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!

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!

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!

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!

One of Facebook groups for window coverings, which we follow, featured some pictures from our roller shade manufacturer of a job completed in a loft in Boise, Idaho.  We are located in Arizona, but we really appreciate a well designed job and as such offer a "shout-out" to our roller shade brothers in Idaho.

For this particular job, they used a designer solar roller fabric with a tight weave.  They motorized the roller over the french doors with a coupled system.  This means that three blinds running off of one motor.  This coupled design was chosen to avoid having to railroad the fabric and as such having a seam in the look.  

In case you didn't know, railroading is turning the fabric sideways from the way it is manufactured to accommodate large openings, but railroading fabric can result in a visible seam and/or some curling on the fabric edges. So, our friends in Boise, in an efforts to keep that clean modern look with no visual disruption chose the coupled option which in our opinion was well considered as the best design option.

For the other windows in the loft, they utilized a nickel colored chain pull to best match the fabric.

Bottom line, a well appointed Boise loft has a modern and cool roller shade decor thanks to window covering professionals who know what works.

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