April 18, 2008, Newsletter Issue #72: Designers Feature Window Blinds

Tip of the Week

Projects such as installing window blinds or shades throughout a house are a major investment, both for re-sale value and emotional satisfaction. Different types of window blinds convey different personalities, so you might think about using old-fashioned and comfortable drapes in a bedroom; efficient mini-blinds in a kitchen, warm wood mini blinds in an office or study and inviting vertical blinds over a sliding patio door.

Blinds can be mounted either inside or outside of your window frame. An inside frame makes for a cleaner look because the blinds will be flush against the wall and seals the opening for better insulating properties. An outside mounted blind or shade sticks out from the wall. Some window frames are too narrow to allow an inside mount, so make sure you have enough space for them.

Blinds come with a wide variety of special features. Remote control is a popular option. Most shades are opened by pulling on a string. Remote controls take all the manual work out of opening and closing windows by adding a motor to the blind. An extension bracket is a mounting that extends a blind past the frame of a window. You usually find this on outside mounts for vertical blinds. Hold down clips are a nice little feature that are usually available on all blinds to keep them from flying around and often used for doors. Two blinds on one head rail are often used with multiple windows that have more than one window sitting side-by-side. Designers created this two blind feature so that the individual blinds that are covering each window have a common valance. The window treatment looks like a single unit.

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