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Latreia Blinds and Shutters

What is the Appeal of Poly Shutters?

8/12/2022

Everyone who considers plantation shutters for their home inevitably faces a key decision - should they opt for real wood shutters or poly shutters? In our product line real wood is slightly less expensive, and since Arizona is such a dry climate real wood shutters work well. Those in moist climates have a tougher choice when it comes to that part of the decision.

So, what is it about a poly shutter that appeals to many consumers? The main advantages of poly shutters include that they are:

Harder to Scratch or Chip
Green Friendly
100% Recyclable
Fire Retardant
Moisture Resistant
Best at Maximizing Light Control Options - with a privacy tilt option
Better at Insulating Against Heat and Cold

However, please know that your ultimate decision between a real wood and poly shutter is affected by a myriad of factors like geographic region, application, cost, setting, design need, and usage.

Of course, we would love to help you with your shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Not all Valance Clips are Alike

8/8/2022

As we have mentioned before, we offer many different brands of wood and faux wood blinds, all with slightly different applications and price points. But without a doubt, we prefer to offer the wood and faux wood blinds that use the "California Clip" to hold the valance in place. Unlike other clips, that are plastic and will become brittle overtime and fail, we have never seen a "California Clip" fail. We are not even sure it can.

The California Clip is a hidden, metal valance clip that works by hooking onto the front of the 2" or 2 1/2" faux or wood blind head rail. When ordered with an inside mount blind, the head rail needs to be installed so it projects outside of the window frame slightly, so that the 1/2" return will sit flush to the wall.

The ease of install and removal is remarkable. The 1/2" returns give the valance a better look as it provides some depth to the finished look - and years later if you ever need to service your blind - the California clips will not break. A great innovation for the old standby of the window covering industry. So, do yourself a favor and get the blind with the California Clip - you will be glad you did.

We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Natural Weave Texture Roller Shades

8/1/2022

When you’re considering roller shades for your windows, fabric selection is a main issue. In the solar shade industry, we’re usually talking about scientific and technical data like shading coefficients and visible light transmission, and even the impact of color and density of the weave. But, lest we forget, man does not live by visible light transmission alone - design matters!

The real appeal of decorative fabrics is the visual interest they offer. If you really want to feature a window shade, and have it play a more aesthetic role in a room’s interior design, you can find a beautiful fabric choice to accomplish that goal. If textures is your thing, then our Natural Weave collection, going well beyond simple basket weaves and twills, will draw your eye. Also, different yarn sizes, colors and textures in the same fabric create interest that might “read” as a texture from a distance, or as a discernible pattern, and in several of the weave patterns, you would swear you were looking at a natural grass or bamboo shade (but so much more durable, cleanable, and practical, not to mention functional).

Our natural weave fabric selection offers a slight, organic roughness to the fibers, the weave pattern of a tropical shade, and a significant variation in the translucence of the fabric by color.

The images above and below offer a glimpse into the world of natural weave roller shades.

We would love to help you select a natural weave material for your roller shade project! Contact us today for a complimentary consultations and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

The Fine Print of Your Shutter Warranty - Part Four

7/29/2022

A couple of weeks ago, we began a series which shares about the fine print of your shutter warranty. As we mentioned, most contention between customers and shutter manufacturers can be found in the mismatch of warranty expectations. And, let's be honest, most people do not pay very close attention to the fine print found in their shutter warranty. They only know the general coverage - which is something like a lifetime warranty with a four year warranty on the color fastness.

All shutter warranties will have their own fine print, so be sure to check with your retailer for the fine print associated with your shutter brand. As an example, one of the lines we carry indicates:

The following understandings are included under this limited warranty:

Shutters are manufactured to industry standards.
Minor imperfections not noticeable from a distance of 3 feet in ordinary lighting conditions in normal installations are not considered defects.
The manufacturer reserves the right to inspect the products prior to repair or remake.
Non-defective or altered products will be returned freight collect without credit issued or repair made.
The manufacturer will not be responsible for any unauthorized repair charges from another party.
Repair or remake of any defective product will be done only to the original size and specification.
The manufacturer reserves the right to discontinue or change any shutters as currently manufactured.
If the manufacturer determines to make a replacement under the terms of this Limited Warranty and an exact replacement part is not available, the manufacturer reserves the right to substitute a part or parts of equal quality at its sole option.
Wood is a natural product. Due to variations in wood grain and the manner in which wood accepts finishes, your final product may vary slightly from the sample.
This warranty does imply automatic replacement of any product.
The manufacturer reserves the right to repair or replace any product at its own discretion.
The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes and improvements in our products that may differ from
products previously manufactured.
The state law in which your shutters were purchased may vary from state to state which governs all other rights.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties, or incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.
The manufacturer reserves all rights on updating or modification of any contents within this documentation without prior notification.

We hope this 4-part series on the nature of limited warranties has been informative. As you see, they have a lot of protections in place for the manufacturer, but they also protect the consumer against any major and reasonable issues.

Frankly, most of the national name brand producers of shutters make a quality product and stand behind it if any problems occur. Additionally, your dealer is an advocate for you with the manufacturer. And, because it is all about building relationships and brands these warranties are good protection.

Of course, we would love to help you with your shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Ten Reasons to Use Faux Blinds for Your Window Covering Project

7/26/2022

Faux wood blinds offer all the classic look of real wood blinds, but with the added durability of poly blinds. There poly make-up allows them to resist moisture in very humid or wet environments. Faux wood blinds are a great choice in steamy bathrooms and hot kitchens. Faux wood blinds are available in a wide variety of paints and finishes.

10 reasons to choose faux wood blinds:

Polymer materials won’t crack, chip, or peel, and have an UVA inhibitor that keep them from yellowing.
When closed, faux wood blinds are energy-saving window treatments, as they reduce solar heat gain and energy usage.

Faux wood blinds effectively block UV rays when closed, preventing damage to your furnishings and flooring.
Faux wood blinds come available in 2" - 2 ½" slat sizes increasing their ability to work with your design.
Many available colors range from a variety of whites, to wood grains, and an array of smooth or textured finishes.
Faux wood blinds come standard with a decorative crown valance and contoured bottom rail.
A heavy-duty design headrail and crash-proof cord-lock ensures smooth and reliable operation.
Optional operating systems include motorization, which are safer choices for homes with children and pets.
You can accessorize your faux wood blinds with solid and decorative tapes, adding a personal touch to your custom window blinds.
Faux wood blinds are a cost-effective way to beautifully outfit your home with blinds.

We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Growth in Green Building Utilizing Roller Shades

7/24/2022

There is increasing interest in designing and retrofitting commercial and residential buildings to use less energy, with cooling costs topping the list of areas for improvement. High performance roller shade fabrics offer some of the best heat reduction available today while maintaining a modern aesthetic. In fact, paired roller shades with your home or office automation systems offer greater energy benefits. This is why we work with the best in the business for planning and installing these high tech solutions. Our "green" clientele love our motorized and automated solutions.

Although green construction has a higher build cost initially, it is generally accepted that the lowered annual operating costs of a green constructed home or work space will pay back the investment over 7 years for a new build, and 4 years for a retrofit. This payback, along with the increased value of a green building as an asset, as well as the positive social and environmental implications offers financial sensibility and enhanced quality of life.

Solar roller shades are “green” in two ways:

They are energy efficiency which results in overall reduction in energy usage
And, they are made from environmentally friendly processes and fabric's.

We would love to help you with your green build roller shade project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Fully Louvered Shutter Project in Mesa Arizona

7/22/2022

Here are a couple pictures of our latest fully louvered shutter project. This window faces the street and as a result of this application, the curb appeal of this house has skyrocketed. Also, this office was uncomfortable with morning sun because the arch portion of the window was uncovered and the lower portion had an old woven wood shade. As such, the old blinds provided poor heat and cold control.

Needless to say, a bright white fully louvered shutter with 3 1/2" louvers has transformed this room and home.

Of course, we would love to help you with your shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Multi-Color Wood Blinds

7/17/2022

Here is a little design feature that you might not have known exists. Multi Color Slats- This is an upgrade allowing the use of two or more color of slat material to be used. Creating a stripe or stripes in the blind.

If you are having trouble deciding between window blind colors, consider using multi-colored window blinds for your home. When you need more than one color for your window treatment to tie all of the colors of your room together, multi-colored blinds are a great solution. Sometimes a combination of colors in a decorative pattern or blending will be better suited than simply one solid color.

This option is reserved with those whose design choices are bold and who have the confidence to break from tradition in their interior design look. To that end, we would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project. Contact us today!

Solar Roller Shades in Another Weinerschnitzel

7/15/2022

In the slide show above, we are proud to feature another Weinerschnitzel restaurant solar roller shade project that we completed. This particular restaurant choose a light cream colored fabric for maximizing heat control and added a chocolate colored fascia to provide some design interest to their dining area.

For this particular project, the restaurant contained many electric signs which are lighted for night time visibility. As such, we were forced to feed the cords behind the back side of the roller shade and provide special instructions as to the roller shades operation to allow the fabric to fit past the housing of the signage.

We would love to help you with your restaurant's roller shade project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

The Fine Print of Your Shutter Warranty - Part Three

7/12/2022

A couple of weeks ago, we began a series which shares about the fine print of your shutter warranty. As we mentioned, most contention between customers and shutter manufacturers can be found in the mismatch of warranty expectations. And, let's be honest, most people do not pay very close attention to the fine print found in their shutter warranty. They only know the general coverage - which is something like a lifetime warranty with a four year warranty on the color fastness.

All shutter warranties will have their own fine print, so be sure to check with your retailer for the fine print associated with your shutter brand. As an example, one of the lines we carry indicates:

The following incidents are excluded from coverage under this limited Warranty:

Exposure to air pollutants and normal atmosphere conditions may cause all painted or stained wood surfaces to vary in color slightly. We suggest ordering at the same time for all windows in the same home.
Any defect, malfunction, or failure to perform which has occurred due to abuse, improper application or failure to properly maintain the product by end user or his/her/its agents or contractors.
Any damage to the shutters caused by settlement or structural defects of the building in which they are installed.
Any damage caused by wind, hail, lightening, water damage, severe heat or sun or other acts of nature, act of God, intentional acts, accidents, exposure to harmful chemicals or pollutants.
Damage caused by improper installing or handling.
Any shutter which has been repaired or altered without proper authorization from the manufacturer.
We will not be responsible for delivery charges or packing costs.

There are a few other items in the fine print, which will be discussed in a subsequent blog post. We hope you are developing a deeper understanding what you should expect should you encounter any issues with your plantation shutters.

Of course, we would love to help you with your shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!