Choose blinds
The unusual light-shielding device, consisting of horizontal wooden slats, first appeared nearly 250 years ago in Philadelphia. The inventor of the Venetian blind (which is what we’re talking about here) was the English designer John Webster. However, only 80 years later, his genius invention (allowing light to penetrate into the room, but leaving people in the room completely invisible to prying eyes), began to be manufactured on an industrial scale, when the blinds became interesting to the well-known at the time American industrialist John Hampton. Having made a contribution to the production of blinds, he still decided to keep the original name given to them by an Englishman, meaning in French «jealousy».
Gradually, blinds changed. First, the wooden slats (they are called «lamellae») were replaced by metal, then fabric and plastic. The position of the lamellae in the space also changed – Together with the horizontal structures, vertical blinds began to be produced. And, of course, the original heavy and bulky lamellas were replaced by light and movable elements of different colors and shades, which allowed installing blinds almost in any room and matching them with any interior.
Horizontal blinds
As well as a couple of centuries ago, horizontal blinds are still quite popular nowadays. Their design is such that the slats can rotate around their horizontal axis, changing the angle of inclination (this is what the blinds are for) «cane», placed at the side of the blinds). For opening and closing the blinds «meets» a cord at the side, which allows fixing the blinds in the chosen position at the same time.
All horizontal blinds have a number of advantages:
- they allow an easy regulation of the light intensity,
- They are available in a wide variety of colors,
- Their length and height are selected at the time of production according to the window size,
- blinds can be chosen according to the width of the plates.
As well as several disadvantages:
- Horizontal blinds accumulate dust in any room, therefore such blinds must be washed (or cleaned from dust by any other method) at least once a week;
- the striped light they let into the room tires the human eye;
- the length of the slats is limited to 2 meters (if the span is longer the blinds start to bend in the center under their own weight).
Horizontal blinds, having the same construction, differ in most cases only in the material of the plates.
Aluminum blinds
Shutters made of aluminum have more advantages, than the disadvantages:
- wash perfectly well,
- do not burn out in the sun,
- no deformation,
- do not have their own smell,
- They require minimal care because they do not need to be washed (it is enough to wipe them with a damp cloth or dust with a special brush),
- Can not accumulate static electricity,
- have a long lifespan,
- hygienic.
Horizontal aluminum blinds are made in three variants these days:
- regular – They are fixed above the window in front of or instead of the curtain track;
- Blinds that are fixed directly to the PVC window sash (without violating the integrity and tightness of the glazing), which allows you to freely open and close the window in any position of the blinds;
- Inter-frame version – the blinds are located between the window panes, and the control of the blinds is placed on the inside of the window or on a partition.
Disadvantage horizontal aluminum blinds:
- they heat up in the sun.
The price range of horizontal aluminum blinds: from 350 to 800 rubles per square meter (depending on the manufacturing firm and the width of the blinds plates).
Plastic blinds
Possessing all advantages aluminum horizontal blinds plastic blinds can additionally simulate the appearance of wooden blinds or have a graphic image printed on them, which becomes visible only when fixing the horizontal plates in the vertical position.
Disadvantages:
- Cheap variants of plastic horizontal blinds can be made of brittle plastics that cannot withstand even the slightest deformation and are destroyed by the action of sunlight;
- It is recommended that only special detergents be used for maintenance.
Price range of plastic horizontal blinds: from 2000 to 3000 rubles.
Wooden blinds
Among the unquestionable advantages Some of the advantages of wooden blinds are:
- naturalness (they are produced from several kinds of wood, including oak, mahogany, beech, hornbeam, wenge, etc.).д.);
- eco-friendliness;
- beautiful appearance;
- Longevity (with proper care and its original high quality of manufacture).
Disadvantages:
- High cost (in comparison with plastic and aluminum blinds);
- if the surface of the slats is not treated well, they will eventually become warped by the sun’s rays;
- They require special care, because they are considered less water-resistant than their artificial counterparts «counterparts».
Bamboo blinds
A variety of wooden horizontal blinds are bamboo blinds:
- durable,
- lightweight,
- sturdy,
- do not burn out,
- waterproof,
- eco-friendly.
Disadvantage – high cost (from 3000 to 3500 rubles).
Vertical blinds
In contrast to the horizontal blinds, which «hide» at the top of the window, the plates of the vertical ones slide either completely to one side of the window span, or from the middle to both edges of the window. Blinds can also rotate (180 degrees) around their axis (which allows you to easily and quickly adjust the intensity of light in the room).
К Advantages of all vertical blinds can be attributed to:
- Creating soft, pleasing to the human eye, diffused light;
- a wide choice of materials from which such blinds can be made;
- they do not look bad on windows together with draperies and curtains.
Vertical louver plates can be made of plastic, aluminum and wood (and still have the same disadvantages and advantages as horizontal louver plates), as well as some other materials:
Fabric blinds
Fabric blinds come in:
- jacquard (fabric with a coarse pattern)– impregnated with a special compound, so the plates do not lose their shape, do not burn out;
- non-woven – easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner, but not moisture-resistant;
- fiberglass – they are waterproof, fire-resistant, easy to care for and wash;
- plain (linen, cotton, etc.).д.) with dust-repellent impregnation – One of the economical variants of vertical blinds, they are well cleaned, can stand a light wet cleaning, are not deformed.
In addition to the general Advantages of all fabric vertical blinds include:
- beautiful appearance;
- a variety of colors;
- the possibility of installing different colored plates in one design of blinds;
- No need to execute lamellae only with straight edges (in recent years, wavy lamellae are especially popular).
Disadvantages:
- Most fabric blinds allow light to some degree (with the exception of blackout blinds);
- the small weight of the slats does not allow them to maintain their position in wind gusts.
The cost of fabric blinds varies from 500 to 1000 rubles per square meter.
Multifaceted blinds
They are a variety of fabric blinds, because their plates are made of several kinds. Combination of fabrics, not only in color, but also in texture, which gives these blinds an unusual appearance that does not require additions in the form of curtains or draperies. Usually, manufacturers use from 2 to 7 types of fabrics simultaneously to create multifaceted blinds.
The price range: from 1000 to 2500 rubles per square meter.
Plisset blinds
The basis of Plisset blinds was the design of an ordinary fan, but the result exceeded all expectations. Firstly, this type of blinds has very quickly gained popularity due to the large number of their advantages:
- beautiful;
- They can be washed (they will not deform and will not lose their original color);
- can be made of two layers of fabric (light and dark), which will close the window together or separately
- Have several options for mounting and control;
- they let in even, diffused light through, as they consist of a continuous fabric.
Secondly, Plisset blinds can be considered a universal light protective device, because they are suitable for windows of any shape: round and semicircular, square and rectangular. Plisset blinds can be easily installed on skylights and arches above door leafs.
The disadvantage The main advantage of these blinds is their high cost: from 3000 to 4000 roubles per sq.m.
Roller blinds
Unlike other types of blinds roller blinds consist of a single sheet rolled up at the top of the window with a special mechanism. It is accepted to distinguish between three types of roller blinds:
- mini (free-hanging) – Cost from 500 rubles per square meter,
- cassette (mounted on the window sash, and the fabric of the blind moves up and down on the side guides) – Price from 1000 rubles;
- Day-night (alternating strips of light and dark fabric) – From 700 rubles per sq.m.meter. These blinds are also called “Zebra”.
Advantages roll-up blinds:
- The fabric of the blinds can be fixed at any level you choose;
- Can be installed on both PVC and wooden windows;
- They can be combined well with other kinds of blinds;
- are made practically from any fabric, which, if necessary, is further treated with special compounds to increase its colorfastness or dust repellency;
- They can be painted on (photo blinds). Roller blinds with a fabric photo print. Any kind of image can be printed on the fabric – as desired by the customer.
Disadvantages:
- do not tolerate wet cleaning;
- Cannot be rubbed;
- No harsh chemicals should be used for cleaning rollup blinds;
- For stain removal, it is better to have venetian blinds dry-cleaned.
Cassette horizontal and roller blinds on plastic windows
Horizontal cassette blinds
- Operated by a single chain. The lamellae rotate first, then go up or down.
- The most popular are made of aluminum (Isolite) or galvanized steel (Isotra).
- They do not take up any space on the sill.
- They do not sag during the tilting of the window, because of the tightness of the strings.
- Aluminum roller blinds are easy to clean and do not absorb odors – therefore they are particularly well suited for kitchens.
- Fasten them with self-tapping screws or special adhesive tape (the window will not be damaged by this method of installation).
Cassette roller blinds
Cassette roller blinds are fixed on plastic or wooden windows with double-glazed windows. Unlike standard free-hanging roller blinds, the cassette system is installed directly on the window sash.
The cassette box hides the mechanism and the rolled up roller of the blinds, and the side guides do not let the cloth sag when the window is opened.
These blinds are operated by means of a chain mechanism. Canvas can be fixed at any height. Cassette blinds are usually fixed with a special double-sided adhesive tape.
All fabrics are divided into translucent, Dim-out and Blackout. Huge selection of fabrics for roller blinds let you find the ideal option for any interior.
It is advised to wash rollup blinds very carefully, with neutral detergents, to avoid creases in the fabric. The basic care is dry cleaning with a brush or vacuum cleaner. Dry cleaning is recommended in case of heavy dirt. So for kitchens and bathrooms such blinds are not very suitable. But they will look great in the bedroom, nursery, or living room.
What kind of blinds are better to choose??
The variety of existing types of blinds allows you to choose them for almost any room:
- for office premises Vertical blinds (of any material), not very bright colors and without additional decoration of window openings with blinds will do best;
- for the windows of kitchens and toilets For apartments and houses it is better to install aluminum or plastic horizontal blinds that can withstand repeated cleaning and provide total darkening of the room;
- home cabinet wooden horizontal blinds matched to the general style of the interior will be very nice;
- for the hall and bedroom Multifaceted vertical blinds would be better suited;
- в children’s room Very good look roller blinds with a funny drawing on them (but the horizontal blinds are not recommended because of their high ability to accumulate dust);
- For rooms that face the sunny side of the house, designers advise choosing multifaceted blinds or day-night blinds;
- If you decorate the room in the Oriental style you can use bamboo blinds or plisse blinds with a pattern that suits the design of the room.
* Please note that the accuracy of the information and the results of the ratings are subjective and do not constitute advertising
