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Window blinds and shades can play a big role in your home – from controlling heat, light and privacy to setting the style, decor and tone of a room.
On the decorative side, they can help to create the perfect mood and decor you are after. They can also truly help to transform a house into a home.
On the practical side, blinds can provide privacy by blocking outside views into your home. They are also a great insulator helping to regulate indoor heating and cooling costs by blocking the heat of the sun or the cold of drafts – they keep the heat out in the summer and in during the winter.
They can also help you gain potential energy savings. Closing the window coverings in your home, particularly in south and west facing windows, blocks the sun and reduces heat gain. This gives you better control over energy savings and allows your air conditioner to operate less during the summer.
Many of today’s window covering options are healthier choices than offered in the past, meeting modern indoor air quality standards and made with reclaimed or sustainable materials. Some wood shutters and blinds are made from renewable crops such as grasses, reeds, bamboo and jute, or with wood obtained from a certified sustainable hardwood forest.
With so many window covering options available today, a little research will help you make a decision that you’ll be happy to live with. Following are descriptions of some of the more popular types of blinds and shades available.
Sun-block shades – Sun-block window shades, or roller blinds, are a popular way to dress up windows. They are available in three varieties – complete blackout or room-darkening, light filtering or glare-control shades – giving you more choices over controlling heat intensity and glare of the sun. Sun-block shades typically come in a variety of colors with a straight bottom hem and can be customized to suit a room with the addition of a decorative trim.
- Complete blackout shades eliminate all sunlight and completely black out the room. They are great if you work the nightshift and need complete darkness to sleep during the day. For complete blackout, consider ordering reverse roll, which, when mounted back inside the casing, puts the fabric of the shade as close as possible to the actual window to eliminate light leakage
- Light-filtering shades block the glare and let through just enough of the light to create a pleasant atmosphere. The shade must be all the way down for privacy
- Glare-control shades are for glare only and really do not offer privacy or heat insulation. These sun-block shades come in different degrees of openness and allow you to enjoy the outdoor surroundings without a blinding glare on a bright day
Horizontal blinds – A popular choice for window coverings is horizontal blinds. These are horizontal strips of wood, aluminum or PVC (similar to vinyl) that can be raised and lowered as well as opened to a variety of angles using a control wand. Traditional aluminum venetian blinds are an affordable choice and come in a wide selection of colours and finishes. Lacquered wooden blinds are also quite versatile and require little maintenance.
Roman blinds – These are soft fabric blinds that gather into pleats when raised. One of the biggest advantages to roman blinds is that they can be made from literally any fabric, enabling you to select a special fabric to match your room decor. Adding a thermal block-out lining helps to insulate against temperature and light, while offering nighttime privacy.
Vertical blinds – Ideal for covering large windows, vertical blinds consist of separate strips of fabric (louvers) that are suspended vertically from a rail. Light and privacy are controlled with the turn of the wand control. A wide selection of plain or patterned fabrics is available enabling you to customize your blinds to suit your room and needs. Choices include translucent, dimming or partially blocking, or complete block-out.
Cellular-pleated blinds – Cellular blinds are a great alternative to other blinds and, with a wide variety of colours, fabrics and sizes available, can really help to enhance a room's decor. When you look from the side, the construction is similar to a honeycomb. This unique design helps to trap air and acts as an insulator to keep out the summer heat and winter cold. Made of soft-textured, woven and non-woven fabrics with crisp, even honeycomb pleats, cellular blinds also offer light-filtering and room-darkening advantages.
--source: Budget Blinds
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