Vertical Blinds – A beautiful, practical and popular choice

Vertical blinds have been a popular choice for many years because they offer a lot of advantages like flexibility, insulation, light control, privacy and accessibility. Traditionally people chose vertical blinds for their patio doors, but now they are used for windows as well. Another reason they are gaining popularity is that there has been a lot of evolution in the designs, patterns, colors and materials of vertical blinds. Previously they were mostly vinyl and not very attractive. Now you find them in fabric, aluminum, vinyl, faux wood, cellular, real wood, sheer and metallic. This makes it easy to find a type that will blend well with your décor. Vertical blinds add the illusion of height to a room. They add to the beauty of a big picture window or sliding door because they have wide slats. Your windows tend to look bigger and longer.

Apart from aesthetics, vertical blinds are also very functional. They provide you with your desired privacy and allow you to decide how much outside light you want to enter into your room. If they are insulated they will help reduce your air conditioning bills in the summer and prevent heat loss during the winter. Their basic working is controlled by a wand which rotates the vanes and moves them along a head rail. The head rail can be covered by a decorative valance. The other variety would be motorized vertical blinds which are controlled with the push of a button.

When you are considering vertical blinds you have a lot of different choices. Some varieties are mentioned below:

Wood Vertical Blinds:

Wood is a good choice for your vertical blinds because it is durable. It coordinates well with most types of décor and looks elegant. It gives the room a warm and cozy feeling. Wood blinds are available in a wide range of finishes. If you are looking for a light wood you can opt for bamboo, pine, oak or maple. If you want a more sophisticated and formal look, you can choose a dark wood like mahogany or cherry. Wooden blinds allow you to bring a bit of nature into your homes.

Wood blinds are expensive but offer a lot of benefits. They are long lasting. Because they are opaque you can shut out the sunlight completely if you wish and also get a lot of privacy. They also offer energy efficiency. If you are on a budget but love the look of wood vertical blinds you can get faux wood vertical blinds. They are available in a variety of finishes and are very easy to care for. You can choose a wood that is heat and water resistant to increase the longevity of your blinds. You will be surprised at the wide range of woods that can stand up to harsh environmental conditions.

Wood blinds are easy to care for. All you need to do is dust them regularly. Washing them with simple soap and water will make them look clean. If you want to freshen up your wood blinds just give them a good polish. This will bring out the natural hue and grain of the wood. You can find ready wood blinds in certain home décor stores. But there is a chance that you will not find what you are looking for. It is often best to order custom wood blinds that work well with your room. This also ensures that the size you get is right for your door or window.

Fabric Vertical Blinds:

Fabric vertical blinds are a specialized variety of vertical blinds. When we talk about vertical blinds we usually think of metal or plastic. However, there are a lot of advantages of using fabric. One of the biggest benefits is the wide range of choices you have. You can choose sheer fabrics, opaque ones, textured ones as well as different colors, patterns and designs. This makes coordinating them to the rest of your décor very easy. Many of these blinds are capable of providing 99% protection against UV rays. You can opt for a cord draw operation in which the blinds are allowed to rotate before opening or a wand draw operation which enables the user to part the blinds separately.

Most fabrics fade do not fade very easily in the sunlight. However, in case of vinyl too much exposure to sunlight makes it look old and faded. Cellular vanes can make your fabric vertical blinds more insulating and thus, more energy efficient. These blinds have two pieces of stiffened fabric with a hollow cavity in between. This cavity performs the function of trapping air and also prevents heat from escaping. This will cut your energy costs.

There are two processes by which vertical blinds can be made. The fabric is stiffened by use of a starch or starch substitute. There could be loss of stability over a period of time. But it can easily be restored or replaced. The other method makes use of a layer of some type of plastic such as PVC. This stiffens as well as protects the fabric from grime and dust. The stiffened fabric is lighter than PVC. You should choose the fabric for your blinds carefully and depending upon which room you are going to install the blinds in. Fabric vertical blinds are easy to maintain and are attractive at the same time. One important point to keep in mind is that these blinds should not be installed in rooms like your kitchen or bathroom where the moisture level is high. The material tends to absorb moisture and ends up trapping odors and wetness, causing the fabric to fade over a period of time.

Patio Vertical Blinds:

Patio doors usually lead to a deck or lawn and are wide. For this reason everyone who comes to your home will notice them. By choosing the right type of vertical patio blinds you will enhance their beauty and make them a focal point that people will notice. You have a lot of different options when selecting your patio vertical blinds. If you have a country style décor wood vertical blinds look great, especially if the rest of your furniture is also made of wood. You can choose the type of finish you want – light wood, dark wood, etc. If wood blinds are not in your budget but you want to create the same effect you can opt for faux wood blinds.

Fabric blinds are a versatile and flexible option. These blinds allow you to decide on the amount of light and privacy you need in the room. And the wide range of colors, patterns, materials and designs make choosing fabric vertical blinds fun and easy. Getting custom patio vertical blinds done will give you exactly what you want.

Besides the type of blinds, you can also choose whether you want your blinds to open from the left, right or center. You have the option of wand, chain or motorized control. A bonus of going with one of these 3 options is that if you have children or pets in the house cord control may prove to be unsafe. There is a risk of accidental strangulation.

Custom Vertical Blinds:

Even though the range of vertical blinds available in the market is huge, there are times when you would prefer to opt for custom vertical blinds. These blinds are also referred to as “Made to Measure” vertical blinds. If you have a window or patio door of an unusual size you may not get vertical blinds that fit properly. In such cases you should get blinds that are the right size made. Using blinds that do not fit properly will give your room a shabby look. There are times when you may not find vertical blinds that coordinate well with your décor. In such instances you can get custom vertical blinds made. This will allow you to choose the pattern, colors, designs, etc.

You can even add some decorative touches to make the blinds more attractive. Installing a valance or a board on top will add to the aesthetic effect of your blinds. If you do not know any manufacturers for custom vertical blinds, the internet is the best place to look. You can compare costs and read reviews before you finalize on any company. Some companies that have received good customer satisfaction reviews are Blinds to Go and Lifestyle Blinds.

Replacement Vertical Blinds:

If any of the vanes of your vertical blinds is missing you must replace it as soon as possible. Sometimes it is possible to repair the vanes but in other cases you will have to buy new ones. Having a missing vane will let sunlight filter in and compromise your privacy. It also gives an unkept look. The first thing you will need to do is measure the width and length of one of the slats. You will have to look for a replacement based on the material of your existing vertical blinds – PVC, vinyl, fabric, wood, etc. There are certain stores that sell replacement vertical blinds. You could give a search on the internet for online stores and see if they carry the variety that you require. The other option would be to look up the yellow pages to see the local businesses or chain stores dealing in window treatments. You can visit them to see if they carry or will make the replacement blind you require.

Vertical Blind Parts:

As more and more people are opting to use vertical blinds the demand for vertical blind parts is also increasing. There are some parts that are more prone to breaking compared to others and the requirement for them will always be more. Some parts are easy to replace by yourself while some may need the help of a professional. The slats are the part that is the most noticeable. It defines the beauty of the vertical blinds. The cord is the string that hangs from the top of the vertical blinds. It is a very important part because it controls the working of the blinds.

The horizontal bar is responsible for holding the vertical blinds when you adjust them. Then you have the hardware like the brackets that are attached to the side of the window or door where the blinds are attached. The brackets hold the vertical blinds and support the entire structure. If the brackets break the blinds will come down. Then you have the head rails which are the blind parts that conceal the rods. They improve the aesthetics of the vertical blinds.

Vertical Blinds Installation:

Vertical blinds are not very difficult to install yourself. If the blinds that you buy include the hardware you don’t even have to look for that. All you will need is some tools and instructions on how to do the installation. You must protect your eyes properly when using tools. You will find instructions included with many of the vertical blinds. If not, you can look on the internet and find tips and steps on installing these blinds. If you are not confident of doing it yourself, or you have ordered custom blinds that need a little more care, you can have a professional help you. However, hiring a professional could turn out to be expensive.

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