Archive for the ‘Wood Blinds’ category

Looking For Cheap Faux Wood Blinds?A Smart Financial Choice for Your Home

October 5th, 2009

Faux wood blinds offer a low-cost alternative to traditional wooden blinds. Designed to look and work like real wood, faux wood models are constructed of durable polymer, polyvinyl, or wood-polymer blends. This allows them to resist moisture, heat, and fading better than the traditional wooden blinds, all at a sharply reduced price. Additionally, because they are typically imbued with the stain or color at the factory, they never chip, dent, or require repainting. Cheap faux wood blinds are available in a wide variety of textures and styles.

Plantation shutters are a popular variety of wood and faux wood blind; originally designed to block light and heat while letting air move freely, they offer a classic, breezy feel to any home. Faux wood Plantation blinds are available in a number of different styles, from hinged shutters that can be folded back to cafe-style shutters that only cover a portion of the window’s surface. Plantation shutters can be custom-made to fit most windows regardless of size.

For patio doors and other areas that require easy access, faux wood vertical blinds are an excellent choice. Durable and easily cleaned, they are available in a number of finishes to complement your existing decor. Faux wood will not warp or discolor like real wood, making it the perfect choice for high-traffic, high-exposure areas.

Horizontal blinds are the most commonly-used type of blind; they consist of horizontal slats that can be tilted, raised, or lowered. Faux wood models usually consist of more slats than genuine wood; this is due to limitations of the materials used and the increased weight. When selecting a faux wood horizontal blinds, you should determine that it is sturdy and of solid construction; this will ensure that it stands up to repeated use.

For an exotic tropical look, try bamboo-style blinds; these faux wood blinds are available in a wide range of colors and textures. Because of their unique design, they are often capable of being opened from both the top and the bottom, offering a wide range of positions to provide shade and privacy for your home.

Because they are usually thicker, both traditional and faux wood materials offer better insulation than other types of blinds. Faux wood window blinds add the convenience of easy cleaning, especially important for kitchens, bathrooms, and children’s rooms. Genuine wood is not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms due to temperature variations and high humidity; faux wood fares much better in these conditions and usually can’t be distinguished from the real thing. Even cheap faux wood blinds offer a wide range of colors, textures and styles, certain to complement your home’s interior design. With improved durability, moisture resistance, and lower cost, discount faux wood blinds are an excellent choice for your home improvement project.

Acquiring Cheap Wood Blinds: The Natural Choice

September 25th, 2009

Wood blinds are a popular choice for today’s energy-efficient and green-conscious homes. In your quest for cheap wood blinds you will find that they are manufactured from real wood. Each one is unique; tiny flaws and imperfections in the wood’s grain give these blinds individuality and one-of-a-kind beauty. Real wood adds a touch of nature to your interior design; available in a variety of stains and colors, it complements nearly any décor. Prized for its appearance and its natural insulating abilities, wood also provides excellent light-filtering capabilities. Since wood is a fully-renewable resource, it is an environmentally friendly choice and the right choice when looking for cheap blinds.

A variety of different woods are used for wood blinds. Basswood is currently the most popular type, but oak, cherry, ash, and pecan woods are also used. Each offers unique characteristics and advantages when used in manufacturing blinds.

• Basswood blinds are made from one of the most durable and attractive hardwoods; naturally light in color, it can be stained to match any color scheme, including black and dark red. This makes it one of the most versatile and beautiful choices.

• Oak is slightly darker than basswood. It offers impressive durability, and often has dramatic and distinctive grain patterns. Oak wooden blinds can be stained to any darker color to complement the existing interior design. Oak blinds tend to be more expensive than basswood blinds.

• Slightly pinkish in hue, cherry is one of the most beautiful woods. Perfectly suited for deep red and brown stains, in its natural state it is a golden color with a hint of rose tone. It is usually quite expensive, and offers reasonable durability along with unmatched appearance and lovely wood grain. Cherry mellows with age, and direct exposure to sunlight will cause it to darken and turn red more rapidly.

• Natural ash is a light golden shade with a hint of gray; this makes it perfect for staining to a dark color with no hint of red or orange. Ash has grain patterns similar to oak; less durable than oak, it is a lower-priced alternative to consider when shopping for cheap wooden blinds.

• The pecan tree is a member of the hickory family, and is a very strong hardwood; this wood is a medium caramel hue, and can only be stained a darker color, limiting the shades available. Pecan is one of the most durable materials for wood blinds.

Personal taste and existing home decor will determine which type of wood to choose; regardless of which type is selected, all natural woods have imperfections and flaws that add to their unique charm. Mineral deposits cause characteristic blue-black streaks, usually with the grain of the wood. Knots are the joints where branches met the trunk of the tree; knots are seen as an advantage since they indicate that the wood is genuine and not manufactured. Burls are less common, and appear as amorphous swirls and curves in the wood. These imperfections usually add to the beauty of natural wood blinds, and are considered highly desirable in most cases.

Acquiring cheap wood blinds will provide a warm, natural glow while offering excellent insulation and light-filtering qualities. There are cheap blinds available online that come in shades that will perfectly complement most interior designs, these lovely natural products are an excellent and environmentally-friendly choice for almost every home.