Are you renovating and looking to get new blinds for your home? But you are not sure what kinds of materials and blinds will suit your windows best? Then this article is for you. We will help you find what’s best by covering the 5 most popular types of window blinds in Houston, Texas and their common variations.
Most people use the words “blinds” and “shades” interchangeably, however, these terms actually refer to two completely separate window treatment options. Let’s take a look at what each word means:
On the one hand, blinds are made of individual slats that can be lowered or raised and sometimes even tilted from side to side, which makes it easier to control how much light is entering the room.
Shades, on the other hand, consist of one piece of material, usually cloth, meaning their height can be adjusted, but not their tilt.
Window Blind Materials
You are wondering what type of blinds to install in your home? That depends on a variety of factors: style, function, budget, the size of the window and the room decor. Each type of Houston window treatment has its own unique set of features that help differentiate it from the others. Let’s examine up close the 5 most popular types of window blinds on the market today.
Roller Blinds
When it comes to Texas window treatments, roller blinds are a popular choice in Houston area homes. They come in a variety of natural and synthetic materials to fit your room design. You can choose whether you would like a simple bracket installation or a fancier option with either valances, cornices or fascia. Roller shades – Houston, TX usually come with a cord, but there are cordless options available as well. If you go for one with a cord and have children around, make sure that you use a P-clip to secure it to the window frame. Loose cords can be a strangulation hazard for young children and we take Child Safety very seriously at Blind Design.
Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are another crowd favorite. You can find them in many Houston, Texas homes, in part due to their extreme practicality and versatility. They can be made of aluminum, wooden or composite horizontal slats that are suspended on two cords or strips of cloth. The cords keep the slats the same distance apart and allow you to regulate how much light gets in by tilting them. You can also raise or lower them if you want more or less light in your room.
Venetian blinds can be made to fit windows and doors of all sizes, but caution should be taken when installing them on wider windows because some materials might bend under their own weight over time. They also come in a variety of styles to suit any room and taste.
Mini and micro blinds are types of Venetian blinds that differ in how wide their slats are: about 1 inch for the mini and half inch for the micro models. These blinds suit especially well small windows, such as those in the bathroom or any other rooms that require them to fit to scale with the window and the rest of the room.
Vertical Blinds
Stylish, easy-to-clean and affordable, vertical blinds are another popular choice, albeit not as ubiquitous as roller and Venetian blinds. They consist of individual slats that are most often made of vinyl, but sometimes fabric as well. Each panel hangs individually, but because they are all placed on a track and connected via a cord you can adjust all of them simultaneously by pulling on the cord.
Sliding Door Blinds – Houston, TX
Because vertical blinds are better suited for large glass sliding doors and windows, they usually provide floor-to-ceiling coverage. They cannot be raised or lowered, but if you want, you can slide them to the side in order to enjoy an unobstructed view.
Panel blinds are similar to vertical blinds in the way that they hang vertically as well, however, they typically have only four much wider fabric panels rather than many thin slats. These panels cannot be tilted or angled, but they slide together to allow light into the room. Most homeowners install them on sliding backdoors.
Roman Blinds
Roman blinds, or more accurately Roman shades, are made of fabric or natural materials such as seagrass. The way they work is by folding into themselves when being raised and flattening out when lowered. Because the panels create quite a large stack of fabric when folded, part of the viewable space of the window is covered by it.
You can get Roman shades in many colors, prints and textures, but more neutral shades like tan, grey, and off-white tend to be the popular choice among homeowners. They are also offered with additional blackout, light-filtering or thermal layers. Overall, Roman blinds are a timeless classic, which suits more traditionally styled homes.
Cellular & Pleated Shades
Cellular shades, which are also called honeycomb shades, are made from two different pieces of plastic or paper. The name comes from the fact that cellular shades are open in the middle, which creates a pocket, otherwise known as a cell. Cells provide sound as well as thermal insulation and keep your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter. These shades come in a variety of cell sizes, which are designed to suit the size of the room and window.
Cellular shades provide enhanced energy efficiency because they trap air within each cell, as well as between the shade and the window, which is particularly beneficial in colder climates. Some shades have cells with low emissivity surfaces which reflect ultraviolet or infrared light to increase the insulating performance of the shade leading to increased energy efficiency.
While similar in looks to Houston cellular shades, pleated shades differ in that they are made from only one whole piece of material, which forms an accordion-like pattern. This not only allows for the shades to be raised and lowered, but also softens the way the window looks by giving it a warm hue.
Types of Window Blinds & Coverings Review
(Roller Blinds – Houston, TX) minimalistic and inconspicuous
(Venetian Blinds – Houston, TX) classic and versatile
(Vertical Blinds – Houston, TX) chic and affordable
(Roman Blinds – Houston, TX) conservative and classy
(Pleated and Cellular Blinds – Houston, TX) unconventional, yet stylish
