Choosing blinds for your home involves more than just picking a window covering that looks good. There are also many other factors that must be considered, such as the type of covering, colour, material, closing or opening mechanism and insulating properties. To make this decision much easier for homeowners, discussed below are the six basic types of blinds as well as their corresponding benefits:
Venetian blinds:
This type of covering is comprised of separate horizontal slats suspended one above the other by pieces of cloth (also called tapes) or cords. The slats can be left in a horizontal position to allow light and air to pass through, but they can also be rotated forwards or backwards so that they overlap with each other and block out light and air. These usually come in plastic or metal, but wood and bamboo can also be used to make the slats.
Cellular or honeycomb blinds:
This type of window covering is so named because of the pockets or cells of air that it possesses. Honeycomb blinds are generally made out of at least two sheets of cloth sewn and folded at intervals to produce air pockets in between the sheets. They provide adequate light cover, but are mostly used for their superb insulating properties.
Roman blinds:
Roman blinds are made out of one continuous piece of cloth folded and suspended at intervals. They are great at blocking out light and insulating a room but do not offer the same versatility or control afforded by venetian blinds. Roman shades are suspended by a cord that can be pulled up to uncover windows.
Roller binds:
Like Roman blinds, roller blinds are also made out of a continuous piece of cloth. Unlike Roman shades, however, these are not operated by a cord that pulls up the folds of cloth; rather, the shades are rolled up by either pulling a cord or through automated mechanisms. These are very minimalistic and hardly intrude on a room’s design.
Vertical blinds:
As its name implies, vertical blinds are made up of slats that are suspended vertically. These are closed by sliding the slats horizontally, unlike other types of blinds discussed earlier, which are pulled up. As such, they are much easier to operate and do not require as much muscle strength. Like venetian blinds, vertical blinds can also be rotated backwards and forwards, giving users more control over how much or how little light and air will be allowed to pass through.
Panel glide blinds:
Like vertical blinds, panel glide blinds are also suspended vertically. However, these are comprised of much wider slats made of cloth. These can be neatly stacked by gliding panels along horizontal tracks, thus eliminating the need for chains or cords and making them easier to operate than other types of blinds.
