Buying Your Blinds

The Measurer

(You Are a Guest - READ MORE)

Tape measure & laser
  • Ask which rooms are to be measured.
  • Measure the rooms from left to right as you enter, if possible.
  • Give the rooms meaningful names(tags), preferably the same name the customer uses. “Do you call this family room or den?” This will put all parties on the same page to avoid confusion. If not possible, name rooms after prominent features like wall color or obvious purpose eg., “Blue Bed, Laundry, etc.”
  • Measure windows left to right.
  • Customers will often say “ You only have to measure one because they are all the same”. Chuckle, chuckle. After measuring 30,000 windows or so I always measure each and every one.
  • Explain inside vs outside measurements to customers making sure they understand what is possible / practical.
  • Use industry best practices when measuring. 
  • Take your time – double check your numbers when a measurement looks suspicious. You might have transposed a number or switched width for height.
  • Point out to customers and note irregularities such as windows out of square or level.
  • Neat handwriting is CRUCIAL!
  • Get a Laser Measuring Device, they are much faster on inside mounts and avoid acrobatics on very wide openings.
  • If the customer is talking while you measure, politely explain that this is a recipe for disaster as you need to focus on the task at hand.

You Are A Guest!

Whether you are a designer, decorator, sales consultant, measurer or installer, you have been invited into the home of a customer you probably don’t know and that makes you a stranger.

It can be more than a bit stressful opening the door for someone you have not yet met. Try to take this into consideration at your appointments.

En-route:

  • If the customer has requested a call, do so.
  • If you are running later than the scheduled window, alert the customer apologetically. This can help smooth ruffled feathers.

 

On Arrival:

  • Wipe your feet on the mat.
  • Introduce yourself.
  • Offer to remove your shoes or slip on contractor’s booties.
  • Give a brief warm greeting to anyone you encounter.
  • Make friends with the pets.

 

When Leaving:

  • Thank the customer.
  • Explain any follow-up that applies.

Window Treatment Descriptions

Horizontal Blinds – Window covering with louver/slats/vanes running left-to-right or parallel to the horizon. Also known as Venetian blinds. Sub-categories includes Wood, Faux Wood, Vinyl, Aluminum(mini, micro). 

Vertical Blinds – Window covering with louver/slats/vanes running top-to-bottom or perpendicular to the horizon.

Shadings – These are hybrid roller shades with internal, tilting fabric louvers. Originally released as the  Hunter Douglas Silhouette but now available from many brands.

Banded Shades – Also known as Zebra shades. They are rollers with alternating strips of varying opacity which can overlap for full privacy.

Vertical Sheers – A hybrid of a traditional vertical blind and sheer drapery.

Roller Shades – A traditional product familiar to many as a cheap vinyl covering from a home center or hardware store but custom rollers are available in a dizzying array of fabrics.

Solar Shades – A sub-category of roller shade featuring ‘screen’ like fabric of varying transparency expressed as a percentage ‘openness factor’.

Pleated Shades – A simple, traditional fabric shade formed by creasing fabric in increments from 3/4″ – 2″. The predecessor of the cellular shade.

Cellular (Cell) Shades – Also known as honeycomb and accordion shade. Based on pleated shades but have two or more layers creating a thermal barrier which is an effective insulator. Popular with a ‘top-down/bottom-up’ feature which provides direct light while maintaining partial privacy. 

Vertical Cellular – A cell shade with cells (pleat lines) running top to bottom. Ideal alternative to vertical blinds for sliding patio doors.

Roman Shades – A decorative traditional fabric shade available in several styles. 

Austrian Shades – A traditional fabric shade typically made with sheer fabrics. Privacy comes through the ‘gathering’ effect. They are not particularly practical but are valued for the decorative street view they provide.

Woven Wood – A rustic sub-category of Roman shade available in natural wood and grass woven materials.

Louver Drape – Another sliding door option, these are generally woven wood shades with a drape-like appearance drawing side-to-side. 

Panel Track – Also known as a sliding panel. Typically used for sliding patio doors, these feature 2 or more fabric, solar or woven wood panels which stack in parallel, one over another. Great companion to matching roller, solar or woven shades. A clean, modern look but partially obstructs the view outside.

Phrase
Definition
Louvers
Also known as slats or vanes. These are the tiltable components in blinds.