can block light completely when you want to sleep or read in peace. They can also help obstruct the view of your home from the street or neighbouring homes, which is especially important for homes that sit on the edge of the neighbourhood or are elevated above other buildings.
To maximise privacy when using blinds, it’s best to choose a blind with slats that can be closed tightly or fully. Blinds with a wide width and length are also more effective at covering a window than those with narrower slats, which can leave gaps.
Vertical blinds are a popular option for privacy-seeking homeowners, as they use long slats that cover the windows from top to bottom. They can be adjusted to form a full sheet and can even be joined together at the bottom so that they offer the same privacy as curtains. However, a gust of wind can sometimes blow the slats out of place.
If you’re looking for a privacy-friendly blind that offers both light control and style, consider our Banlight Duo FR rose vertical blinds. These blinds feature an innovative anti-static coating that helps to repel dust, making them easier to keep clean. They also come with a slat-tightening mechanism to keep the slats tight and prevent them from falling out of position.
Roller shades are another privacy-friendly window treatment option. Their flat design makes them a good choice for rooms with low ceilings, and they can be positioned in the window to avoid any cracks or gaps along the frame. They’re also available in a range of fabrics that allow different levels of light through, so you can find the right level of privacy for your home.
Woven wood blinds are a stylish and affordable window treatment that’s great for privacy. The slats are angled so that outsiders can only see your ceiling, which provides a decent amount of privacy while allowing sunlight to enter your room. You can further enhance your privacy with a product like Graber’s NoHoles(tm), which prevent the inner cords from showing through rout holes in the back of the blinds, limiting the potential for outsiders to peer into your space.
Temperature Control
In winter, blinds work to trap warmth and prevent cold air from entering a room, helping you save on heating bills. In the summer, they can be angled to deflect harsh sunlight to prevent heat build-up and reduce the load on your air conditioning system.
The best window blinds for temperature control are those made from thicker materials like wood, PVC, and heavy cotton that are designed to block out light and glare. These are available in a range of colour and fabric options to suit your interior design. Adding blinds to your home can significantly impact your energy costs. Adding thermal blinds to your windows will further help with temperature control, helping you to keep your homes warm in winter and cool in summer, reducing your energy costs significantly.
Unlike conventional blinds which have individual slats, which create gaps that allow air to move through and escape your home, thermal blackout blinds feature a solid reel of insulating material to minimise the amount of heat that can escape – they also reflect harsh sunlight and help you reduce your cooling bill in the summer. However, for them to be effective, they need to be closely fitted (within millimetres) to your window frame and be tightly shut – otherwise gaps will still allow cold air to enter and warm air to escape.
If you want to maximise the effect of your blinds for temperature control, look at getting them professionally fitted and sealed by a professional installer. By sealing your blinds, and adding a cornice at the top of your windows, you can further reduce the transfer of hot and cold air, which will improve the effectiveness of your blinds for temperature control.
Blinds with slats offer heightened flexibility for natural light and ventilation, but they can be angled to reflect the sun’s rays in summer, keeping your home cooler. Reversible slats are another option, as they can be used with the white side facing your home to reflect heat in the summer and the dark side to absorb it in winter.
Style
When shopping for window blinds, homeowners have a wide range of style options. They can choose from traditional wood blinds ranging in style from exotic hardwood aesthetics to simple painted wood finishes, and metal blinds that are ideal for industrial-style spaces or minimalist rooms with clean lines. These windows treatments also come in a variety of colors, which can add a pop of color to any room.
Another option is bamboo blinds, which are made of eco-friendly natural materials and provide a sleek, classic look to any space. They’re also durable, so they can withstand a lot of wear and tear. While they don’t offer the same level of light control as other types of blinds, these windows treatments are a good choice for homes that have a modern design.
Rolling blinds, which are a staple in home offices and rec rooms, offer a versatile style that can match any room decor. These slatted window coverings are easy to clean with a damp cloth and come in a wide range of colors. They’re often complemented with valances and cornices, which are decorative toppers that hide the roller hardware and create a streamlined appearance.
Those looking for a more sophisticated option can opt for Venetian blinds, which feature long vertical slats that tilt, or “drape,” along the bottom of your windows. These slats can be opened or closed by a pull string at the top of the blind, and they’re typically available in a wide selection of fabric colors, patterns, and textures. They’re perfect for rooms with lots of natural sunlight and can be used as a complement to coordinating drapes or curtains.
Other styles of blinds include cellular shades, which are energy efficient and designed for tall windows and doors. These window blinds feature an internal cell that traps air and keeps heat out in the summer and cold out in the winter. They’re a good choice for homeowners who want to reduce their energy bills without sacrificing privacy or style.
Many blinds are crafted of moisture-resistant materials to make them safe for bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas that see a lot of use. However, even moisture-resistant blinds need to be treated with care to keep them looking their best for years to come.