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Wood Blinds


Dressing windows with wood blinds adds instant warmth and depth to a room. Not only do wood blinds offer insulation and privacy, but they also add a natural feel to a room that vinyl and synthetic blinds can’t provide. Wood blinds bring a certain warmth to a room, either complimenting other wood products and flooring or giving that rich touch to a room that is void of any other wood materials.




When To Use Wood Blinds

Wood blinds are an attractive choice for formal and informal living areas of the home. Because wood is a porous material, wood blinds treated with a mildew-resistant coating would be a better option for high-humidity rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens. However, faux woods blinds are the best choice for these types of rooms.

Wood blinds also offer a great deal of light control and are a great option for privacy and insulation. If complete darkness is required in rooms such as a bedroom, a better option might be shades with blockout fabric applied to the inside of the shade.



Wood Blind Design Choices

There are several material and finish options with wood blinds. Most wood blinds are made from North American hardwood such as basswood, aspen, or poplar. Ramin wood is considered by some to be an inferior wood product. It is also a heavier wood, making the raising and lowering of wood blinds more difficult and stressful to the blinds’ mechanical structure.

There are three basic wood blind finish options:

  • Painted wood blinds can match interior walls or compliment other wall colors. Lacquer or water-based paint is commonly used.
  • Stained wood blinds can mimic the look of popular materials such as oak, beech, and walnut. They can also match the stain on other wood products and flooring in the house.
  • Sandblasted finish brings out the natural grain in the wood. It adds additional texture to the wood blinds.



Wood Blind Size and Decorator Touches

The size of wood slats can vary from the traditional 1-inch size, the versatile 2-inch size, to the trendy 3-inch size. Before choosing the size of the wood blind, measure the space where the blind will hang to ensure that it will fit within the window frame. The larger the slat, the greater the view to the outside.

Decorator touches include rounded corners, fabric tape that runs vertically down the length of the wood blind, and valances that hide the last few top blinds and the mechanism that operates the blind.

 

Installation and Care for Wood Blinds

Installing wood blinds is as simple as installing any other type of blind. But, since wood blinds are heavier than many other types of blinds, an additional person might be necessary to help support the blinds during the installation process.

Cleaning wood blinds only requires regular dusting with a dry rag or vacuum. Occasionally, they can be cleaned with a wood cleaner.


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