Window Shading Advice From DotcomBlinds
Window shading isn’t the most flashy area of home décor and decoration, but it is still an incredibly important area of your home’s décor which can have a big impact on your home’s functionality.
Because window shades are typically more substance than style, not everyone has a great idea on what they need from their window shades, which is why we’ve enlisted the help of the team at DotcomBlinds to help walk you through what you should be looking for when updating your home’s window shades!
Why Made To Measure Is The Best Option!
Whenever you buy window shades, the first option you’ll come across is whether to buy pre-made shades or to get your new window shades made to measure. The team at DotcomBlinds say that for the vast majority of windows you will be better off by buying made to measure blinds or curtains, rather than their off-the-shelf counterparts.
The reason why made to measure options are typically a better solution is simple, you know with certainty that your new blinds or curtains will be a perfect fit in your window, whereas with pre-made shades, you’ll struggle to find an exact fit and will need to make adjustments to your window shades before installing them.
So, if you are going to need to cut a set of pre made shades down to size, why not get the experts to do it rather than struggle to make your own alterations. Buying made to measure will guarantee that your shades not only fit perfectly, but don’t have any unwanted marks from DIY alterations.
What Type Of Fabric Will Be Right For You?
When buying a new set of window shades, you will have three main choices for the type of fabric your curtains or blinds will have, usually fabric based window shades can be made in the following fabric types:
Voile Fabrics, which will let most of the light outside pass through them, like a set of net curtains; Dimout Fabrics, these fabrics are a tad thicker than voile fabrics, letting some light pass through, but also providing more privacy inside; or Blackout Fabrics, which will completely block any light from passing through them and completely secure your privacy.
What fabric type you choose, should be based on what room the window is in and how much privacy you’d like. Voile fabrics work well in areas like landings and stairways where privacy is not really needed, Dimout fabrics will work best in areas where you want some privacy while still letting in natural light such as a living room, and blackout fabrics work best in rooms that need to be dark like home cinemas and bedrooms.
What Features Will You Need?
When you choose which window shade you want, you may notice that some different materials and types of shades will have their own unique features and qualities to them, unless you’re a shading expert it can be hard to know what these features mean and whether they’d be useful to you and your home.
Some of the more common features relate to the fabric type of the shades like we mentioned in the section above, but there are still a lot more features and options available to you, which may include:
Solar Reflective Backing, this feature includes a reflective film on the rear of the shade which will reflect light and heat away, this is particularly useful in South facing windows or rooms that get warm in the Summer time.
Wipe Clean Fabric, this means that the fabric of your shade has been treated so that it can be easily cleaned with just a wet cloth, making it perfect for use in messy rooms like kitchens or in busy family homes with children.
Water Resistant Fabric, this feature means that the shade will be made out of a material like PVC which is resistant to water damage, making them ideal for use in bathrooms where your shade may get water on it frequently.
Anti-Bacterial Coating, some window shades will have an anti-bacterial coating on them, which will prevent the growth of bacteria on the shade’s fabric, this is perfect for use in homes with messy children or in healthcare settings.
Choosing the perfect window shade for your home, may be a bit more intense than you first thought it to be, but now you’re armed with expert knowledge from the team at DotcomBlinds, you can rest easy knowing when the time comes, you will find the best suited window shade for your home.
- by Matt Watts
