Adding Value to Your Home

Do Window Coverings Add Value to Your Home? A big question you may have is, “do window coverings, like Blind and Shutters, add value to my home?” The answer is it depends”. – Custom Blinds and Shutters may be able to!  The key is custom. Going down to your local Home Depot or Lowes and buying what is on the shelf IS NOT a custom window covering. Custom Window Coverings are accurately measured, then cut down to the exact specifications of your window’s opening. They are then professionally installed by an installer that has the proper equipment to adjust any of the pieces of the blinds, etc. to properly mount the window covering correctly and permanently the first time. An example of this would be cutting down the “return” (the return is a piece that goes on the end of the valence, and is perpendicular to the valence) to fit the depth of the distance from the edge of the valence to the frame or wall.  Now, you can get custom window coverings at Home Depot or Lowes (I do not want to knock the competition), but the experience can be painful. The process entails calling into their store phone number and getting their voice response unit which give you multiple department options to be transferred to.  Once you do get through to someone (assuming someone is available at the time you call), you provide them with a measure estimate and the type of blind you are looking for. If it is not one of the shades of white (usually the only inventory in stock) then they will have to go out and make a custom order. Once you have selected a type of blind, the retailer will schedule a person to come out and measure. Depending on availability of their contract installers in the Que will determine when they can come out to your house to measure.  When someone comes out and measuring is done, most of the time you have to go into the store to choose the colors, etc. Once this is done your order is placed with the fabricator. The scheduling for your install depends upon if the covering is in stock, or has to be ordered.  This over-all process is time consuming for you and inconvenient. An alternative is to buy from a shop-at-homeservice. These companies will come out to your home and bring the samples to you, and consult with you on your window covering needs. It is a much more painless process, and you are likely to get much better long-lasting quality for your money.  Now, let’s get back to adding value to your home. Typically a Faux Wood (composite or pure plastic) or Real Wood Blind does not add value to your home because it is semi-permanent. However, if your goal is to match, let say for example, new – expensive Kitchen Cabinets. You probably will want to get a real wood product such as Bass Wood, Phoenix Wood or Poplar. These woods will give you the natural grain (and can be painted or stained virtually any color) to match kitchen cabinets, custom window frames that you already have, furniture style and color, and many other attributes of your home. In this case you have added a more expensive, custom wood product to your home where you are unlikely to ever replace it as long as you live in your home. If you have matched permanent kitchen cabinets or custom window frames, etc in your house, you are probably in a good position to have those blinds included in an appraisal on your home when you go to re-sale. The same goes for custom Plantation Shutters- they are permanently installed with a nail gun, and becomes a permanent component of the window and window frame itself.  In both cases, it becomes “Window Furniture”.

Woven Wood Shades; Making a Comeback

Remember those old woven shades? When you wanted to raise one, you had to roll it up by hand like a humungous burrito and then while holding the unruly beast in place, secure it with a hand-tied knot. There were virtually no colors to choose from; I remember maybe three. And, matchstick bamboo was practically the only style. That was then and this is now. Natural woven woods are now chic and cool and come in a tantalizing, almost mind-boggling array of styles, colors, textures, features and options. When choosing woven wood shades these days, you have to do your homework. A good place for guidance and enlightenment is the internet and the various internet retailers. Consider the ones that sell multiple lines of natural woven woods by nationally recognized blind and shade manufacturers. To help decide if woven wood shades are the right choice for you, the following is a summary of the significant components and options: Natural woven wood shades are hand-woven and are relatively environmentally friendly. They come in a variety of materials: woods, bamboos, weeds, and grasses which can compliment a wide variety of decorating styles. The grasses are generously loomed and are soft and flowing with an exotic, modern, jungle-feel. The bamboo and reeds bring nature to its elegant best with a tropical flair, while the matchstick’s tightly woven, uniform construction gives a more formal look. If something truly unique and eye-catching is your forte, consider a combination. These shades are intricately woven by using two or more natural materials in stunning patterns. The color range of woven woods is naturally beautiful from creamy whites to luxuriant ebonies, and almost everything in between, including all hues of browns, gold, oranges and greens. Similar to roman shades, the natural woven woods have a graceful, definitive construction. When in the closed position they feature either a classic flat roman fold or the elegantly looped hobbled fold. The lift options include the standard cord, on your choice of side, with shade descending. A handy lift option is the top down/bottom up feature especially for bathrooms and bedrooms where privacy is important but sunlight is desired. If you’re dressing a large bay or picture window, a lift worth considering is the continuous cord loop with its heavy-duty clutch and pulley mechanism. Cordless woven woods have just hit the market and not a moment too soon. It’s an excellent safety option where small children or pets are a concern, or if you simply prefer the uncluttered look. Additional options are privacy or blackout liners and edge binding. Since woven woods naturally have gaps, some more so than others, you’ll want to consider privacy liners. They provide just that – privacy, while allowing a soft glow of light to filter through. A blackout liner is ideal for bedrooms and home theatres. Fabric edge binding comes in matching or contrasting colors, in patterns or solids and, along with giving a finished look, can add lifetime to your shades. So, if you are in the market for some really cool window coverings, think green, think exotic, think natural woven woods and shades.

Faux Wood vs Real Wood Blinds

Wood blinds and shutters are still two of the most popular window coverings sold in America. However, there’s always a limit to how much people will spend on their window treatments, and these two products are among the most expensive. Further, sometimes wood is undesirable in high moisture areas or in rooms susceptible to damage by kids and pets.  Recently introduced by almost every manufacturer are quality alternatives to 2” wood blinds. All have slats which imitate wood, but there are some big differences between them. They’re generally called Faux Wood Blinds, Alternative Woods, Wood-like, Polywood, and a host of other names. They’re made of vinyl, vinyl compounds, and even some which are made of a combination of wood and vinyl – in effect a wood/vinyl alloy. The most popular products as of this writing are NuWood by Levolor, Lake Forest by Graber, and Woodwinds 2 by Comfortex. Just a few weeks ago Hunter Douglas unveiled their two entries – Woodmates and Everwoods. Since all of these products use vinyl for at least a portion of their slats they have two inherent advantages to wood blinds: (1) they cost less, and (2) they resist moisture.  The Disadvantages. There are some disadvantages to consider: (1) most people still prefer the warmth of real wood, (2) there are limited color choices and no stains, [Jan/2001: Hunter Douglas' Everwoodsnow come in stain colors] (3) there are size constraints and size limitations, (4) they are flimsier yet heavier than wood, and (5) they may yellow ( but paint can yellow too).  Beware of the very cheap “foam” blinds. They are especially flimsy, can sag, and require many more support strings (called “ladders”) not only because of their flimsiness, but also because they are heavy. Since most are made with inferior headrails and components, the weight puts a burden on the mechanism, accelerating its demise. I’d strongly suggest you stay away from these foam products. They are sold in Home Improvement centers and in some retail locations usually under a “private label brand”.  All of the faux wood blinds, however, require more ladders than wood blinds. The sturdier the blind, the farther apart the ladders can be placed and therefore will require fewer ladders – and that’s better because with fewer ladders the blinds have a cleaner, sleeker, more shutter-like appearance. The ladders run through holes in the slats, so when the blinds are closed, you’ll see all those holes due to the light piercing through them. Believe me, I’ve seen them and I don’t like the way that looks, and my customers don’t like it either. Further, if you want cloth tapes (like the older venetian blinds had) instead of the string ladders, then there will probably be too many tapes for your taste, and they obstruct your view.  Which are Best? We have evaluated every vendors’ entry, and there’s no doubt that the wood/vinyl alloys are best. They have more color choices, are sturdier, and require fewer ladders. Those products include Levolor’s NuWood, Comfortex’s Woodwind 2, Hunter Douglas’ Everwood, and NoBrainer’s Everlast.