The Perfect Storm

Whew!

Tropical storm Edouard was a sudden creation out of the Gulf of Mexico and let me tell you. Those can sometime be the worst senerio even beyond Hurricanes. We on the Gulf Coast are so thankful that we were spared once again the devastation that has been past history.

T.S. Edouard was actually a blessing for many of as it left behind a nice neat 2 1/2" of much needed rain for the lawns, trees and scrubs.

With any emergency weather issue we have thoughts about being prepared. Please remember that faux wood window blinds are both flame retardant and under light circumstances water resistance. Wood blinds are very reactive to moisture and can warp. Faux wood blinds will take a little more punishment. For institutions such as Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Day Cares, Hotels etc. faux wood window treatments offer many advantages as well as insurance company criteria for public safety concern.

We continue to pray for blessings for all our coastal friends who enjoy the water, but must bare the storm possibilities.

Be safe, be prepared, be praying.

Happy Wednesday,

Faux Wood Blinds and Big Oil Prices

Many, will think the faux wood blind is supposed to be cheaper in price than the real wood blind. Yes, you are correct to a point. The faux wood blind is a hydrocarbon, hence oil related product that was introduced some years ago as a great alternative to the real wood window treatment. As most of you can guess, the recent oil price explosion is effecting the faux wood blind also.

Where will all this lead to? The industry is not certain. Some believe that faux will soon out price a real wood blind. Should this happen the desire for a faux blind would as most agree fall by the way side. Real bass wood blinds are the staple of the window decor in homes today. Draperies are great, but blinds are the only fashionable tilting, lifting venue for blocking out what you do not wish to see and yet letting in some outside light for your own viewing pleasure.

We do not yet know what will become of the faux wood blind, yet we can caution! When purchasing.....ask...is this product custom made or cut down? Many are being sold as a cut down product at cutom made prices, because of the recent increase in faux wood cost of manufacturing. If you are looking for a lesser quality product like a cut down blind, then there is no issue with a lower price. However, do not be deceived into paying for a product that is not what you thought it would be.

Folks, I... like you, do not wish to resort to the days of aluminum foil in the windows to block heat. Excellant window treatments are available, but now may the time to look at real wood products due to the shrinking savings on the oil related faux wood materials.

Faux window treatments are on the rise and will continue to follow oil prices like too many products must. My advice is like always. Becareful, check prices, take the time to do the research. Get samples and order small windows first before buying for the entire home.

I can say that good or bad. Faux blinds will remain a need for certain facilities due to the flame retardent reaction of the material itself. Flame redardent is required by many insurance companies and municipalities for conformance to safety regulations in the protection of the general public. Faux wood window decor will have a place in our society and a well deserved place, how the pricing will proceed is still to be seen.

Blessings and have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Wood Blinds Customer Appreciation

We at The Wood Blinds and Shutter Factory Online would like to take a moment and say Thank You!

Nearing 10 years in the business of providing quality wood blinds, faux wood blinds and shades we realize that our customers are the driving force behind a successful business.

Sooo...to all the very many residential consumers who have purchased our products we say a resounding THANK YOU!

Who else buys wood blinds..........Well....Doctors, Lawyers, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Funeral Homes, Hotels, Motels, Lodges, Churches, Transmission repair shops, Salons, Designers, Decorators, Dentist. We sell wood blinds that have been installed in boats, airplanes, recreational vehicles of all sorts. Our customers have ordered for pet doors, patio doors, windows for the weekend and windows for everyday. Second homes, vacation properties, fine dinners and exquist places of dinning. High schools, private schools, offices ranging from the smallest golf driving range to major Banks across the nation. We sell Roman shades and Honeycomb cellular shades to places like Dry Cleaners, Donut Shops, Pizza Shops, not to mention the apartment complexes, Condo units every where from California to Florida, The Texas Gulf Coast and on very few occassions in Japan, Canada, Puerto Rico. We have customers in Government in Washington D.C., Stae and Local levels all across the United States. Boys and Girls clubs, camps, backyard gazebos and tiki huts. Ocean liners have some shades and blinds. Submarines typically have no windows and to my knowledge we have no submarine customers, but it is bound to happen.

Point being.....THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Enjoy the weekend, Blessings to each and everyone of you.

Cord vs. Wand Tilt Control

What the Heck! Another decision? What difference does tilt control type make anyway?
Calm down and consider it for just a moment. The tilting devise for wood and faux wood blinds will be of a cord type or a wand type. The cord is often suggested, however wand tilting is by far the most popular. Wands are color coordinated to the blind slats in white and stained choices. Wands do eliminate the extra cords and can be seen as a more sleak addition over the cords. Wands are easy to reach and twist left or right for tilting the blind slats. Wands are the only tilting mechanism available on most 1" blinds. Wands are easily removable and the control itself can be replaced in a matter of seconds where as the cord tilter is also replaceble, but can take a bit longer due to the routing of the cords and the reinstallation of the cord tassels.

Cord tilting is still a great option. Cords are color coordinated as well and can balance out the blind left and right. The cord tilt like the wand can be positioned on the same side as the cord lift control or opposite in most sized applications.

Cord or wand, my advice is consider what is around the window. Will the position for the tilt control be better on the right or left side? Do you have any obsticle in the way of the window? Do you need to reach the tilting from a seated position? Is the blind being installed in stairwell or high area which makes reaching the controls difficult? High mounted blinds will need the cord control for both tilt and lift and can special ordered at an extra length to allow access.

Hope you had a wonderful Good Friday and enjoy the weekend.

Patio Doors and Blinds

Over the years customers will ask about horizontal window blinds for the purpose of covering a patio door. Most often the case of a sliding patio door. While the most common trend would be a vertical blind in this application, I find that many prefer the horizontal blind. The reason behind the madness seems to be the situation in which the door is rarily if ever utilized. In such instances the home dweller is actually going for a floor to ceiling window look in order to hide the slider. Should you decide also to disguise your sliding patio glass door as a large window, I have a few thougths to ponder. Outside mounts are usually the norm , due to the lack of needed depth for inside mount (3 inches in most cases). Also, consider the height for mounting the head rail. You may have extra space above the slider for mounting in order to make the opening look larger than it is. This is not un-common when the idea is to have a faux window space in the first place. Should you ever desire using the door consider a two on one head rail that will allow the blind to be raised in portion rather than in entire width. Doing this allows easier function and longer life on the blind as well as limited open space if trying to protect privacy. Consider the pull handle for the door itself. Will it get into the path of the blind operation? Don't let the blind hang too low as to gather on the floor below. Hold down brackets will keep the blind in place if cleaning intereferes with the lower portion of the blind. Placing a furniture piece in front of the glass door can help to disguise the slider and also make the space look more like a natural large window opening. At first thought I must admit, I too thought this usage to be not so functional. In looking at what some homeowners have done here, I can say, they have pulled off a nice full bay window effect while also hiding the unutilized sliding door. The benefit here is reduced cost while creating a faux atmosphere that many guest never even notice.

Stained Faux Wood

When considering faux wood blinds you have the option for white and or stained. White color choices are similar to wood white choices. Stained faux woods can be a little different. Many stained faux wood color choices will be a flat non shine surface. An alternative to this is available in the Royal Trend faux wood blind. Royal offers a subtle, maybe you call it a satin finish, which provides for a sheen without being too glossy. A very nice option to the flat finishes that are most common to the faux woods. Naturally if you are trying to match or color coordinate, the flat and sheen give a great spectrum from which to make a decision. As with all products a sample is suggested for color varification.

Have a wonderful week and remember now is an excellant time to be ordering for the up and coming Thanksgiving Holidays.

Wood vs. Faux Wood

Hey there, hope everyone had a great 4th of July. What the heck are they putting in the fireworks today? The kids on my street had some ridiculously loud blast! the show was outstnding, but I don't recall such a boom before. We are certainly fortunate to live in such a blessed nation with freedom.



Our topic today is wood blinds vs. faux wood blinds. If you are looking for a real wood look, then naturally a real wood blind is going to be the choice. Nothing will be as real as the real thing. Stains just pop out once applied the natural wood. Faux wood finishes have come a long way and can be a great 2nd choice especially if your looking at a white painted finish. One reference point is the weight difference. Wood is lighter than faux wood. This weight difference can mean the operation of the blind is smoother. Tilting and lifting will generally be with less effort due to less weight and this fact becomes more evident the larger the blind. Not to say a faux wood will not operate as designed, not all. The faux wood blind will tilt and lift as as any other only the pressure on the control mechanisms is greater and takes a little more effort on the operators part. Faux woods have it over the real thing (wood) when placed in areas of high humidity like bathrooms, over sinks, any area that might be subjected to extreme steam or moisture. If the blind is located many feet from the sorce of steam and you have good ventilation (exhaust fan etc.) this may not be an issue for you. Wood can warp. Please take into consideration when ordering, the application of the blind. Faux can take more abuse than a wood blind. Having small children who are always going to be active or if you have pets that might be inclined to claw a view outside, then faux wood (though it can be scratched) will hold up better than the wood product when subjected to abuse.

God Bless America, Enjoy your week.