The window blinds and window shades that you use to decorate do more than just add to your room’s décor.  They also filter out bright damaging sunlight, provide privacy by blocking the inside view of your home, and can also help reduce your heating and cooling bills.  For a long time, long before many of you can remember, there were only a few different types of blinds and shades that were available.  Today, however, you can purchase blinds made from metal, wood, vinyl, and also from composite materials. Shades also come in a variety of materials, including wood.   In addition to the many different materials, you also have a variety of styles.  With so many options available to you, it’s easy to get confused and frustrated about what type and style of blinds or shades will be right for you and your décor. Let’s start by taking a brief look at the many different types of materials.   

Metal blinds can give your room a classic vintage look.  However, they are often difficult to clean, and can cut you because they do have sharp edges, which can also cut the delicate hands of small children.  In addition, metal blinds do not always holdup well in areas that have high humidity such as in bathrooms or kitchens as metal blinds can rust.

Vinyl blinds are available in many different colors, and styles such as slatted blinds, or vertical blinds, or solid blinds that will enhance any décor.  In addition, vinyl blinds are easier to clean, and won’t rust, making them perfect for any room of your home.  However, over time, the sun can damage and the slates of vinyl blinds. 

Wood blinds are beautiful, but heavy and like metal blinds, they do not do well in rooms with high amounts of humidity.  However, composite blinds look like wood, are lighter and can be installed in both the kitchen and bathroom.  But, just like every other material, composite blinds also have their disadvantages in that they are only available in a limited amount of colors and some composite blinds are made from lower quality material that can become brittle when exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time.

As you see, every type of material used to manufacture window blinds has both advantages as well as disadvantages.   

The same is true about the many different styles available.  Mini blinds, have very narrow slats which filter out a greater amount of light than regular width blinds.  Vertical blinds, as their name implies have slates that hang vertically instead of horizontally.  In addition many vertical blinds give the illusion of curtains hanging to the windows.

Shades offer countless options.  With considering installing window shades, you first have to consider the style, which include retractable window shades, roll-up window shades, Roman shades, cordless shades, and cellular shades just to name a few. 

Copyright 2007  AbodeBlindsAndShades.com   All Rights Reserved.