Top 15 Reasons to Replace Blinds and Shades in Your Cochrane Home
The cost of living has recently increased dramatically and window coverings are no exemption. They are an investment for your home and one may find themselves wondering if it is worth it to replace your blinds or shades and if so why, how much and when should one make the investment.
The Top 15 Reasons to Replace your Blinds and Shades Today
1. Age of Window Coverings
One of the more obvious signs of window coverings requiring replacement is the age of the blinds. Have they served their time as you used them daily for the last 25 years and they are showing signs of yellowing, warping and cords are continually breaking? Although some products tend to last longer than others, if you purchase a good quality product you can expect your blinds and shades to last for many years to come.
2. Out-of-Date Design & Fashion Trends
Secondly, window covering fashions follow the trends in interior decorating and design. Colors, fabrics and mediums change over the years. Although many classic styles stay in vogue for years to come there can be changes in technology and innovations that you may want to consider updating for your blinds and shades. Or perhaps you chose a color of fabric that is no longer suiting your style and it is time to change. Or, you have a growing family and safety is of utmost importance and you would like to update your blinds to eliminate all child safety concerns. Maybe you saw your friends’ shades that played with the light in a way you would like to have light diffused in your home. And lastly, maybe those 1” aluminum blinds are driving you crazy every time you use them with all the dust floating around them.
3. Save Money in the Long Run
A third reason some consumers in the Cochrane area change their window coverings is to cut costs on their heating and cooling bills. With energy costs soaring, a thermal window covering such as a Honeycomb can lower your cooling costs significantly. This can also help with heating bills in the Cochrane, Alberta winters to keep the heat in and the cold out. Hunter Douglas Duette Architella is designed with a honeycomb inside a honeycomb construction for the ultimate in energy savings. Another energy efficient product option is the Hunter Douglas Sonnette®, which has a similar honeycomb construction with the modern minimal appearance of a roller shade.
4. Improved Design & Technologies
Another consideration is to consider the changes in product innovations that have progressed over time. New products are introduced such as the Silhouette® Halo which allows you to diffuse the light into your home beautifully – tilting the fabric vanes in an upward or downward position. Or maybe you want to change your patio door verticals to a gorgeous Luminette® with Powerview® so you can rotate the vanes both ways in any position.
5. Better Light Control Options
A fifth reason to change your window coverings is to increase the light control options in your home with room darkening products in your bedrooms and media room. With the advancement of options for light control tracks along the sides of your honeycomb or roller shades you can maximize the darkness in your rooms. In addition, with the increased specifications for options like Doulite, your larger Cochrane windows can have room darkening fabric combined with a sheer option for the ultimate light control mixed with a view-through to the exterior. Another innovative product is the Silhouette® Duolite which allows a room dimming roller shade in the same housing for diversity in privacy, view-through and room dimming capabilities.
6. Improved Motorization
Technology is changing in leaps and bounds and window covering motorization options are also changing. Depending on your manufacturer or product, you can have your blinds and shades work with your Alexa or Google, or other Smart home systems. Additionally, you can change your blind settings remotely with the manufacturer’s hub or gateway – just as you can operate your lights from vacation you can also raise and lower your shades or blinds. This option adds to the security of your home as well as controlling the UV and daylight entering your home while you are away. If you don’t require the ultimate in motorized technology you can opt for a Bluetooth option through your device or consider Hunter Douglas SoftTouch® wand with some products such as Pirouette and Roller Shades.
7. Improve Privacy with Shades
The seventh reason is to improve your homes comfort and privacy. Many years ago window coverings consisted of curling vinyl roller shades, dusty 1” aluminums and crumbling honeycombs with cords everywhere! If you are tired of the limiting factors of these blinds, consider changing them to something more versatile. The Hunter Douglas Sihouette® or Pirouette® offers you privacy, UV protection with view-through, room dimming and light diffusion all in one shade. The Duette Clearview Duolite® offers you an excellent view through the top sheer which is black to the outside for the ultimate “Clearview”. These new innovations enhance the comfort as well as privacy of your home in one shade.
8.Increase Curb Appeal
If you are considering purchasing a home to flip it quickly there are certain shades that are often more desirable than what the current home may have. Consider switching the dated vinyl vertical to a minimal modern roller shade or the 2” heavy slatted blinds to a simple cordless cellular. Or perhaps you are looking to put your loved home on the market and realize the teal honeycombs won’t be suited to the modern everyday buyer. Or, if you are moving into a beautiful home and want to increase its value consider installing shutters as they add to the architecture of your home.
9. Improve Child & Pet Safety
A paramount reason for upgrading your window coverings is to improve the safety of your home. There have been many enhancements in the window covering industry in regards to child and pet safety. In fact, the Canadian Government has legislated that there can no longer be cords longer than 8” in your home. Therefore, your slatted wood blind, continuous loop roller shade or corded honeycomb are no longer available and considered unsafe. Blinds with cords purchased prior to May 2022 are grandfathered in and still allowed to be in homes, however anything manufactured after this date will no longer have cords.
Depending on the product and manufacturer, cordless and motorized options are the best alternatives. There are some continuous chains with protective covers over the chain to make them compliant however they can be bulky and cumbersome. Contact your local window covering dealer to learn more about these options for your Cochrane home.
10. Easier Cleaning and Maintenance!
Do you have a house full of slatted blinds that you are continually dusting or wiping each slat? This tedious and monotonous never-ending job does not have to consume your cleaning days! Look at the roller shade or honeycomb for product options that are easy to clean. A light vacuum is all you need to keep these products looking new and fresh.
11. Your Style Has Changed
Your window coverings were installed 15 years ago when you first purchased your home and your style is no longer reflected in your window coverings. With the many different options for blind and shade options, colors and fabrics changing your window coverings can substantially change your interior. They are the jewelry of your home and often just changing your necklace to make a statement changes the whole look!
12. Mis-matched Products & Styles
Do you have different products in your windows on the street front? A slatted blind in one window, a brown curtain in another and a blue roller shade in the next window? Curb appeal is one consideration for your window coverings. When you drive up to your home it is easy on the eyes to have consistency in your windows for your blinds and shades just like you do with your window trim and siding or stucco.
13. Sound Absorption of Outside Noise
If you are looking to increase the sound absorption of your home due to increased traffic or exterior noise pollution consider increasing the thermal sound absorption of your window coverings. Adding drapery with a liner or interliner will help muffle some of the noise coming in from the outside. Products such as the honeycomb or cellular will also help depending on their cellular construction.
14. Reduce Dust and Allergens
Improve your air quality indoors and decrease allergens! Yes, window coverings can be dirty and dusty. Changing your slatted blinds to something more streamlined like a roller shade will help decrease the dust and lint in your home. Drapery and other soft window dressings can also be a dust collector, so one could consider removing these and replacing them with a shade or blind that is not a dust collector.
15. UV Protection for your Home’s Interior
UV protection using appropriate window coverings help minimize the sun’s intense rays, which are very damaging to your interior flooring, fabrics and fine furniture. Unfortunately, sometimes the damage is noticed too late, so it is important to consider this factor. Many window coverings protect your home from harmful UV rays.
Look at the Clearview Duette Duolite®, Hunter Douglas Pirouette®, Designer Screens, Luminette® or Silhouette® if you want to keep some view through to the outside. Other products to consider may block your view but will definitely protect against harmful rays. Roller shades, honeycombs and roman shades are other options to check out and discover.
Is It Time for You to Replace Blinds and Shades in your Cochrane Home?
As you can see there are many thoughts to consider when you wonder if you should replace your window coverings. Child safety, automation, room darkening capabilities and UV protection are just a few examples. It can be a daunting task to ensure that you have chosen the right product to switch out your older window coverings. In the Cochrane area, contact Kirstin with Blind Infusion to help you with this decision. She will guide you along the way for the right product, operating system and fabric.
