Comparing Blinds And Shades As Options For Your Window Treatments

You’ve probably heard the terms ‘blinds’ and ‘shades’ used so often and so commonly that the two terms are practically exchangeable. While both blinds and shades are window treatments that block harsh sunlight and provide you with privacy, they go about doing so in different ways. How do blinds and shades really differ, you say? Well, in today’s blog post, Arjay’s Window Fashions is going to take a close look at the advantages of disadvantages of blinds and shades. We like to consider our Ventura window covering business credible about this matter because we happen to carry both blinds and shades!

Arjay’s Is Your Trusted Window Coverings Supplier

Serving the greater upper west Los Angeles and Orange County areas for years, Arjay’s has been selected as a Small Business of The Year by the area’s Chamber Of Commerce. By priding ourselves on always being on the leading edge of technology, Arjay’s always offers the newest and most innovative window covering products on the market. To learn more about how our window treatment business works, please feel free to visit our company page or read on to discover the differences and similarities between blinds and shades. Let’s take a look!

Understand Your Criteria First

When considering getting blinds or shades, you’ll want to make it simple by thinking about what you’d like to specifically accomplish with your window treatments. Keep questions like these in mind:

• Do you want to have control over privacy in the room?
• Do you want to let in a lot of sunlight without obstructing the view?
• Are you concerned about energy efficiency?
• Do you have any household pets that might tamper with your window coverings?
• How does your house face the sun?

These questions, amongst many others, are the things that you need to keep in mind before you look into different blind or shade colors, or even a completely different type of window covering.

How A Blind Is Characterized

Blinds have horizontal or vertical slats that louver to control the amount of sunlight and air that is allowed in a given room. So, if you want extra airflow entering the room or you want windows with an unobstructed view, blinds can actually be completely pulled up with a pull cord or even a motorized, cordless system. While most manufacturers make blinds in a range of materials like aluminum, wood, faux wood, vinyl and faux composite wood, you can also find eco-friendly blind options with materials like bamboo.

Differentiating Between Blind Types

Usually, the most popular window blinds are made with real wood and faux wood. Mini-blinds are also a very popular option. Here’s a quick breakdown of different blind types:

• Mini-blinds are also known as horizontal aluminum blinds. Mini-blinds are usually available in 1” slats in 6 or 8 gauge aluminum as well as ½” slats, 1-⅜” slats and even 2” slats. Extremely durable, mini-blinds come in hundreds of colors and are also available as a vinyl slat, which is a good economical option.
• Real wood and faux wood blinds have a warm tone to them that can make any room look cozy and inviting. Real wood blinds are available as painted or stained and usually come in several different types of wood including bass, bamboo, ash, and maple. Even composite faux wood looks more like real wood blinds than standard PVC faux wood, and naturally, it’s also less expensive than real wood.

 

• Vertical blinds tend to be perfect for patio doors and large windows, and they’re also quite controllable. The fact that vertical blinds are easy to control means that you can have a high amount of light control as well as privacy. Vertical blinds tend to be available in vinyl or fabric in a wide range of colors and styles.

• Shutters are similar to wood blinds. However, shutters function as more of an external piece of furniture that goes around your windows. Shutters surround your windows with a casement while the inside of the shutter has slats to louver open and close.

So What’s A Shade, Then?

Unlike blinds, shades do not have slats that louver. Instead, shades go up and down and tend to be made from fabrics and woven woods. Shades offer some functional convenience over blinds in the sense that they can be opened from the top, bottom, or even both ends in order to control light and privacy.

Different Types of Shades

 

• Roller shades consist of a material that is rolled onto a tube and then rolls off of the tube with a continuous cord loop clutch system or cordless system. Roller shades tend to be very popular in homes and businesses with solar screen fabrics which keep the glare of the sun away while also allowing you to see through them. Roller shades are available in solid and print fabrics that range from modern to traditional – for a truly custom look, add trim and tassels.

• Cellular or Honeycomb shades are as beautiful as they are functional. Available in both single and double-cell varieties, these type of shades provide both temperature and sound-insulating features and already have multiple lift system options such as cordless, continuous cord loop, and motorized options. With these kind of shades, usually, an occasional vacuuming is about all they need.

• Pleated shades consist of a single piece of material and have the advantage of more unique fabric options as compared to other window coverings. Pleated shades tend to be available with or without a liner for added privacy and insulation, and they’re also available in a wide range of both color and texture options.

• Woven wood or bamboo shades provide a highly stylized look that will appease your inner interior designer. Yes, these types of shades are certainly more fragile than most types of blinds, but they’re also available with tapes on the edges in order to prevent fraying.

Deciding Between Blinds And Shades

As we mentioned above, having shades or blinds work with your interior design needs all comes down to what your priorities are. If you live in an open desert environment without many surrounding trees, then a sunshade might be the best option for you, whereas if you live in the city, sound-insulating blinds would be the way to go. Ultimately, you’ll need to consider how much privacy and light control is needed in your specific rooms and then take the time to browse through the different styles and colors available with your goals for the room in mind.

Selecting a window treatment should be based on estimating the light requirements, privacy necessities, energy efficiency and pricing needs that you’re looking for. All things considered, choosing the right window treatment for your home can create a subtle yet significant difference in its atmosphere.

Trust Arjay’s To Help You Make The Right Decision

We don’t expect you to be an expert when it comes to window treatments because that’s our job! Whether you’re looking for Roman blinds, Venetian blinds, vertical blinds, bamboo blinds, honeycomb blinds, cellular blinds, drapes or even a sunshade, Arjay’s Window Fashions does it all! By working with you and your home, we’ll find a solution that works for your needs as well as your budget. Contact us today to get the right shades, blinds or other window coverings for your home!