Window Blind Privacy & View at the Same Time

I sometimes come across a customer of window blinds who needs privacy but also doesn’t want their room to look like a vampire’s dungeon. One of the most popular roller shade styles for this purpose is the sun screen. This material usually allows 1-16% of light to come through will still maintaining some privacy. Of course, if you’d like to enjoy the sun you can easily roll the shade up. 

While I wouldn’t recommend this style if you’d like complete privacy, this material is the most commonly used for roller shades. Sun screens are available in hundreds of color combinations.

Apart from the convenience this material offers, some are fire retardant which make them a safe and practical choice. If you’re worried about them losing their color, rest assured that most sun screens can last about 10-15 years without warping or fading. Care for this material is extremely easy. All it takes is some warm water and soap and most stains will come right off. This is another reason why sun screens are so popular with customers.

If you’d like something other than a roller shade, then horizontal blinds are probable your next best option. The most common horizontal blinds are the 2” faux and bass wood types. Like the roller shade, this style allows you to enjoy some light while not giving away all of your privacy. 

If you are on a strict budget 2” faux wood blinds are among the cheapest of options. If you don’t want cheap blinds, then the bass wood 2” blinds are the next step up. These are of natural materials so expect some of the coloring to be different from one another. Bass wood blinds add a natural beauty that unfortunately faux wood simply cannot. 

How To Darken Your Room With Window Blinds

Ever wake up to sun light hitting you right on your face as if the sun was somehow upset at you? I have and I can tell you it’s not a pleasant thing. This unpleasant situation can be avoided using room darkening shades. This type of shade is most commonly referred to as “Blackout Shades”. Blackout shades are a budget friendly shade. Unlike solar screens that block a certain percentage of light from passing through, blackout shades block 100% of light. 

They are great for using in rooms where complete privacy and light blocking are a must. These are available in different materials and endless colors. I’ll discuss the two most popular blackout shades in the following paragraphs which will hopefully help you decide on which is best for your need.

The most economical option is the vinyl blackout. These are usually made up of vinyl material, hence the name. These are durable, easy to clean and easy to operate, making them an excellent choice for children bedrooms, laundry rooms, utility rooms and study rooms.

 The vinyl material of these roller shades is excellent at blocking light from passing through it. Note however that roller shades have gaps on each side between them and the window opening; this gap will allow some amount of light into the room. The way to solve this is by adding a “side channel” on each side which will guide the shade through without letting any light in. This will 

give it a complete blackout effect.

If vinyl blackout is not what you’re looking for, then the polyester blackout is the other popular option for room darkening shades. This has a fabric feel to it and is ideal for residential and commercial applications. These shades come with a white backing, so no matter how many colors you choose, you'll have a uniform appearance on the street side. 

Their slight luster makes them easy to clean and washable with mild detergent. Apart from them being easy to maintain and clean, they eliminate glare from television or computer screens, making them natural choices for offices or theater rooms. So to recap, blackout window shades whether vinyl or fabric are a great way to completely block the sun out allowing you to rest during the day or sit down and enjoy a movie on a lazy afternoon.

Replace Your Window Blinds With Modern Blinds

Time to replace your old  window blinds? Looking for new window treatment ideas and are tired of the same old blinds ? You’re not alone. I hear the question “What’s the fresh thing out there?” literally hundreds of times a month. With a society focused on having the new “in” thing, designers and customers are constantly looking for new, different, and cutting-edge window treatments. If you are like them, there are a few options out there to satisfy you’re craving. First you have to determine your financial plan and where the blind will be installed. After you’ve figured that out, its time to shop around. Do not focus on just one website or retailer as they’re selection is sometimes limited.

 Nearly all online window blinds retailers offer samples so make sure to take advantage of these. The color you see online might not be the actual color In person. This applies especially to natural materials. Now that you have some samples lets look at the different and intriguing styles accessible. One of my favorite styles is a line called “Illusion Roller Shades”. This type of roller window shade is a transitional type which means it’s produced up of panels. One panel is actual material while the other is just a sheer see through type material. The effect comes into play when you roll the window shade up and down. It transitions from half open to completely closed. Once completely closed, it allows minimal light to shine through. This allows the user to choose how much light to allow inside making this style not only state-of-the-art but practical. That allows this style to be a nice upgrade over a regular screen roller shade.

 Now that we’ve talked about an alternative to regular roller shades, let’s talk about an alternative to vertical blinds. Have you noticed that when you walk into a house for the first time your rarely notice the window dressings? This usually happens if the home has verticals installed. While verticals are cost-effective and practical, they have been around for a long time.

One alternative I like, are sliding panels. There are tons of options when it comes to material for these. As far as the operation goes, they are basically panels that align behind each other when in the “closed” position. To “open” the panels, the front panel is dragged from right to left which also drags the other panels behind it, closing out the opening and limiting the light input. These are just a sampling of some of the cutting-edge window treatments getatable to satisfy customers wanting new and new styles. For more window treatment ideas for window blinds make sure to follow our blog!

Window Blinds for Commercial Use

 When it’s time to choose window treatments for commercial buildings, the job can sometimes be tricky. There are lots of regulations that must be followed and that’s completely understandable since these building have more people traffic than a house or apartment. Whatever window treatment is chosen has to be fire retardant to a degree. They even have to be eco-friendly in some cases. This is ok except for the fact that this greatly limits your choices.

 Most of the time, you are stuck with aluminum mini blinds that are very out dated. This is somewhat of a dilemma with some of the newer buildings since their styling is modern. Don’t get me wrong, mini blinds are a great option if you are trying to save money but lets just say their styling is…boring!  

A great alternative to mini blinds is solar shades. Many of the top manufacturers of solar shades have styles that are both fire retardant and eco-friendly. Solar shades offer the flexibility of letting you preserve your view while still blocking out UV rays and the heat associated with them. They are popular choice for commercial applications because on top of saving money by reducing the heat entering the building, they are a relatively inexpensive choice. Since they are the single most popular material for roller shades, there are countless manufacturers offering them so you really can get a good price on them. Apart from these benefits, they are 

also long lasting. If taken care of properly they can last years!

Don’t want a basic solar shade? Well you might want to think about transitional shades. These are sometimes called “optical illusion” shades. The reason is that they are panels that are made up of sheer followed by a panel made up of fabric. The effect this creates is that it allows you to control how much light is let in by aligning or opening up the panels. Most of these collections are eco-friendly. Make sure to verify with the manufacture before choosing a style. Since these will be installed in a commercial building, you will obviously need to go with a style that is fire retardant. There are a small number of these available. One collection is called the “Illusion Screen” collection. This style is not eco-friendly but is definitely fire retardant. 

This allows you to have a window blind that is not only stylish but far different from the basic and out dated mini blind. These are just some of the most common styles available for commercial applications. Make sure to ask your retailer or manufacturer what they recommend since there are new window blinds styles being revealed all the time.