A Guide To Purchasing Window Coverings In Arizona Most Frequently Asked Questions

A Guide To Purchasing Window Coverings In Arizona Most Frequently Asked Questions

A Guide To Purchasing
Window Coverings
In Arizona
Most Frequently Asked Questions
I Don’t Know What I Want. Where Do I Begin? ∙
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∙ 1
Should I Use The Same Window Covering Throughout My House? 1
I Hate Verticals!! What Else Is There For My Sliding Glass Door? ∙ 2
My Utility Bills Are Soooo High!! Which Type Of Window
Covering Will Give Me The Best Insulation? ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
∙
My Husband Works In The Evening. Do You Have Something
To Keep Our Bedroom Dark When We Need It? ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
We Have A Golf Course Lot Or A Great View. What Do You
Have That Won’t Take Away From Our View? ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
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3
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3
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∙ 3
I Have Some Funky Windows, Odd Shapes, Arches,
Or Really Large Windows. What Are My Options? ∙
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∙ 4
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∙ 5
Are Window Coverings That Lower From The
Top A Good Idea? (Top Down-Bottom Up) ∙ ∙
There’s So Much Dust Out Here! Do You Have A Good Low
Maintenance Shade Or Something Easy To Clean? ∙ ∙ ∙
What’s The Truth About Fake Wood Vs Real
Wood Blinds And Shutters? ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
What’s New In Window Coverings? Show Me
Something I Haven’t Seen Before! ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙
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7
If I Have Good Blinds Or Shades Now Can I Get Them Repaired? ∙ 8
Recommendations For Each Room ∙
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An Excellent Guide
for Purchasing Window Coverings
for Your Arizona Home
I’m Jerry Levinson, owner, and operator of Blind Devotion Window Coverings since
1994. I’ve sold, installed, and repaired window coverings for over 19 years now.
The information in this guide is based on the most common questions and challenges we’ve had for people living in Arizona. If your question about window coverings
is not answered here feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
1
Don’tKnow
KnowWhat
WhatI IWant.
Want.How
HowDo
DoI Begin?
I Begin?
1. IIDon’t
A lot of people who call us either don’t know what they want or
they don’t know what is available. The first question to ask yourself
is, “Why do I want to cover that window?” Now I say “that window”
because you should ask yourself that question for every window you
are covering. The reasons for covering your bedroom window will be
different than why you are covering the window in the family room.
As a general rule I like to use window coverings that will tilt open
and close in living areas, such as your kitchen, family room, great room,
etc. These are the rooms where you usually want more control over
light and privacy. You will be adjusting the window coverings more often than in your bedroom or a bathroom. So in these areas treatments
like wood blinds or shutters work well, also Silhouette, Pirouette, and
Allure shades for something new and different.
In your bedrooms and bathrooms Duette Honeycomb Shades or
Vignette Roman Shades work great. They stay clean, and they give you
great insulation. These window coverings will probably stay down and
closed most of the time since you aren’t in your bedroom and bathroom as often. When you are in these rooms you usually want privacy.
Now these are some general rules. Everyone’s situation and taste
in decorating will be different.
2 Should
ShouldI Use
I UseThe
The
Same
Window
Covering
Throughout
House?
Same
Window
Covering
Throughout
MyMy
House?
That is a very common question that we get, and the answer is
absolutely not. Some people will prefer to use the same window covering throughout their home and that’s fine if that’s what you prefer but
1
it’s not necessary. It’s important that your window coverings go with
your décor, not with each other. Your furniture from room to room
doesn’t necessarily match so it’s not important that your window coverings match.
In the front of the house you might want them to look the same
from the street so that is something to consider. If you are using sunscreens on the outside you can’t see your window coverings anyway so
keep that in mind.
3 I Hate
I HateVerticals!!
Verticals!!
What
Else
There
Sliding
Glass
Door?
What
Else
Is Is
There
ForFor
MyMy
Sliding
Glass
Door?
Usually you are doing a horizontal treatment for your windows
and a vertical treatment for your sliding glass doors. It’s important that
everything looks good together but it does not have to be exactly the
same. It’s very common that people will do stained wood blinds on
their windows. If you do a vertical blind to match exactly, everything
will look cheesy instead of sharp. Your vertical treatment should look
more like a soft drape that flows with your furniture and carpeting. So
again these treatments don’t have to match but they do have to go
together in the same room.
Now we do have treatments that match exactly that look real
sharp together, like Duette Honeycomb Shades with Vertiglide, and
Vignette Roman Shades with Vertiglide. Luminette Privacy Sheers go
great with Silhouettes and we have Skyline to go with Roller Shades.
The information may seem to contradict itself at times but decorating will lend itself to many different suggestions. It’s best to work
with a decorator who understands you and what you will be the happiest with. Everyone’s tastes, wants, and décor will be different and the
right decorator will be the one who serves you best.
One of the reasons we hear “I Hate Verticals” so much is because
the verticals that you own are probably twisted and broken after so
many years of use. You’re tired of the clanking, clumsy product over
your door right?
Well I’ve got great news for you! You now have about 7 different
choices for great treatments that will work over your sliding glass door.
Here’s a few for you to consider.
Luminette Privacy Sheers: A sheer drape that opens and closes for privacy.
2
Duette & Vignette Vertiglides: This is an excellent treatment that will
give you great insulation, it operates easily, stays clean, and it will stack
back to just 6” no matter how wide you order it.
Skyline Gliding Panel Track: With many fabrics to choose from a Skyline shade will go with any décor.
Provenance Woven Wood Drapery: This is a Woven Wood Drapery
that hangs and operates on a vertical headrail.
Custom Drapery: With 100’s of fabrics to choose from you can’t go
wrong with beautiful custom drapes.
Now sometimes a Vertical Blind is the best treatment for you. The good
news is you will have much better materials to choose from so it won’t
look like a cheap vinyl vertical.
4
MyUtility
UtilityBills
Bills
Are
Soooo
High!!
Which
Type
Window
My
Are
Soooo
High!!
Which
Type
OfOf
Window
Covering
Will
Give
Me
The
Best
Insulation?
Covering Will Give Me The Best Insulation?
The absolute best insulating product you can buy today is Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades. This was the only product that qualified
for the Energy Tax Credit from the Federal Government in 2010 and
2011. The color selection is fantastic, these shades operate great, they
also stay very clean, and they will pay for themselves in about 2 ½
years.
Vignette Modern Roman Shades and Wood Shutters are also very
good insulators. All these treatments also hold up great to our AZ sun.
Husband
Works
In In
The
Evening.
DoDo
You
Have
Something
Husband
Works
The
Evening.
You
Have
Something
5 MyMy
ToTo
Keep
MyMy
Bedroom
Dark
When
I Need
It?It?
Keep
Bedroom
Dark
When
I Need
Duette Architella Opaque Honeycomb Shades are the best treatment for keeping your bedroom as dark as it can be. We use this treatment when our customers are day sleepers, or they get migraine headaches, or if they have a theater room that they want to get really dark.
You can also do other Blackout treatments like Vignette Roman Shades
or Roller Shades, but these treatments would need to mount on the
outside of the window sill area and overlap the sides of your window.
You do have some great options for Blackout Shades. Shutters will work
ok. It really depends on how sensitive you are to the light.
3
6
WeWe
Have
A Golf
Course
LotLot
OrOr
A Great
View.
What
DoDo
You
Have
A Golf
Course
A Great
View.
What
You
Have
That
Won’t
Take
Away
From
Our
View?
Have
That
Won’t
Take
Away
From
Our
View?
We have a lot of customers who are compelled to do shutters
because their neighbors have it. But if you just invested in a golf course
lot, or you have a mountain view, or maybe you just spent thousands
of dollars on a great looking back yard, the last thing you want to do is
cover up that view.
Here are your options:
Designer Screen Shades will block the sharp UV rays and allow you to
see out. They will give you privacy during the day. Not so much at night,
but depending on your location you may not need privacy.
Duette Honeycomb Shades and Vignette Modern Shades are excellent
insulators and they are great shades when you want privacy. When you
raise these shades they will stack up 3” to 4”, so they give you your full
view.
You can check out Silhouette, Pirouette, Allure, Woven Wood
Shades, and more with your decorator. The selection you have to
choose from is great.
7
I HaveSome
Some
Funky
Windows,
Odd
Shapes,
Arches,
I Have
Funky
Windows,
Odd
Shapes,
Arches,
Or
Really
Large
Windows.
What
Are
My
Options?
Or Really Large Windows. What Are My Options?
There really are some crazy huge windows out there these days.
You still have very many options. The goal is to make sure that you
can operate your shades and that they hold up. It is a real challenge.
Duette Honeycomb Shades probably go the widest without having to
split them up. Some Roller Shades will go really wide, but you have to
be careful because many of the fabrics only go 72” wide. This is where
it really pays to have an experience window covering professional by
your side.
As to arched or odd shaped windows, the best treatment is Wood
Shutters. Any odd shaped window will cost you extra to cover and it
4
won’t be quite as functional as your other window coverings. Meaning
you won’t be able to tilt them all open and closed easily. There are a lot
of window coverings that can handle odd shapes but they don’t look
as good or operate as well as wood shutters. Usually arched windows
are in the front of your house. The shutters will look the best from the
front as well.
8
Are
That
Lower
From
The
AreWindow
WindowCoverings
Coverings
That
Lower
From
The
Top
(Top
Down-Bottom
Up)
TopA AGood
GoodIdea?
Idea?
(Top
Down-Bottom
Up)
The most common window covering that will operate from the
top down is Duette Honeycomb Shades. Vignette and Silhouette also
will operate as top down but you will find more limitations.
The best reason to order your window covering as a Top Down
treatment is if you want privacy but you have a great view out of the
top of your windows, such as a mountain view. This can be an excellent
option to have or it can be a sloppy treatment. You want to discuss this
with a Designer to make sure it’s the right way to go.
We’ve seen people purchase Top Down window coverings, and
they have a southern exposure, so all the sun’s UV rays come pouring
in during the winter months. Some like the idea of the sun heating
them up during the winter but it can still be uncomfortable and the UV
rays will damage your flooring and furniture.
9
There’s
Out
Here!
DoDo
You
Have
A Good
Low
There’sSoSoMuch
MuchDust
Dust
Out
Here!
You
Have
A Good
Low
Maintenance
OrOr
Something
Easy
ToTo
Clean?
MaintenanceShade
Shade
Something
Easy
Clean?
A) Wood Blinds or Shutters: You can use a Micro-Fiber towel. Get it wet
and then ring it as dry as you can by hand. Then simply wipe down your
blinds or shutters. You don’t want to get water on your wood products
but having a little dampness in your towel will help pick up the dirt.
B) Most of your Vertical Treatments will stay clean because they hang
vertically and the dust won’t settle on them. Just use a low section
vacuum cleaner once in a while.
C) Duette Honeycomb Shades stay very clean. The trick with these
shades is to order some color. A Bright White or off-white will look
dirty after some time and it will be more difficult to get it clean.
5
D) Silhouettes, Pirouettes, Luminettes, and Vignettes, you want to
simply go over these treatments with a low suction vacuum cleaner. If
you need these or any treatment professionally cleaned you can contact us and we will give you the name of a professional in your area.
These guys do the Ultra-Sonic Cleaning that Hunter Douglas recommends.
10
What’sThe
The
Truth
About
Fake
Wood
Real
What’s
Truth
About
Fake
Wood
VsVs
Real
Wood
Blinds
And
Shutters?
Wood
Blinds
And
Shutters?
This is also a very frustrating topic for me. I’ve been in this business for
over 18 years now and I’ve seen many people get mislead on this topic.
The best thing about the Faux or Composite products is The Marketing! They tell you that it doesn’t warp like wood. That Faux will hold up
better in this heat. This is simply NOT TRUE!!
We’ve always sold real wood blinds and shutters. We have never
had a call back for warranty work on our shutters and the biggest problem we have with wood blinds is that someone will paint the interior of
the home and will not put the blind back up right. Real Wood Shutters
also have a tighter finish and they will give you a more beautiful look.
With Shutters Real Wood will not Warp. The paint will not fade
over time. The reality is the shutters are in a home that is kept around
80 degrees year round. Now if you put them in the garage they may
warp with a fluctuation of temperature. If you put a Faux wood in your
garage it will warp much quicker. NOTE: We get a notice every year
from our supplier that says they will not warranty faux blinds for warping if we keep them in our truck all day before we install in your home.
Buyer Beware!!!! Look out for cheap shutters or Chinese made shutters. Shutters can be expensive. Some businesses have found ways to
sell shutters for less money. They will use thinner frames, or bad cuts
of wood, or they will get them from China. You would be better served
by buying Quality Wood Blinds rather than cheap Shutters.
Consumers BEWARE!! In general I think most business people are
good honest people, but you do need to protect yourself. Other than
checking people out through the Registrar of Contractors or the BBB or
Angie’s List the best way you can protect yourself is to use a credit card
6
for the deposit. If the company you are doing business with closes up
or doesn’t deliver you can at least get your money back.
11
What’sNew
NewInInWindow
Window
Coverings?
Show
What’s
Coverings?
Show
MeMe
Something
I
Haven’t
Seen
Before!
Something I Haven’t Seen Before!
Your options have never been greater. We really do have a window
covering for every window and every homeowner. Let me tell you
about some of the newest window coverings that Hunter Douglas has
come up with.
A) Pirouette Shadings is a roman shade that will open up so you can
see through. It’s a cool treatment that is a must see. I have these in my
Master Bedroom. My wife loves them.
B) Allustra Woven Texture Shades aren’t new but not many people
have seen them. The fabric selection is incredible! You can see through
these shades in the daytime and drop a privacy liner down at night if
necessary.
C) Allure is not a Hunter Douglas treatment but it is giving Silhouette
some serious competition. It’s a roller shade that opens and closes like
a blind. (I’ve been doing this forever and I probably wouldn’t understand that description if someone gave it to me but it’s the best I can
think of. Again a must see.)
D) Skyline Panel Tracks are a great alternative to Vertical Blinds. You
have a lot of fabrics to choose from and you can use matching fabric to
your roller shades.
E) The Vignette Modern Shades just get better and better every year.
The way they operate is both functional and gorgeous. Hunter Douglas
keeps improving the color & fabric selection with Vignettes.
F) Color – Controls – Styles: The colors in every product line have improved greatly. Your control options are better with improvements
to child-safe products and easier operation. There is also more fabric
styles to choose from, such as Architella shades.
We work hard to keep our displays up to date and to educate
ourselves on what’s new so you get the best
window covering for your home.
7
Shades
Now
Can
I Get
Them
Repaired?
I HaveGood
GoodBlinds
BlindsOrOr
Shades
Now
Can
I Get
Them
Repaired?
12 IfIfI Have
In a word, Yes. You can either bring your window treatment into our
Chandler Showroom or you can call us and schedule an appointment.
We can’t always fix everything but we can tell you if your blind can be
fixed.
Common Problems are:
Problem: Wood Blinds won’t tilt because the wand is broken.
Solution: We can change that out to a cord tilt
Problem: Honeycomb Shade does not rise.
Solution: These can be restrung.
Problem:
Solution:
Vertical Blinds won’t tilt or slide.
If they won’t slide you can spray it with dry silicone spray
or you can replace the track. If they won’t tilt chances
are you just need to tuck the vertical vanes in so they
face the other direction. It’s the most common problem
with verticals.
Those are the three most common problems. In a lot of cases if a product is over 12 years old it’s difficult to repair because the parts aren’t
available. You also have to weigh the cost of replacing vs repair.
13
Recommendations
For
Each
Room
Recommendations
For
Each
Room
Master Bedroom: Usually you want to have something softer like a
Vignette Roman Shade or a Duette Shade. Both of these products are
available in Black-out or Semi-opaque. Products like Shutters can be
more masculine. With a softer shade you can match your bedspread
and your décor in your Master Bedroom. You will want to consider
if you would like to have a valance over your window covering when
working with your designer.
Master Bathroom or any Bathroom: Duette Honeycomb Shades provide great insulation, privacy, they stay very clean, and they can handle
the moisture and humidity. Again something soft looks good and you
8
want to add a little color. You don’t have many opportunities to decorate in a bathroom so the window covering is a good place to add some
color. Try to choose a color that goes well with many different colors,
such as Bisque, Beige, Green, Silver, etc. Blue is a nice color but it is difficult to decorate around.
In Bedrooms and Bathrooms treatments that are usually closed are
very practical since you are not in those rooms except when you want
privacy. Again it will depend on your lifestyle and your décor as well as
your view to determine the best treatment for you.
Front of the House: Wood Shutters or Wood Blinds give you the best
look from the street. You can mix window coverings through-out your
home but in the front consider having the same look from the street.
Often times you will have arched windows in the front of the house
and Shutters will work better than any other product.
Kitchen: You will have to consider what will hold up well around cooking or splashing from the sink area. Roller Screen Shades or Allure
Shades are cool treatments that work great in a Kitchen Bay area or
over a sink. They roll up and down but open and close like a blind. You
have to check these out.
Family Room: In Living areas I recommend products that tilt open and
close. You will usually want a lot of control in your Family Room so it
can be wide open or closed completely to block out glare from the
sun. We don’t recommend Shutters because you will probably have
furniture in front of your windows in the family room, so you won’t be
able to swing your shutters open unless you move the furniture out of
the way. Also shutters close you in and they are more formal looking.
A family room is more casual, relaxing, so treatments that fit in the
window and go well with your décor work better.
Golf Course View or Mountain View: If you’ve invested in a fantastic
view whether it’s the mountains, a golf course, or great looking landscaping, the last thing you want to do is cover up that view with window coverings. When you want nothing, Duette Honeycomb Shades
work great. They will give you privacy and insulation when you need it
9
and they will get up and out of the way when you don’t want anything
covering your windows. The stack is about 3”.
Another great treatment is Designer Screen Shades. We have some
communities with lakes running thru them. Screen Shades will block
the hard sun and UV rays from damaging your furniture and you will
still be able to see thru them and enjoy your view.
Patio Doors, Sliding Glass Doors, and French Doors or Single Panel
Doors: There are a lot of great options for doors these days. You want
a treatment that gives you the proper amount of light control and one
that works well with your décor and lifestyle. For instance you can do
a Black out shade in your bedroom or a screen shade in your family
room.
On Sliding Glass Doors On Sliding Glass Doors you want a treatment
that slides open easily so you can go in and out easily holding a full
plate of ribs to put on the bbq. We have customers who want to do
Horizontal Treatments or Wood shutters on their patio doors. That’s
ok if this is a door you aren’t using a lot, like if it’s in your Master Bedroom. If you are using it a lot these treatments are very clumsy. They
may look good but you will quickly get frustrated if you are frequently
going in and out. The best treatments will be a Vertical Blind, Duette
Vertiglide, Skyline Panel Track, or Luminette Drapery. You have a lot of
great options these days.
On French Doors blinds are a bit clunky. Roller Shades work great and
you have so many different styles to choose from. They will lay flat
against the door. You won’t have to put extra holes on the bottom for
hold down brackets. If you brush up against them they won’t scratch
you like wood blinds do. The quality has gotten a lot better as well.
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Bu s in e ss
d
e
n
w
O
y
il
m
S m a ll Fa
5’6”
N o On e O ve r
Compliments of
Shades • Draperies • Shutters
www.BlindDevotion.com
P 480-917-2707
1986 N ALMA SCHOOL RD
Chandler, AZ 85224
ROC 273932