Roller blinds are very commonly used in children’s bedrooms to help them get to sleep; the ‘black out’ variant is by far the best option in bedrooms. Two things to be aware of though, cost and variety.
Proper blackout material is a laminate that has a layer of plastic on the back (usually white in colour) this often means that the price is higher than ‘standard’ fabrics. However do have a look out for the darker coloured polyester materials common today. Dark colours will naturally cut a great degree of the light out anyway and will save you money, not true ‘blackout’ but certainly worth considering. The drawback is that if you want neutral colour there is then a trade-off with increased light coming through the material.
True ‘blackout’ materials often come in very limited colours and virtually no patterns meaning the end result can look very plain and bland. Again going to a standard thick polyester material will open up a whole range of colours and patterns though.
One thin got bear in mind is that when blinds are installed into the window recess (the best scenario to reduce wear & tear) if the blind is a roller there will be a slit of light down each end of the blind. This problem can be solved though by using a ‘cassetted’ roller blind at a much higher cost.
Mounting the blind on the ‘face’ of the wall over the window can solve this. Do beware though doing this the blind will probably be more susceptible to damage (particularly in kids bedrooms).
It is interesting to note that as the housing market changes the nature of blinds that sell changes too! It is a fact that when the market is depressed and fewer people move house more of us decide to ‘improve rather than move’. This results in more extensions being built, conservatories being added and windows being replaced.
Now each of these can be good for the blinds industry as house owners go on to later décor and then want blinds to complete the job.
Take extensions, a great example, as the growing family cannot (or don’t want to move) yet the family is expanding. A new baby means another room is required, and that is often the motivation to extend. Once the paint is dry on the new nursery, the realisation is that to get the baby to sleep darkness can help. This it where Velux or ‘sloping roof’ blinds come in.
These days there are a few manufacturers of this type of blind, however Velux are probably the best known. They make their own ‘custom made blinds’ and they are available in pleated, Venetian and the most popular Blackout roller blind variant. These are not like the old versions (and some current copies) where the blind hooks into a wooden rake so is only adjustable to 3 or 4 positions. No the modern blind is infinitely adjusted to any height in the frame.
If you have a Velux window do buy the genuine Velux made blind. You are then guaranteed a great job – they are very good at blocking both light and heat. Finish is superb and electrically operated versions are available for high windows. All normally come with a 2-year guarantee and are available in an extensive range of colours and paterns.
Once installed the job is done, total darkness – anytime of day! The heat these keep out will also impress you. The brushed aluminium frame often becoming hot to the touch!
Probably the most popular type of custom made blind is this one –it’s versatile and very well priced. Verticals are responsible for about 55% of all the blinds sold in the UK.
Some of the reasons for this are the almost infinite choice of materials and combinations available – you can even mix materials on one blind. PVC blinds (which are stiff) which have no weights or chains at the bottom as the hang under their own weight are great for damp environments.
One big consideration these days is health and safety, children can easily become entangled in the operating chains (damaging the blind and possibly themselves). Using monorod controls means no operating chains and a very discrete solution. These ‘stick’ controls enable the drawing and tilting of the drapes with one simple control.
Vertical can often be used in difficult window opening configuration eg. ‘tilt and turn’ windows often open into the room but by planning the way the drapes draw (to either side, both ends or even to the middle) this need not be a problem.
Verticals can also be used in curved bay windows – made possible by using a plastic inner tilt rod. Also conservatories often have sloping sides which can be a challenge for other blinds, this is not the case for verticals though as custom made blinds will have drapes cut to suit various window shapes.
Large window present no major problems for verticals as rails can be cut typically up to 4 metres wide and many metres deep. That why they are typically seen used in school hall, churches and offices where large windows are typical (and budgets are tight)!
In summary with all these advantages it is not difficult to see why vertical blinds are the most popular type sold today!
Roller blinds are often thought as as boring plain light blocking items. In many cases this can of course be very true (black out blinds in kids bedrooms) but one way to make a roller into something more notable is to add a shape.
Obviously don’t expect a blind that will block all the light out if it is shaped, but if you have a roller more as window ‘dressing’ shapes are great! See there are a lot of blinds that are never touched or drawn but are there just to make the window look nice and to stop the room from echoing.
Shapes are available in many forms and can often be supplied with poles through them, fake pulls (pretensioned blinds are a thing of the past) and fancy braided surrounds. The thing is that a lot of people looking for a shape to be added do not appreciate the work going into making the blind that way. All of a sudden the blind is made in 2 pieces (one shaped, one plain) and then joined together. This entails a lot of work, stitching and patience and is usually done by hand.
Where the weight bar on a normal roller blind used to be at the bottom now it is above the shape where the two parts join. So if you have a metal pole also the blind can be quite heavy also. To cover the join there are copious amounts of braid and also around the edge of the shape itself, again stitched by hand.
So in the end we have a roller blind, which looks great but costs probably 30 – 40% more! Besides this shapes are not advised in all applications for example I recommend not using them in bathrooms or kitchens if they are likely to get splashed as the braid can be hard to clean. The exception is if the blind is purely for decoration and usually just left half way up to cover the window recess. Do also bear in mind if you do intend to disguise the window the blind is on the wall and not in the recess, this in itself making it more vulnerable to damage. In the recess is always safer and usually the preference.
In summary when ordering your blind though do ask to have a look at what is available – it may ‘fire up’ a few ideas!
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Custom Made Blinds – Roller blinds are very commonly used in children’s bedrooms to help them get to sleep; the ‘black out’ variant is by far the best option in bedrooms.
