Which type of window covering should I buy?
Many clients in the market for window coverings are unsure of which product they should select. There are a number of choices available, each with its own unique advantages and look. In this article I hope to help readers by asking many of the same questions we ask clients during one of our free in home consultations. The type of window covering you select should address a number of factors. Depending on the importance of any one factor or combination features, you can make the best choice for your needs and preferences.
Energy Efficiency:
Most window coverings help increase the energy efficiency of a window to some degree, however some are better at this than others. By blocking the powerful sun’s rays in the summer, or by trapping cold air at the window in the colder winter months, your window treatments should make your home more comfortable and save you money on cooling and heating costs.
Light Control:
The moment you put something in your window, you begin to alter the degree of light that enters the room. By selecting a treatment that blocks light, you can create spaces, which are dark during the day or night. Choosing a covering, which filters the light, can help protect your furnishing and the interior of your room by blocking ultra-violet or UV light.
Privacy:
The degree of privacy your window coverings offer you and your family during the day and night ranks high in the minds of many clients. Depending on where you live, the direction your windows face, and their proximity to neighbouring homes and public spaces, you may want to keep this in mind when making your product selection.
Style/”Look”:
With function out the way, consider the esthetics of your window covering. Are you looking for the warm of traditional drapery, or a traditional look offered by louvers and shutters. Do you want to keep pace of the latest styles and trends? Be sure to consider what your window covering will look in the day light and the night, how often it will be opened or closed.
View:
By view we are talking about what you will see when your treatment is in place, in the fully closed or raised position. Do you want a product that allows you to easily place it in a position where your view is unobstructed? Do you like the look of veins or slats within your covering?
Budget:
We are often asked about the price of different styles of window covering, which can be and is a factor for most clients. Although there are some general trends in the cost of certain styles of window coverings, due to the wide variety of materials and features that can be incorporated into a window treatment, there is not one product which is always the cheapest option… unless you are in the market to dress your windows in old sheets! Sorry we don’t have these.
Operation:
After selecting your window covering, it’s important to consider how you will operate it when it is in place. Would you prefer a corded operation or a child safe and pet friendly cordless lift mechanism be a better fit in your home. As for those out of reach windows in stairwells and great rooms, is a motorization the answer?
Cleaning/Care/Warranty:
Once you have your window coverings selected, consider what is needed to keep them looking their best. Is the covering you selected going to be durable and uphold its beauty in the window it is placed? For example is white sheer material a good choice in your home near the kitchen sink or in a doorway? Do you want to be dusting the slats in a faux wood blind, or is there a better choice for your home and life style.
By considering each of these factors, the best widow treatment for each window of your home can be selected. The choice is yours, only you really know what primary considerations are. Let Made in Shade help you make the perfect choice. Serving the Lloydminster, Cold Lake, Bonnyville, Wainwright and North Battleford area, we bring the show room to your home during our free in home consultation. Don’t get window coverings you can live with, get window coverings you love!
