Blinds are one of the most popular types of window coverings and are known to be versatile, functional and low-maintenance. Blinds can instantly transform the interior and exterior of your home. They are often preferred for their flexibility as they can be opened to let light in or shut tight for maximum privacy. This also provides protection from the heat, and reduces the UV effects on your home furnishings.
Blinds have transcended numerous evolutions in style, materials and mechanisms. This is because, in addition to their practical purposes, blinds accentuate the overall look of your home and elevate its aesthetic value.
The different types of blinds
Blinds come in a wide variety of sizes and materials, each serving different purposes. Some blinds keep sunlight out, while others are more decorative. Some require manual operation, while some are motorised — with voice-activated “smart” blinds even coming into the picture quite recently.
A few of the most popular types of blinds are the following:
1. Roller blinds
Roller blinds are one of the more popular choices among customers. As the name suggests, roller blinds can be rolled up or down and can be mounted to the window in a variety of ways. It is a practical solution, covering windows and doors while having an extensive range of patterns, natural or synthetic fabrics, and materials to choose from.
Motorisation is available — which means that you can control the movement of your blinds using a remote control, tablet, smartphone, or voice command. Since roller blinds can have multiple additional features, it is available in a variety of styles:
- Light filtering/translucent roller blinds. These roller blinds are made of translucent fabrics, which means a filtered level of daylight may still enter your home. You can control the amount of sunlight allowed into your area, depending on the fabric. To a certain degree, it affords homeowners privacy, especially when closed. Translucent roller blinds are often used in living areas.
- Blockout roller blinds. As the name suggests, these blinds block the sun and direct light out. Depending on the fabric, it can filter up to 100% of UV rays. This makes blockout blinds excellent for keeping homes cool during the summer while preserving privacy in your space. Blockout roller blinds are the best choices for bedrooms, home theatres and nurseries.
- Sunscreen roller blinds. These blinds are similar to roller blinds as their purpose is to reduce the amount of sunlight, UV rays, glare and heat from penetrating your home without completely blocking the view of your windows or doors. These are great options for living spaces with large windows that are exposed to direct sunlight. However, sunscreen blinds are not ideal for bedrooms as it does not offer privacy when the room is lit up at night.
2. Lumen blinds
Lumen blinds are typified by their modern and sleek design, which is perfect for contemporary homes. It provides the perfect balance of protecting your privacy while maintaining your view. Lumen blinds use the same mechanism as roller blinds, so operation is easy.
3. Panel blinds
Panel blinds are characterised by sections that move along a track, allowing you to seamlessly open and close them. They are commonly used for large windows and patio doors.
4. Venetian blinds
Arguably the most popular style of blinds as they can be custom-fitted, Venetian blinds are horizontal blinds featuring slats that are controlled by a wand to open and close to various positions for light filtering and privacy.
5. Vertical blinds
Vertical blinds are characterised by individual slats that move along a track at the top of the blind. These blinds either open from side to side, or part in the middle along the headrail. They are the most common choices for homeowners with expansive sliding glass doors and windows. Vertical blinds are easy to use, giving you full privacy and sun control — and they are easier to clean compared to other types of blinds. Vertical blinds are usually available in wood and PVC materials.
6. Honeycomb blinds
Honeycomb blinds are known for their thermal comfort and are perfect for the summer or for winter. Honeycomb blinds trap a layer of air inside their cellular design, thus insulating against the movement of heat from the inside to outside, trapping heat in for the winter, or vice versa, keeping heat out for the summer. They are great choices for side windows.
Why do you need blinds, especially during the summer?
The summer months in Australia see temperatures range from 12-32ºC, with some cities occasionally registering over 40 ºC during intense heatwaves.
Despite staying indoors, you can still feel the sweltering heat, making you feel uncomfortable and lethargic most of the time. Of course, you have the option to keep the air conditioning running the whole day, but then you will have to deal with skyrocketing electricity bills.
Why are so many people recommending blinds for windows and patio doors, and why is it especially useful during the summer? Let’s look at some of the advantages of installing blinds for your homes.
Blinds keep your homes cool
For homes with lots of windows exposed to direct sunlight, a stuffy space is a recurring problem. Blinds let you control the amount of sunlight that gets into your home during the day.
Blinds help keep your home cool by insulating heat from entering your space, even deflecting it. Go for lighter coloured blinds as they are less likely to attract the sun’s rays.Honeycomb blinds, for example, are great at keeping heat out, as they insulate against the movement of heat.
Blinds reduce glare
For people who spend much of their summer indoors, watching television or using the computer while working from home, screen glare can be a serious problem. As blinds provide you with the flexibility to control the amount of sunlight you let in by adjusting the slats, screen glare will be a thing of the past.
Motorised and smart options are also widely available in the market today. This gives you the added comfort of adjusting your blinds using a remote control, your phone, or even your voice, without having to get up from your seat.
Your furniture is protected
We all know how harmful UV rays can be to our skin, but did you know that UV rays can be damaging to our furniture as well? UV rays can cause discolouration of your furniture fabric or fading of your wall paint over time. Blinds protect your furniture from direct sun exposure, thus preventing direct damage and fading. Blockout roller blinds and sunscreen roller blinds are designed to keep harmful UV rays out, effectively protecting you and your indoor furniture.
Added privacy
Privacy is one of the biggest reasons why people purchase blinds. This is not merely an advantage of blinds that you get to enjoy during the summer, but the whole year-round. The great thing about blinds is that it gives you a range of privacy control. You can close blinds tight, for maximum privacy, or leave the slats open, just enough to let sufficient light in. Now with motorisation and smart automated features, you can even control your blinds by phone or voice commands remotely.
Cost-savings
Blinds are great and inexpensive long-term investments — not just for the summer, but for the whole year. Simply consider the amount you will save on your electricity bills by avoiding round-the-clock interior cooling during the summer, and not having to continuously upgrade your discoloured furniture or repaint your sun-faded walls. In addition, blinds require minimal maintenance.
A final note
It is important to be particular about the quality of blinds you choose — and even more about how they are installed. Skillful installation is critical as it will determine the longevity of your blinds; thus, it is recommended that you contact specialists who have the experience, tools and industry knowledge to install your blinds.
EHI (Elite Home Improvements of Australia) is a trusted supplier and installer of blinds, plantation shutters, blinds, roller shutters, flyscreens and security doors in Sydney. Established in 1996, EHi delivers high quality products and installation services on the market.
If you would like to speak to us and find out which would be the perfect blinds for your home, call us today for a free quote at 136 344!