Roller blinds are a wonderful option for any room in your home. They come in many different types of styles and designs, so you are guaranteed to find one that suits you. Below is everything you ever wanted to know about roller blinds.
An Insider’s Blind Guide
A roller blind is made up of a piece of fabric that is rolled over a tube. The tube is attached over a window, which allows the fabric to be pulled down, covering the window itself. Two brackets on either side of the blind hold it in place. Brackets are universal, which means you can choose to attach your blinds either inside of the window frame, or outside of it. A lot of people choose to attach it outside of the frame, as this means it is easier to reach the window handle. If you struggle to reach your handle but still want to attach your blind inside of the window frame, you should opt for the ‘reverse roll’, which means you hang the tube the wrong way around, giving you an extra inch of space.
There are two ways of operating blinds:
- Spring action, whereby you use a pull at the bottom of the fabric, pulling it down. The tube holds a spring with a small ball bearing, so that the blind can lock into place. The spring is under significant amounts of tension and some people find it hard to use. Unfortunately, there is no way around this because the blind would simply shoot back up if let go without that tension.
- The sidewinder action, which is generally the more preferred method. You simply pull the cords on either the left or right of your blind, giving you full control.
Roller blinds can be used all over the home. However, you must understand that large windows will need large blinds, which means that the weight is also significant. This could cause the tube to bow over time. This is why you should make sure that you use a strong metal tube if you do have a large window. While cardboard tubes are much cheaper, they simply won’t last on a large window.
You can choose from a range of different fabrics for your window blinds as well. They come in all sorts of colors, including very bright and vivid ones, natural fabrics, translucent materials, blackout materials and more. A lot of people choose blackout fabrics in their bedroom, as it stops the sun from getting in. This can be very important if you work night shifts, for instance.
Finding roller blinds is very easy. There are many blind manufacturers and stores online, where you can browse through a large selection of different options. Additionally, it is an opportunity to speak to a professional who can give you advice on whether or not roller blinds are suitable for you, how to measure them and how to install them. Do make sure you take advantage of this, so that you end up with the right blinds.