Choosing and Measuring Fabric Vertical Blinds for Your Home
Windows are an absolute necessity in any home; they let in the light and fresh air, which is clearly important in keeping your home livable and comfortable (there is a reason we have been putting them in our buildings for generations). But for as long as we have been putting windows into homes, they have also caused us problems. In the wintertime, they let heat escape through the glass and in the summer they allow bugs to get in to your home through the openings. They also mean the walls are less insulated, meaning you’re less protected from unwanted sounds outside and the early-morning sun when you are still trying to sleep.
In a well-designed house, the type of glass used in the windows can help to prevent some of these problems (certainly the heat escaping can largely be helped by good quality double glazed glass). However, by way of design, windows will always let the light in and unfortunately; glass provides minimum insulation against sound.
Fabric vertical blinds, if chosen correctly, can help to reduce these problems and this is true whether you live in a penthouse apartment in the middle of the city or on a quiet suburban street.
By choosing a thick fabric for the vertical blinds (finding the right vertical blind slats is all important), you will not only be ensuring durability, but you will also be able to block out the light at anytime of the day. In addition (although not to the same extent), thicker fabric can reduce (but not eliminate) unwanted sounds creeping in from outside, in addition to helping to lower your energy bills.
Before you go out to buy your fabric vertical blind, you need to choose the fabric type, the color and style this of course is all dependent on personal preference and what will fit into your room it is something that you will have to carefully consider. However, none of this will matter if you do not measure your windows correctly. This is not a particularly difficult task, so you should do it right:
1. Firstly you will need to check that there are no pipes, locks or latches etc. that might get in the way of the blind (if there are you will need to account for this when measuring).
2. Decide whether you want the blind to hang outside of the recess or within the recess. The benefits of going inside the recess is that the blind will be able to go all the way to the wall on each side, which will ensure that more light is blocked out and it will also provide more heat insulation. So if this is the case, you will need to measure the width of the window frame, firstly at the bottom and then again at the top. Then make sure to measure the length on the left and again on the right. You should then choose the smallest of both measurements to ensure that the fabric vertical blinds will fit inside the window frame.
3. If you are hanging the blind outside the recess, it is not as important to get an exact fit, but the more accurately you measure it, the better it will look in the end. You should measure the frame width and height and then choose how many millimeters the blind should overhang the window at each side.
Whatever your reason for wanting to change your window dressings, I strongly suggest you consider a fabric vertical blind.
Related posts:
- Made to Measure Blinds – The Benefits of Using them in the Home
- Finding Vertical Blind Slats and Replacing Them Properly
- Finding the Right Patio Door Blinds for Your Home
- The Role Sliding Door Blinds Play in the Modern Home
- Fitting Wood Venetian Blinds
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