Buying Your Blinds

Skylights – heat gain & UV fading

Have you ever walked into a room and felt the sunlight beaming in from above? It’s a nice sensation made possible by skylight windows in the ceiling. The room is bright and seems more open and airy. Yes, skylights can really enhance your home.  Why would anyone complain about them? I met customers over the years who really wished they’d never installed them and would gladly remove them if it weren’t for the expense. The general consensus was that “skylights seemed like a good idea at the time”. So, what were these people griping about? I’ll get to that, but, first…

The selling points:

  • These openings are a great source of natural light which is good for pets, house plants and people.
  • They provide a heat source for the cold months which can reduce your fuel bill.
  • Skylights add interest and break up a blank white ceiling.

Now for the negatives:

  • That great source of natural light will fade the furniture, rugs and even hardwood floors to an unrecognizable hue over time due to ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.
  • Heat gain that you welcome in the winter will roast you alive on a sunny summer afternoon. It will also give your A/C system an Olympian workout, potentially negating your winter savings.
  • Skylights are notorious sources for roof leaks but the water stains will definitely break up the white ceiling.

Decision

So, if you CAN’T live without skylights, plan on covering them. The best and most popular choice is a cellular skylight shade, which uses the tried and true honeycomb fabric in a sliding track system. Room darkening cellular material is available but light filtering fabric will generally suffice. The standard for most manufacturer’s is a manually operated shade for which you will almost always need a telescoping pole to reach. A very pricey upgrade is a motorized system which not all companies offer. Customers often think the motors are a necessity but, as a practical matter, they generally are not. You see, most people will not be operating the shades daily, weekly or even monthly but, rather, seasonally. You will close them over the summer and open them in the late fall. So, it isn’t always worth the extra expense to motorize. If you decide to use a motorized shade, consider providing power to the opening before the ceiling is closed in.

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.