Vertical blinds are a great decorating option for the windows in your home and they can be used in any room in your house or apartment and on almost every style and size of window, even on sliding glass doors, bay windows and patio windows. Whether you are looking for window treatments for a formal decor, casual style or you want blackouts for the bedroom, you will find just what you had in mind for any and every room with a wide variety of choices, materials and colors available to you in vertical blinds and window treatments.

Before you start shopping, it is important to take the height and width measurements of your windows. Some vertical blinds can be purchased in standard sizes or can be cut to fit your needs and you can install vertical blinds yourself if you are handy. If you prefer to have your blinds installed professionally, you can get a free estimate and an in-home consultation from many window treatment companies or shop at home services and department stores.

Measuring for Vertical Blinds

• All measurements should be taken to the nearest 1/8”.
• When measuring for vertical blinds the first step is to decide if your blinds will hang neatly inside the window frame or if will cover the entire frame.
• If measuring for an inside mount, measure the actual window opening size.
• If measuring for an outside mount, decide how much wider than the window you want the blind to be and take that measurement.

Tips: Blinds that are made to fit inside the window deliver a cleaner look and allow for drapes or other fabric coverings to be added to the window. Be sure that the window is deep enough for the blinds before making this decision.

Outside mounted blinds are great for hiding ugly windows or making small windows look larger. When taking the height measurement, be sure to include the height of the headrail in the final measurement.

Whether you do it yourself or work with a professional decorating company or vertical blinds company, the first place you need to start is by choosing the material or fabric  for your vertical blinds. A few things you should consider when making your decision are how much light you want to come through the material or maybe you don’t want any light to come through at all. Lighter fabrics and weaves let in light, heavier or textured fabrics or PVC block out the sun. You can also choose to have faux wood, textured fabrics or durable PVC with fabric inserts for a decorator look that can do double-duty as blackout blinds.

Another consideration when it comes to your window treatments is what type of valance you want on top and whether or not you need weights or chains at the bottom. Other choices include how you want your vertical blinds open. You can choose the sides of the room you want the pulls cords on, left or right or both sides. You can have your blinds pull open from the left, the right or they can open in the center. If you have sliding glass doors, vertical blinds that open in the center make it easier for you to open and close them for easy access in and out of your sliding glass doors to your patio or to your backyard area. You would also want to consider vertical blinds parts. These can break or damaged and need to be replaced. So when you choose your vertical blinds keep in mind that in case some parts will break you can easily find vertical blinds replacement parts.

Another advantage of vertical blinds for your windows is the fact that they can be cut to any length. If you need floor length verticals for you dining room or living room, don’t forget to take into consideration whether you have tile, wood or carpet on the floors to allow for the proper measurement. You don’t want your vertical blinds to drag on the floor because they will be hard to keep clean. If you have carpeting, you don’t want your blinds to be dragged over it either. Remember to leave just enough room at the bottom between the floor and your window treatments. If you are using a lighter weight fabric, small weights and decorative chains are used to keep the individual slats in place and enable them to open and work properly together. Heavier materials such as PVC do not require weights or chains. Each individual slat is attached to the hidden pull cord on top by its own plastic clip. The clip design makes it easy to remove and replace just one slat if you should happen to need to. For safety or if you have children, you can choose a wand instead of cords to open and close the blinds for more or less light.

If you are using vertical blinds on smaller windows, consider whether you want them cut to sit on the window sill if there is one or if you would prefer them to be cut a bit longer? How do you want them to open? Window length vertical blinds are great for bedroom, family room or den windows. You can also use both lengths for a coordinated look in the same room or you can match them with other types of window treatments, including shades and curtains. Vertical blinds are very versatile.

Cleaning vertical blinds

As blinds are a static element of a room or house it has the ability to be dusted over time. Cleaning vertical blinds needs less muscle strength because these are so light that anyone can handle it using only a cloth to wipe all the dust. However, if blinds were not cleaned for a longer period of time it might have spots that are difficult to clean by only wiping the dust off. Simply adjusting vertical blinds they can be carefully washed in the bath tub. Put the blinds in the bath tub and leave them for 45 minutes and you will see how water changes the color, showing how much dirt blinds have accumulated. For the spots that have not come out just by soaking in the water, use a brush to remove them.

Conclusion

Standard vertical blinds may look old fashioned for some people, but there are bamboo vertical blinds and aluminum vertical blinds that will please most people. These days the wide wooden vertical blinds look classier as well. There is big variety of blinds that can add comfort to your home. Of course, a beautiful looking house will depend on the window and the quality of the blinds you buy. It is definitely something you don’t want to miss.

Blinds are perfect for covering large windows and sliding glass doors. Mount a set over French doors or any window that simply needs covering. Used in conjunction with other fabric coverings or by themselves, blinds are an excellent choice. Easy to install and simple to use, they are available in a range of styles and colors. Choose the one that will look best with your home and that will suit your family for a vertical blind you are certain to be pleased with.