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Window Treatments
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Types of Blinds
Click
here to see our selection of Types of Blinds.
 So
what’s the difference between a blind and a shade? Blinds
afford sun control and a view while most shades simply block out
the sun or not.
With blinds, two factors differentiate the many types available:
the material used to make the slats and the size of the slats. Most
blind manufacturers also offer a "blackout" feature. The
slats are overlapped so that no light comes in thru the cord holes
· Aluminum Blinds
Lightweight vinyl blinds are the least expensive blind available,
but can be flimsy. Aluminum blinds, a moderate step up in price,
are a better choice. They come in 1/2-inch, 1-inch, and 2-inch sized
slats, as many as 100 colors, and some manufacturers offer different
finishes including metallic, hammered, brushed, and a leather-like
soft suede. The two-inch slats generally provide better sun control,
and because there are fewer of them, they are less intrusive to
the view outside.
· Faux wood blinds
The next step up in price is the wood look-alike blinds, usually
called "faux wood." Their one and two-inch sized slats
are thick and look like the real thing to everyone but a window
treatments expert. The wood look-alikes are either a wood-polymer
mix or 100 percent polymer. Faux wood blinds are favored by many
interior designers because they are easy to clean, an advantage
in a kitchen, and they don’t warp, fade or crack, a great
advantage in a room with high humidity such as a bathroom.
Wood and faux wood blinds will definitely dress up a room, but
if the window is large, they can be cumbersome and heavy to raise.
These give a room a more finished look, and because you can open
the top half for light and air while keeping the bottom part closed,
offer more options for sun control and privacy than a regular blind.
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