When choosing vertical blinds it isn’t just the aesthetics of the product that you need to take into consideration, but also its functionality. If you prefer a window dressing option with additional features, you might find that energy-saving, solar-control, blackout and flame-retardant features are better options for you.

Vertical blinds have many beneficial features to them; vertical blinds typically come in handy in rooms, which contain sliding glass doors. In other cases, this style of blinds can be chosen according to the mood in which the room is capturing.

The neatly layered layout of vertical blinds can sometimes be seen as boring and plain, but under the right circumstances, this blind style can transform a window into an elegant addition of the room.

Not only do these blinds vary in design, they also vary in sunlight exposure. Buyers can now select the method in which they want their vertical blinds to open depending on the level of privacy they want in a particular room. Blinds can either be pulled back to expose a sliding glass door, twisted open to allow sunlight to enter a room, or do both. Along with those options, there are remote-controlled blinds that react to the level of sunlight outside. There are even vertical blinds that can be opened with the push of a button. These blinds come with effortless exposure and easy maintenance.

Because the blinds fall vertically, they will not collect as much dust and other microscopic particles as drapes and horizontal blinds. When a clean is imperative, the vertical design of the blinds produce unyielding results. When they do become damaged beyond maintenance, they are easier to repair than horizontal blinds because they are hung individually. Instead of replacing the entire component as a whole, each individual strip can be removed and repaired with ease. Vertical style blinds are a good choice for all the reasons above, but if small things are bothersome, they can very much become a nuisance.

The individual design of the blinds hanging like shingles may seem fancy at first, but for someone who is easily agitated, a breeze from an open window or door can cause the blinds to clatter together and send an abrupt noise throughout the room.

Along with the vertical design of the blinds creating unwanted noise, it can also cause irritation due to exposure. Because the blinds hang straight down from the window seal instead of fitting into it, it can leave space between the blind and window causing unwanted light to penetrate the opening in a dark room. Along with penetrating light, privacy can be violated with penetrating eyes. In such cases where the cons of vertical blinds can be too much to bear, most people prefer to go with a horizontal style blind.

Before purchasing this particular style of blinds, one must look at the pros and cons in doing so as well as the environment the blinds will be installed in.

In the Office

Whether it’s for a study in your home or the office of your business, vertical blinds can help to increase privacy levels and reduce glare. With a simple close of the blind, you can prevent any unwanted sunlight from hitting computer screens and causing a disruption to the work of either yourself or your colleagues.

In the Bedroom

Vertical blinds offer a practical window dressing solution to any bedroom and can be used to enhance a minimalist bedroom or to simply add a touch of color. On the other hand, if you struggle to keep your bedroom darkened you might find that you benefit from installing a blackout blind.

In the Conservatory

Vertical blinds can be purchased made to measure, making them a great addition to conservatories. They can help reduce light levels in the summer months and help regulate temperature levels in the winter months.

Like many decisions, there are both positive and negative aspects to be considered. In addition, like many decisions, the choice that best fits the situation should be made.

Vertical blinds might look simple and easy to operate. However did you know that behind the simplicity is a mechanism that is made out of a variety of components to make it possible for you to operate it without a fuss.

Vertical blinds parts can be divided into 3 major areas. First is the head rail that holds the blinds together and is the part that is mounted to the wall or window frame. Secondly is the blinds and finally is the pulley system that opens and closes the blinds

The head rail is made out of a steel track and end control panels that cover the whole thing. There usually is a channel panel clip to hold the fascia board on the steel track to make it look nice and tidy. Inside there you have the 8 prong pinion and link carrier, e-clip, rod support, replacement flat gear and stem.

On the blinds side you have the valance of course and the wand or rod to turn the valances to either close or open. At the pulley end, you should have the cod, NPS chain, bell tassel and tension pulley. Of course you also have all the brackets that are used to mount the blinds to the wall. There you have it, a brief introduction of the different vertical blinds parts that you are expected to find.

Well most of us do not need to know all these different blinds parts but will certainly help when it comes to repairing your blinds. One of the most common vertical blinds problems is the faulty stem and gear. The stem is the one that holds the vanes to the head rail. If you have a faulty stem first of all just remove the blinds and put it on the table or floor. Then slowly remove the vane from the faulty stem. Make sure that you turn all the stems to align to one direction before you start removing the vanes.

Then remove the stem as well as the gear and replace it with a new one. Install the vane back on the stem and test out if vane opens and closes properly. Also remember to test the opening and closing of the blinds. Once you are satisfied with it then just mount it back to its original place.

One of the major decisions that you need to make when moving to a new home apart from the property itself is on the window blinds. Let’s face it most of our homes have plenty of windows and it only gets worse if it is a big house.

The decision on whether to use blinds, shutters or curtains largely depends on the type of windows or doors. A glass sliding door in my opinion should go for vertical blinds. They are flexible and will be able to cover the whole door easily. However please ensure you measure the width and height of the sliding door or window before ordering your blinds.

For extra convenience you might even want to consider using motorized blinds and it usually comes with a remote control nowadays.

If you are a handy person you can install it yourself as most of them come with pretty detail manuals and instructions. In the worst case scenario you can always pay someone to do it.

The most common materials that are used to make the slats or vanes of blinds are vinyl, wood and of course fabric. Most of the vertical blinds as well as roman shades in the market are made out of fabric. They are wonderful but one of the major problems is that they are difficult to clean especially when they are stained with mold or mildew. Most people just either replace the vanes or simply the whole blinds.

The more cost effective thing that you can do is to use a strong stain remover to clean those stubborn mold away. You should either use a granulated form of stain remover that can mix with water or those liquid ones that you spray directly at the fabric. The type to use depends on the severity of your mold stains. First of all if you are dealing with vertical blinds you need to remove the vanes from the head  rail and then remove the fabric from the inserts. You will also need either a bath tub or a large pail where you can soak the fabric overnight. Fill the bath tub or pail to about 3 gallons of water then take about 12oz of the granulated stain remover and mix with the water. Put all the fabric into the tub and let it soak overnight. You can also add a couple of cups of vinegar into the solution so that it will help to remove the odor from the vanes.

The next day remove the vanes from the bath tub and you should see the water turning creamy which means that the solution is working. Leave the fabric on the floor and use a wet sponge to rub all the vanes especially those areas that are covered with mold. When you are done just hose it down with water to remove the solution. Hang it up to dry. By this time you should be able to see that most if not all the mold stains have been removed.

For the milder mold or mildew stains you can just spray the stain remover on the blinds. Leave it for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use a wet sponge to rub on the blinds and you should be able to see the results right away. If it doesn’t work then use the earlier method above.

One of the most common problem that I heard about vertical blinds is that the vanes tear easily. This is due to the fact that the vanes are made out of fabric and over time due to careless used of the blinds such as opening and closing the blinds too fast it will eventually tear the little section that sticks to the head rail.

Well what do most people do when their vane is torn then? Most of them will just try to repair it with duct tape or glue which could be unsightly if not done properly.

You could also just replace the damage vane but sometimes it is difficult to find the exact color. I even have a friend who threw his vertical blinds away because he couldn’t just the matching replacement for his vane.

Well fear not because there is an easy solution to this. You can use a vane saver which is a small piece of metal that has a hole in the middle.

You can simply just slip this metal piece over the top of your vane and align the hole to the little section of you vane which is like having a brand new hole that you can attach to your head rail. The vane saver is really cheap and you can buy it from any hardware store or you can buy it online.

Vertical blinds are not only flexible and cost effective but they are also easy to install. If this is your first time installing this type of blinds you might want to read the manual first before starting the installation. Otherwise for most of the blinds especially the outside mount ones you can just follow the instructions below

The only tool that you need to install your blinds is a screw driver usually the flat head ones or you can use a cordless screw driver to make your task easier. Before you even go out and purchase your blinds please measure your window or door first. Measure it from the top to the bottom as well as the width. I would always measure it on 3 sides of the window or door, if it’s the height I would measure the left, middle and right. This is because some window and door are not completely straight both horizontally or vertically.

Once you have unpacked your vertical blinds and check that everything is in place then you can start the actual installation. Measure the top of your window or door 4 inches in from left and right side. Place your blinds bracket over the mark places and mount it into the wall using the screws that came with the blinds. Next install the head rail which is the top part of the blinds into the bracket. Push the head rail in until it snaps into place. Then space the vane stems evenly out so that it is easier for you to install the vanes. Insert the vane into the plastic stem until it snaps into place. Repeat this for each vane.

Once this is done you just need to install the valance to cover the top of the blinds so that it looks nice and the mechanism is not exposed. Finally test your binds by slowly opening and closing them as well rotating your vanes to make sure that everything is working ok.