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Just in time to beat the summer heat, we’ve added two new outdoor shades from Bali.  These Bali outdoor shades are a great way to stay cool and are perfect for patios, decks, and south-facing windows.
 
The two Bali exterior solar shades we’ve added are the Bali Shoji Exterior Solar Shade and the Bali Lattice Exterior Solar Shade.  You install them on either the outside of your window or patio to block the sun’s rays before they reach your windows. This will help stop heat transference to keep your interior cool.  Bali outdoor shades also reduce glare and block damaging UV rays.  And, both shades maintain views to the outside.

The Bali Shoji Exterior Solar Shade has a 10% openness factor which means that the shade blocks 90% of incoming UV rays and provides better view through.  The Bali Lattice solar shade has a 5% openness factor which means it blocks 95% of UV rays.  The trade-off is slightly reduced view through, but better privacy.

Here’s a few other details about these products:

  • Solar shades do not provide nighttime privacy – lighted interiors allow inward visibility; if complete privacy is desired, consider adding an inside window treatment
  • Fabric is 25% polyester and 75% vinyl on polyester and is GreenGuard certified and fire resistant rated (NFPA 701)
  • Includes all hardware necessary for installation, including wood screws; additional hardware (not included) may be required for stucco and other surfaces
  • Premium fabric-wrapped bottom rail included standard
  • Five year limited warranty

Both Bali outdoors shades can now be ordered from Blindsgalore.com and will be custom made to your exact specifications.  They’ll help keep you cool, look great and last for years and years.

To help you get the most out of your faux wood blinds purchase, here are five options/features available from most quality manufacturers.  Note that if you go to a big box store, most likely you will not see these options, which is a shame.  Unless you, the consumer, are presented with these options, you would most likely be missing out.  Or, you may be presented with these options and not understand their value: 

1. Routeless – The strings or cords on a blind are what operate the blind.  They allow you to tilt the slats and open and close the blind.  Normally, these strings are attached/woven into the slats via small drilled routing holes. With the routeless option, notches at the back of each slat take the place of routing holes, allowing for increased privacy and light control, a sleeker look and tighter slat closure.

2. Cloth tapes – Faux wood blinds come standard with cords that are used to lift the blind and tilt the slats.  You can choose to add decorative cloth tapes that cover the strings. They come in a wide variety of colors and add a more complete, upscale to your faux wood blinds.  Cloth tapes are also a good way to coordinate other colors themes in your decor.  For example, let’s say you have a burgundy couch.  You can choose burgundy cloth tapes to tie it all together.

3. Motorized – Some manufacturers offer the motorized tilt option for faux wood blinds.  Motorized tilt means that, with the touch of a remote control button, the slats of the blind open or close.  Motorized lift is not available on window blinds, only shades.  Adding motorized is a good choice for high or hard to reach blinds, as an option to remove the cords for child safety or, for those consumers who love the having things automated.

4. Valance – Some manufacturers offer decorative valances (the frame that covers the working mechanism and headrail of the blind and adds architectural detail).  When you buy a valance with your blinds (some manufacturers offer a standard valance at no additional charge), the manufacturer may offer a couple of choices and, it will be made to fit your window and in the same color as your blind. 

5. 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 headrail – If you have a particularly large window, you can opt to choose either a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 headrail.  This means that two separate blinds or three separate blinds will hang from one headrail.  The headrail is the mechanism housing at the top of the blind.  Each blind can be adjusted separately.  This choice is better than having to mount two or three different blinds within one window casing, which is tough to get right and never looks as good than if you chose a 2-on-1 or 3-on-1 headrail.

Simple, attractive, affordable

I am not a member of what our past President George W. Bush coined the “ownership society.” I, like more and more people, pay rent to a landlord.  In fact, I have never owned a home.  This is not a bad thing, especially in light recent economic times.  The home I currently live in, fortunately, has decent window treatments.  It is part of what makes living there a pleasure.  The owners invested in decent custom shades and blinds in all the important rooms and non-custom blinds in the less important rooms e.g., the laundry room.

Rental homes need decent window blinds too.  Based on my own experience, I believe the perception is that custom window treatments are unaffordable; a luxury that doesn’t fit into the economic reality of owning a home or renting a home (or apartment).  But good window treatments really help make a house more livable and attractive.  From a renter’s perspective this is important.  I also believe it should be important from the homeowner’s perspective too – happy renters mean loyal tenants and that means less turnover.  Additionally, enhanced enjoyment and pride of one’s living quarters usually equates to greater care (read:  less damage & more stewardship).

This article will give advice to homeowners and renters alike on the best blinds and shades that will look great and not break the budget.  To get started let’s get two things out of the way:

First,  no more uber-cheap blinds from big box stores – these blinds are poorly made in third world countries with little or no regard to the environment, quality materials, labor or safety standards.  For example, millions of IKEA blinds were recently recalled (June, 2010) because a child was strangled in the cords. These blinds are made in far flung countries because the labor is so cheap.  These recalls seem to happen about once a year and always involves cheap blinds like these. 

Second, the best blinds and shades are custom, that is they are made-to-order to the exact measurements of a window. But quality, custom blinds do not have to be expensive.  And, they have the dual benefit of fitting better, working better and lasting a lot longer.  The bottom line is, spend a little more now for a product that you won’t have to replace for years and years.  Lastly, the best place to buy blinds is online, period.  Take advantage of online retailers low overhead and save yourself a lot of money.

Without further ado, here are my recommendations:

Window blinds:  the most affordable can be summed up in two words – vinyl blinds.  I know that vinyl blinds are normally associated with cheap blinds but, the right ones can look quite stylish.  There are vinyl mini blinds, faux wood blinds (made from either vinyl or composite wood, the cheapest are vinyl), vinyl vertical blinds and plantation shutters.  My top pick for affordable custom window treatments that will look nice and stand up to years of use are faux wood blinds with vinyl slats.  These are very affordable and will give your home or apartment the upscale look of wood blinds.  For example, Blindsgalore offers a quality house brand of faux woods with 2″ slats that is very affordable – a 36″ x 48″ faux wood blind is only about $37.00…  For sliding glass doors consider vinyl vertical blinds with textured vanes.  This helps set them apart from the ubiquitous smooth vinyl vanes found in too many rental homes.  For an even more upscale look consider fabric vertical blinds, they’ll add warmth to the room.

Window shades:  There are actually more choices in the category of shades than blinds.  There are roller shades, pleated shades, cellular shades, roman shades, solar shades, woven wood shades and sheer shades.  Again, these don’t have to be expensive.  My recommendation is to go with a house brand from an online retailer, these are often made by the same name brand companies.  When considering window shades, keep in mind that many of the shades listed above come with different opacities (how much light is transmitted through the fabric).  For bedrooms, consider opaque fabrics for room darkening.  For rooms with lots of natural light, consider sheer or semi-sheer to preserve all that light.  The best low-cost options in the shades category are pleated shades, single cell cellular shades, fabric roller shades (you don’t want vinyl shades) and roman shades.  Another price example from Blindsgalore’s BG Bargains line are cellular shades - a 36″ x 48″ cellular shade with standard cord lift is about $51.  These cheap cellular shades (cheap yes. low quality- no) will also add insulation to the window which will help lower heating and cooling costs – over time, they’ll pay for themselves.

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