Some manufacturers of wood and faux wood blinds offer customer's option of "notching" their blind to accommodate a door handle or other protrusion.  Now, to be sure most people do not desire a blind notch for their french door handle as it compromises privacy a bit.  And, it is possible to still use your door handle with a wood or faux wood blind installed which has no handle cut-out.

Additionally, from a technical perspective, measuring for a door handle cut-out requires a level of precision which requires knowing how your manufacturer uses the measures provided to fabricate the wood or faux wood blind.  This is due to the fact that measures must generally be provided from the bottom of the blind to the bottom and top of the cut-out.  Additionally, measures must be provided for how far in the cut-out must notch into the blind.  And, there is usually a size restriction on how big the cut-out can be - generally something like 5 1/2".  What makes this tricky is that different fabricators may calculate based on window size, outside frame to outside frame, or actual blind height.  If you don't know how they do it - and if you guess wrong - then your notch will miss the handle.  Oops - that is just annoying. 

Of course, there is also a surcharge for this cut - generally around $50 to $100 per blind depending on the fabricator, retailer, and installer.  However, with the right advice, knowledge, and application this can be a very convenient custom feature which makes your wood or faux wood project stand out.

Above, please kindly enjoy the picture of a recent faux wood blind installation.  In this vacation home, we removed some old mini blinds with lightweight fabric valances and replaced them with modern white smooth 2" faux wood blinds.  The removal of the old fabric valances added profoundly to the look as the new faux wood blind valances created a crown molding look on the top portion of the window with 1/2" returns to the wall. However, the high end fabric valances in the master bedroom were retained, as they had a lovely leather accent.

This lucky vacation homeowner can expect less dust collection because of the fabric removal and better heat and cold control.  This is due to the fact that the faux wood blinds provide far better insulation against the elements while the mini blinds acted as a radiator of heat and cold in each window.

Would you like some high quality wood or faux wood blinds for your vacation home?  If so, then we would love to help you! Contact us today for a complimentary in-home consultation.  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

A custom blind is one which is manufactured to specific window measurements generally measured to the nearest 1/8".  A custom wood or faux wood is specifically fabricated to your specific design options.  For instance, you will select a color which works in your space, you will select the type and quality of the material, you will choose control sides and type, you will choose a valance type, etc.  Do you want this type of control over the look and feel of your interior design?

Additionally, most windows are all different sizes, so for a truly custom look the width and length must be made to that specific window.  This is where the cut-down wood and faux wood blinds do not compare.  The sizes are generalized to work close enough and the lengths are standardized.  This means your wood blind will either be just a tad short or else have a stack of slats at the bottom of your sill. Slats can be removed by hand but doing so is surprisingly difficult and back breaking work. Also, cut-down wood and faux wood blinds are angling to be a cheap option and as such the materials and parts used are the cheapest that can be found.

Sure, custom wood and faux wood blinds cost a few dollars more, but the look, durability, and customization far outweighs the slightly higher price tag - in our humble opinion.

Would you like to go to the next level with your wood or faux wood blinds?  If so, then we would love to help you. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Have you ever wondered what type of wood is used in the manufacture of wood blinds?  Well, it depends on the price point and fabricator.  Many of the cheaper brands use Paulownia or Poplar both of which grow faster, are less expensive and can be harder to work with.  They take stain well but the finished product lacks the classic character of better hardwoods.

We prefer manufacturers who fabricate their wood blinds using Basswood.  According to wood-database, Basswood is, "in the Tilia genus species and is usually referred to as either Lime or Linden in Europe, while  in North America it’s most commonly called Basswood.  Basswood is an ideal wood for  many woodcarvers. Its soft, fine, even texture make it easy to work with, while its pale, inconspicuous color doesn’t detract from the carved patterns of the finished product (which also makes it easier to paint and color). Though Basswood has high initial shrinkage, the wood is stable in service after it has been dried. And though the wood is both lightweight and soft, it has an outstanding MOE-to-weight ratio."

It is these combination of factors that causes Basswood to rise to the top of the value proposition for your wood blind choice.

Would you like to incorporate the vale and beauty of Basswood blinds into your decor?  If so, then we would love to help you! Contact us today for a free consultation! Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

First, please kindly realize that wood and faux wood blinds are not the best choice for room darkening. Wood and faux wood blinds have lots of router holes to accommodate the cords necessary to tilt and lift your blinds. All these holes will allow for lots of light bleed while slightly reducing privacy.  Now to be sure, wood and faux wood blinds do provide decent privacy as someone would have to work at it to see in if your wood or faux blinds are closed, however this level of privacy would be unacceptable to most hotel chains.

So, what can you do to provide a little bit more light control and privacy on your wood or faux wood blind?  In short, the answer is either to choose a router-less option or else add tapes to your wood or faux wood blind.  The router-less option provides notches at the back of the slats, so there are no holes in the slats and the slats close tighter.  Fabric tapes are also an option, and can be matched or contrasted to your blinds.  By covering the route holes and the cords that extend down the length of the blind, cloth tapes improve privacy and light control, making them both functional and stylish.

Are you looking for an increased privacy and light control for your wood or faux wood blinds?  If so, then we would love to help you. Contact us today for a complimentary in-home or in-office consultation.

Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Many homes contain arched windows.  These windows are either stand-alone or can be included on the top portion of a standard rectangular window.  For those folks which want wood or faux wood blinds throughout their house but are unsure how to deal with the arch portion of their window, we have good news for you.

Many fabricators, including our local fabricator, can provide a matching arch blind which compliments the rest of the wood blinds in your house.  Here are a few of the options available which include:

• Having the same colors available as you do for your wood or faux wood blinds.
• Providing a stationary fan arch which is made with matching 2" basswood or engineered faux wood slat.
• Providing the option for a movable fan arch at a surcharge.
• Producing frames which are made of Basswood with a routed trim inside and out.
• Offering the option for a matching 2.5" slats, if needed.
• Engineering the blind so that the frame of the arch overlaps the window sill to reduce light seepage.
• Generous designer dimensions, such that the frame of the arch blind extends over the edge of the window sill 1 ½ to 2” in width and 2 ½ to 3” in height.
  

As you can see from the picture above, these wood and faux wood blind arches provide a great option and even compliment plantation shutters - and will coordinate perfectly with your wood or faux wood blinds throughout your space.

Would you like to incorporate the value and beauty of arched wood or faux wood blinds into your decor?  If so, then we would love to help you. Contact us today for a complimentary in-home or in-office consultation!

Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Faux wood blinds are much heavier than real wood blinds.  As such, for larger windows, the weight becomes more and more of an issue.

Consider this - faux wood blinds weigh approximately 2x's more than real wood blinds.  So, if a 36" x 48" wood blind weighs about 10 pounds, then the same size faux wood blind would be approximately 20 pounds. These weights are just rough estimates for the purposes of this blog article.

However, when we are talking about larger windows the weighs become more significant.  Please kindly follow the logic.  If a 96" x 60" wood blind weighs 25 pounds, then the same size faux wood blind could be 50 pounds. As you can see, we are now dealing with weight that would stress the cords, lock mechanisms and even your ability to lift it.  In fact, some of these larger faux wood blinds can be so heavy that they are impossible to lift with just the cord, and as such require a hand underneath the bottom rail to help carry some of the weight.

The industry deals with this weight issue by limiting the size of these blinds.  For instance, top line brands might be willing to make faux wood blinds as wide as 86" as long as the height of the blind does not exceed 48".  If a fabricator is willing to make a large faux wood blind, then they will advise NOT using the lift function of the blind and/or will require a warranty waiver.  For the mid-level or cut-down faux wood brands, the width of the blind generally will not exceed 72" with a maximum height of 96".

This is why larger windows are almost better handled with real wood blinds, whenever design parameters work with that choice.

Of course, we would love to help you work through the weight issues of your faux wood blind project. Contact us today for a complimentary in-home or in-office consultation.

Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!