Saturday 16 April 2011

Are Wood Window Blinds The Right Choice?


When you are deciding on what to do to spruce a room up, you might want to think about the different kinds of window blinds you could use. Wood window blinds have a great way of creating an elegant and sophisticated look and feel to just about any room they are put up in. These window blinds are also a great way of keeping the harsh sunlight out of a room, keeping it nice and cool for you and your family to enjoy.

Being able to insulate a room is one of the most common reasons that people purchase wood window blinds. In the summer, they will keep the heat from coming into the room, especially with windows that have direct sunlight on them during the late afternoon and early evening hours.

They will also help keep the heat in the room when the winter months have made it cold and unbearable outside. Even though a lot of people would think heavy drapes would be better for this, wood blinds create an excellent barrier to the harsh temperature changes that come around with every seasonal change.

Wood window blinds are also extremely durable and easy to maintain, taking only a few minutes to wipe the dust off of them. Metal or aluminum blinds require you to be a bit gentler as they have a tendency to bend when you apply pressure to them. Wood, however, will hold up to the pressure of cleaning very well, and you can see this in the amount of time you are saving. They really are a great all around accessory to any room they are in, or your entire house, if you so desire.

When it comes to choosing the right blinds for you and your family, wooden window blinds always seem to fall into the top of the list. They have a great feel and look a lot more natural than the skinny aluminum blinds that you can buy at any store. Wood blinds can be found in most home improvement stores, and also online. The only issue you might have is in the measurement of the window frame to make sure that you have the perfect fit for your window.

Saturday 2 April 2011

How To Measure And Install Vertical Window Blinds

Vertical window blinds are a great choice for certain rooms in your home, including the bedroom, living room and kitchen, as they provide great versatility and control with pleasing aesthetic design. Here we discuss the best way to measure for and install vertical blinds in your home.

Vertical blinds will either run from the top of your window down to the bottom of your window or as far as the floor. The window blinds can be installed on the inside of the window frame or on the exterior of the window frame, depending on the window style. The latter would put the blinds on the top of the window but on the outer edge of the wood.

When measuring for your blinds you should measure from where you want to install them. If you are putting the blinds up on the inside of the window frame, you will measure on the inside of the window and if you are putting the blinds up on the outside of the frame, you will need to measure from that point.

If your window is 60" wide and 40" long - or tall if you prefer - then if you are putting the blinds up on the inside of the casing you most likely are going to need 58 or 59" across and 39" long. This will depend on the thickness of your window frames and the trim on the window. If, however, you have decided to put the vertical blinds on the exterior of the frame above the window you are going to need wider and longer blinds, likely about 62" or 64" wide, and will measure about 44" long.

You'll need to decide whether or not you want to see the window frame and whether or not you want the blinds to reach the bottom of the window, the frame or right to the floor and adjust accordingly. Some people like to cover only the window area of their window with the blind and this is ok if you are measuring the interior or the exterior areas of your window frame. If you want to have the vertical blinds put on the inside of the frame though, it will be impossible to have your window blinds longer than the window as they will end up sticking out and looking ridiculous.

Check to see if anything is going to get in the way of your blinds once they are hanging. This could be a piece of furniture for example. If it is, consider reducing the length of your window blinds or rearranging your furniture to allow for the length you want.

Now you have your measurements, draw them out on a piece of paper to make doubly sure they are exactly as you want them. If you're happy you are ready to go ahead and have your blinds made.

It is rare that you will be able to find vertical blinds of the width and length you require ready-made, so you'll need to find a window blind company to make them for you. The will also very likely install the blinds for you, saving that trouble.

If you don't want to go to that expense, however, it is perfectly possible for you to adjust blinds and install them yourself, though you should read up on how to do so first!