If you would like to use wooden blinds in your home, consider purchasing them as the only window covering. They will be cheaper than buying a drapery set and can look elegant or casual, depending on the color and style of the rest of the room.

Your Options:

If you decide to use the wooden blinds by themselves, you can invest more money in the blinds because you will save by not having curtains. If you want to be a little more decorative than the blinds alone, you can buy a valance to cover up the hardware and be ornamental.

Basswood is one material choice for wooden blinds. It is durable and long-lasting but will not weigh down on the mounting hardware. Even lighter in weight is the bamboo or pine blinds that you can purchase.

If you like color on your windows, you can buy blinds that are painted in an array of colors to fits your design. If you prefer a more natural look, you choose from dark, medium, or light stains.

You will want to use larger slats for big areas like picture windows. The average slat is two inches wide but you can buy them from one and a half inches to almost three inches wide. The important thing is that they match in scope to the size of the window.

Wooden blinds work well for privacy and they can filter light, but they do not darken a room if you need to keep it dark during daytime hours. The slats do not fit that tightly together to keep out all light.

Choosing Fake Wood Blinds:

Another option for people who want the look of wood without the price tag is faux wooden blinds. They are made of PC vinyl or wood composite. The high end faux choices will look like wood to the average eye.

Faux wooden blinds are more versatile than the real wood. Wooden blinds can warp in areas where there is high humidity and heat, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Faux wood will not have that problem and can handle the humidity and maintain their original look and shape.

Cheap faux blinds will be obvious that they are a fake. If you spend a few more dollars, no one will know that it isn’t real wood. Even high quality faux blinds will be less expensive than real wood, but will work in most homes and not sacrifice style.

If you want a classy, sophisticated style of window blinds, consider wooden blinds. You can look for sales to get cheaper blinds or buy high quality fake wooden blinds. They will last for a long time and fit with many different decorating styles.

They are designed and made of many types of materials used by conventional window blinds but there are a few factors you need to take note when choosing the right materials. If you reside in the tropics or more sunny regions of the globe, you might prefer vinyl or synthetic composite materials which are more heat enduring. Conversely, wood materials may not be able to withstand the intense external heat. Exterior vinyl shutters are hence one of the most common and fast becoming popular shades for exterior window decor. They come with extensive variety of designs and colors to prep up the external look of your home.

The unique features of exterior window shades include energy efficiency as well and a neat ambiance. Best at energy efficiency, they are the most effective blackout blocking away the heat, thereby reducing air conditioning usage. Blocking away the sun is critical for those who keep late nights and love to sleep in. These shades are capable of filtering away about 95 percent of harmful ultraviolet waves.

As the name implies, they are installed outside of the home, on the external side of the window. This leaves the interior of the home in a clean and uncluttered state, keeping the cords and thick draperies out of sight, also ensuring home safety.

Exterior window shades meet not only sun and heat control but also exterior decorating needs fulfilling the unique purpose of being cost effective, providing quality yet cheap window blinds which last over time.

Prior to explaining how easy it can be to find cheap wooden blinds online, we should first examine some of the great things about these types of window coverings.

Wooden venetian blinds can enhance the appearance of any window in your home, and also work to keep excess heat and light out of your living spaces. They help keep your home cool and comfortable, even during hot summer days. In addition, these blinds can help keep heated air inside during the cooler months of the year.

Wood blinds are often more effective with regard to these functions than blinds rendered in other materials. Wooden venetian blinds make your windows more appealing to look at, and more functional at the same time.

Pre-made wood blinds are a more cost-effective choice than custom versions. If you select this type of product, you will have a bigger selection of budget-friendly styles.

Pre-fabricated versions of these blinds are less expensive, since neither the maker nor the vendor needs to perform any additional customization to the product. If you choose this route, however, it is important to measure carefully, as the wood blinds will likely be sold in a certain range of dimensions.

However, you are unlikely to have many difficulties, as the majority of blinds are available in standardized measurements. But, to be certain, it makes sense to have the precise dimensions of the windows you wish to cover.

Two major methods exist for buying cheap wooden blinds on today’s market. Home improvement and decorating shops are sure to offer them, and you will certainly be able to locate wonderful options through internet merchants.

If you prefer to look for wood blinds at a store, it makes sense to wait for the biggest sales held throughout the year. These stores tend to hold great sales over holidays, and also at other times of the year which they designate. Store anniversaries are often occasions for tremendous sales, because merchants like to express gratitude to their customers. The first months of each year also tends to be the time for great in-store bargains, because merchants need to make space for new inventory.

However, I like to do my shopping on the internet, and I have found that the best deals on cheap wooden blinds can be found at blinds2go. This company offers terrific customer service, no-charge shipping, and a large range of window blinds from which to select.

Using the internet to purchase cheap wooden blinds is a terrific option, because everything can be handled from your home.

Use a duster to clean your blinds. Taking care needs to be taken during the cleaning process.

These blinds can also be cleaned by using a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment. Care needs to be taken to prevent damage so this needs to be done with a light touch.

For an up to date method get your blinds cleaned professionally using an Ultrasonic Blind Cleaning Service.

Cleaning Curtains

Dust builds up over time on both blinds and curtains. You can extend the life of your curtains by vacuuming them regularly with the upholstery nozzle. If you discover that the fabric has begun to disintegrate, it is time to think about investing in some new window treatments. If your curtains are lined, then the only way to clean them is to take them to the dry cleaners.

If your curtains are washable then pay particular attention to the care label so that you are able to put up freshly cleaned curtains that will still fit your window.

Loosen the headed tapes and remove any hooks or weights. If you are going to wash by hand use a gentle detergent ensuring that it has no additives such as bleach that will affect the original colour of the fabric. Add the detergent to the water ensuring that it is completely dissolved and the temperature is appropriate before you add the curtains. Gently squeeze the material and rinse thoroughly.

If washing by machine, follow the care label carefully taking care not to overload the machine.

Alternatively, if the fabric label recommends dry cleaning then take the curtains to the dry cleaners.

Cleaning Nets and Voiles

If you have net curtains or voiles then check the label for the washing instructions. You may need to wash them by hand with a mild detergent. If you have left the nets or voiles for too long and they look very dirty a good soak may help to get rid of some of the dust before you wash them. Use Glo-White or a curtain whitener to brighten them up on the final rinse. Do not spin them too much if you have washed them by machine. If you have washed them by hand, wring out leaving some water in the nets or voiles. Put them out on the line on a sunny day and they will be whiten further. Do not allow to become completely dry and iron whilst still damp with a cool iron.

Make time also to clean your windows so that your can see the effect of all the hard work done. Put them back up and pat yourself on the back and admire.

External screens and design

It’s sometimes forgotten in the excitement of shopping that external blinds and awnings cover very large spaces, and affect the appearance of their buildings. A lot of thought has to go into selection.

These are the primary issues:

• Color: There’s a wide range of color selections on the market, but only a few will suit any particular building. External features send a design message, and you’ll want to be sure it’s the right message. The typical color mix is building color tone/darker or lighter tone blinds, and it’s a good idea to look at the full range of possibilities.

• Style: The current designer style for external blinds and awnings is modern, elegant, and upmarket. This new look also provides a wide range of choices, including very tasteful top of the range styles.

• Durability: This is a critical issue in selection. The top quality blinds and awnings are also the best in terms of durability and low-maintenance characteristics. Poor quality really isn’t an option for external fittings, particularly with the ferocious Australian sun as the main problem. The best blinds don’t fade, don’t warp, and don’t crack, tear or split at the first drop of rain. The fabrics are very strong. They’re also very easy to clean. It’s well worth paying more for long lasting quality.

• Design: This is a matter of taste, but it’s also highly relevant to your selection. It’s important to know your options in design, because as any professional designer will tell you, it’s all in the planning. Be prepared to be a bit patient with your exploration of design options, and you’ll get exactly what you want.

Purpose and functions

The external blinds, sunscreens and awnings can serve a huge range of different purposes, in very different environments around the home or office. In some cases, you may need blinds which need to be raised and lowered to match the lighting, and roller blinds may be required. The best approach is to plan your selection related to these factors, to make sure you get blinds that can do the job you want done.

Making up your mind

Before you make a decision, you’ll need some facts. It is very strongly advised to consult with suppliers prior to making any commitments.

You will require:

Costing: The quote process is the quick way of making a yes/no decision.

Technical information: This includes fitting, installation, maintenance, etc., all essential information.

Service quality: When inquiring, start with the top of the range suppliers. They provide excellent service, and good performance standards. They’re the real professionals in the industry, and they provide the service you need.

You can get the best, easily. Don’t settle for less.

Our Decision Making Process

I know many feel vertical blinds are dated and don’t like them but we felt they were the perfect treatment for our needs….See we have one 2 year old grandson that’s loves to push out of his way anything that’s going to obstruct his view when he wants to see what’s out front. Same goes for our dog and 3 cats.

Other treatments available would not only cost more but would not be able to stand up to the abuse these guys will give it. Privacy was another big concern. People walking by have a nice view into the front of our house. We wanted to be able to control that more and with a vertical blind we could just tilt the slats a little to increase privacy but still let in some light.

Once we made the decision to go with vertical blinds, next step was to pick out a color.

We were dead set on burgundy (locking ourselves into a color was an expensive move, I explain later) so we search every online store that I was familiar with at the time and finally found burgundy. Great we were happy and excited, place our order and installed with no problems.

Starting to get mad…but not mad enough

Now I consider myself a realist, and don’t expect things to last forever but I do except them to last for a reasonable amount of time. So when I started having troubles after only two years I was a little upset. That’s when some of the vanes wouldn’t rotate anymore. I had to turn some of them by hand. I was annoyed but not annoyed enough to pick up the phone and complain.

Now I’m mad

It wasn’t until the little carriers in the headrail starting popping out and the vanes dropping to the floor that I was upset enough to finally place a call and get this resolved.

Lifetime warranty…yea right

I was pretty confident I could resolved this and get the headrail fixed, after all it came with a lifetime warranty. So I spoke to the customer service rep and he had all my order information on record still but the manufacture of the blind went out of business and so did my lifetime warranty. I couldn’t get my blind repaired, I would have to purchase another headrail which cost almost as much as a new blind.

As an window treatment installer…I should have known this

I am a window treatment installer I should have known better. My mistake goes back to focusing all my efforts on finding the right color when I should have also looked for a good quality headrail. You can purchase a vertical blind in many places, local hardware stores, shop at home places, online but all are not created equal.

This is what determines the Good…the bad…and the ugly

The main component about a vertical blind that’s going to determine how well it hold up and how long it will last has to do with the quality of the headrail. The headrail to a vertical is the same as a curtain rod is to a drape. You can have beautiful drapes but if the rod doesn’t work right well it’s frustrating. There are a lot of companies out there that are not selling quality headrails, most people don’t think to ask about the headrail they assume it OK and rightly so. Or they ask and the salesperson and they say yes its a great headrail no problems.

Golden rule…form follows function

My problem was I focus on only the color when I should have consider the quality of the headrail. Now you have a excuse but I don’t, after all I’m a window treatment installer I’m always going out on service calls regarding poor working vertical blinds. Now I won’t make that mistake again. There is a headrail out there that is consider the cadillac of the industry which I have been familiar with for a long time but for some reason didn’t think about it back when we were re-decorating.

When people speak of “Express” blinds or “Value” blinds and “Cut Down” blinds are all basically the same thing: pre-constructed blinds that are partially finished and can be used after a Little intervention on hate part of the store. The come in 2″ variation in size and the clerk will pull them out of the inventory and trim them down a little for your specifications. The same is done for hate length, depending upon the length of you window. The quality may be very much the same as that used in premium window coverings, but since they are not custom ordered, but already manufactured in the factory (usually in China), they are much less expensive. You do not have any customization choices, for example as to where the tilt mechanism will be located or the way to raise or lower the blinds. In other words, you don’t have a choice which is on the left or which is on the right. The color range may also be limited. We are able to offer both faux and genuine wooden blinds in our value line that are made right here in the United States, in McKinney, Texas. You don’t have to settle for cheap foreign imports.

There are discount stores that are able to sell the standard sizes of blinds. They are made to fit common window sizes. The materials used for these are not of the best quality and the fit is rarely perfect. You can get a Value blind for about the same cost, and it will fit perfectly and look great. No window is the same; there are always variations in width, Lent and other dimensions. It is impossible for shelf blinds to fit all windows, so they “sort of” fit most windows of that dimension. Both the length and the width of stock blinds have to accommodate a very wide variety of different windows. When you order stock blinds, you will probably end up with gaps at each side because the width is not perfect, and a big bulge of slats at the bottom because you have too much length.

The lowest cost blinds you can buy are shelf stock blinds. IN order for them to be so low cost, the quality must suffer, and you end up with light weight, cheap material, poor hardware and mechanisms, small choice in both size and color and of course, no warranty. Blinds such as these will not last more than three, maximum five years.

When you order custom blinds, everything is quality from the beginning. The window is properly measured, and the blind is manufactured to perfectly fit the opening. The error factor is only 1/4 inch on each side, and the length will be the correct length, with no bunching before the strong bottom rail. They are made with quality material and fixtures. The companies that supply such quality blinds are Bali, Prestige, Graber, Royal, Levelor, Hunter Douglas and Timber Blinds. They all have the widest range of colors to choose from, including wood hues. You can also choose faux wood in many wood looks, Tris Basswood or Asian wood and composite wood. Quality design centers, upscale retailers and of course on line companies all offer these kinds of blinds.