A Guide to Vertical Blinds

When it comes to finding the best type of window treatments for your house, a lot of the decision making process comes down to the size of the window as well as what top of style or décor are you trying to go for in the room. Sometimes widows are too large for the standard blinds or shutters or if you possibly have two windows for patio doors, then vertical blinds are a good solution to not only provide privacy for your family but to also let light in a controlled manner.

Some people tend to want to leave their windows uncovered without any type of window treatments, but that is a bad idea in several aspects. For one, it allows people to be able to see in from the street or close to your house which means the house needs to be clean at all times. It also increases the risk of a possible break in if criminals can peek inside the house and know when no one is present. Also, without blinds or curtains blocking out light, you run the risk of damaging furniture or certain types of wood flooring from the sunlight.

There are two main types of vertical blinds or track blinds; those coming in fabric and those that are made from vinyl. Vertical blinds are nice if you are looking to add some style or color to a room instead of the plain white horizontal blinds or wooden shutters.

When it comes to determining how the blinds are going to open inside the house, there are typically a few different options.

1.       Split – this option allows for either blinds to be opened in the middle or else they can be drawn to either side.

2.       Stack – this option allows the blinds to be stacked to one side of the window or the other when the cord is pulled.

The long vertical slats hanging down are called vanes and typically measure 3 ½ inches in width. When they are stacked to the side, they will usually take up less room than most draperies would.

When it comes to choosing between fabric and vinyl blinds, there are several pros and cons to each of them. Vinyl blinds require less care and cleaning than fabric blinds do. They also hold up much better to wear and tear which is something to keep in mind for often they are going to be opened and closed along the track.

Fabric blinds are a good choice if you are looking to change the look and feel of a room. By going with a lighter color, you could end up with a soft look to the room, compared to a heavier color which will darken a room.  

There are many different benefits to going with vertical blinds in your home. For one, they are much easier to custom order so they can fit any size window. Most slat or horizontal blinds are only going to come in fixed width lengths which mean they are not suitable for all windows in the house.

If you place the blinds in a space where there is a sliding glass door leading out to the patio, it is much easier to open vertical blinds that can slide along the track to get in and out of the door easily instead of some other type of window treatment solution.

If one slat gets damaged, it can be placed as individual units instead of having to replace the whole blinds unit that sometimes occurs with horizontal blinds.

While there are advantages to owning vertical blinds, there are also some disadvantages as well. The noise from opening the vertical blinds, depending on the style you pick can become aggravating over time to some people. If you open a window to let fresh air in, you are going to hear more clatter as well from the blinds knocking against each other compared to horizontal blinds.