Absolutely All about Window Blinds

Venetian blinds are made from different types of materials such as vinyl, fabric, PVC and wood to suit different types of home décor and widow size. Wooden Venetian blinds are probably the most popular blinds among the Venetian blinds types due to the extra warmth ambience that only wooden Venetian blinds can provide. Although the usage of Venetian blinds have only picked up over the last few years but  Venetian blinds are at least a few centuries old. Venetian blinds were first introduced in Venice in the 1700s hence the name sake. Wooden venetian blinds were in use in America by the 1760s, the fashion for them having traveled here from London. In early paintings that depict Venetian blinds, they are invariably painted green. This type of Venetian blinds preference diminished by the mid-nineteenth century, when it was generally held that the dark color had two drawbacks: it faded and it was more likely to show dirt. Stained wooden Venetian blinds were also used at this time.
At Monticello there were what Jefferson called Venetian porches, which were fitted out with jalousies, or louvered blinds, constructed according to a drawing in Jefferson’s hand (Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston). These have been reconstructed and painted green. Some household manuals recommended that Venetian blinds be painted the same color as the walls. Documents reveal that even hundreds of years ago Americans were well aware of the fact that harsh sunlight was injurious to furniture and textiles. Venetian blinds were touted as one effective way to protect these valuable furnishings. Wooden Venetian  blinds remained popular into the twentieth century until aluminum blinds replaced them in the late 1920s.
Wooden Venetian blinds are made from various types of wood. Wooden Venetian blinds can give an exotic and elegant look to your home since they can be crafted with great intricacy. It is no surprise that the Wooden Venetian blinds are the most expensive version of this type of blind.
Venetian blinds also offer a greater degree of light control. The blinds can be raised or lowered like roller shades and the slats adjusted to let in the desired amount of light. Traditional 2-inch slat blinds are available in a variety of wood finishes as well as several shades of white. Colored cloth tapes allow another decorating option. Costs range from around $30 for stock vinyl to well over $100 each for custom wood blinds.

I remember a few years ago when I was tried to shop for some new blinds for my home, I was pretty much overwhelmed by the number of the types of window blinds available. It didn’t help much that the sales person wasn’t very well-informed. Fortunately somebody helped to educate me on the different types of window blinds. Besides, the internet was and is still a very helpful tool to look for all these information. Basically I can safely say that there are 2 general categories of window blinds. 

The first types is the slat window blind, the slats could be made of metal or vinyl. The slats are connected with string in a way that they can be rotated to allow light to pass between the slats, rotated up to about 170 degrees to hide the light, or pulled up so that the entire window is clear (so special version pulling up diagonally or even down, mostly motorized or with hand winder). Some of popular slat window blinds are like Venetian blinds, vertical blinds and mini blinds 

• Venetian blinds, basic slatted blind made of metal or plastic; wooden slats are sometimes used but these are usually referred to as wood blinds or bamboo blinds. Venetian blinds were introduced around 1770, possibly in Venice, Italy. Slat width can be between 50-120 mm, however most common are 50 mm). 

• Miniblinds, Venetian blinds with very narrow slats (usually 19 or 24 mm wide). 

• Vertical blinds, or track blinds, consisting of slats of stiffened fabric, plastic, or metal hanging by one end from a track; like the horizontal versions, the slats can be rotated 90 degrees to allow light to pass through or to fold up on one side of a door or window. 

The other types of window blind is solid blind which either roll up or fold up but cannot be opened in place to allow light through. These are also often referred to as window shades[citation needed]. Such blinds include: 

Holland blinds, or roller shades, which are pull-down rolling window blinds. 

Woven-wood blinds, which are slats of decorative wood, bamboo, or other natural material woven together with simple string, colored yarn, or other decorative material to make a nearly solid blind; these either roll up out of the way or fold up out of the way. Wood blinds are known for their energy efficiency, and greater light control, as well as being economical alternatives to shutters. 

Pleated shades, which are pleated fabric shades that pull up to sit flat at the top of a window. 

Honeycomb shades, or cellular shades, which are similar to pleated shades except that there are two or more layers joined at the pleats to form compartments that trap air, providing insulation. Due to their cellular construction, cellular shades are known to be energy conscious. For greater insulation, cellular shades also come in double and triple cell styles. The more cells, the greater energy efficiency. 

Roman shades, made of fabric or woven wood, that pull up by having each section of the shade fold behind a higher section. Roman shades are thought of as being easy to operate, and for extremely efficient in insulation. 

Some of the popular blinds these days are vertical blinds, wooden blinds, bamboo blinds and last but not least Venetian blinds. Venetians blinds have move up in ranks in terms of the number of homes using them.
So what are Venetian blinds anyway? Well Venetian blinds are thin sheets of any material that are connected together by a string. Mostly of the Venetian blinds are made up of hard plastics. There are also versions of Venetian blinds that are made up of aluminum or any plastic combinations. Since blinds have very thin blades that shut and open, the strength and durability of the blades is a top priority of the manufacturers. Because of that, they do not simply use materials that do not pass their quality check. Therefore, you can be sure of the quality of Venetian blinds if you buy it from reputable stores.
The mechanism of Venetian blinds are simple ….Venetian blinds come in 2 parts  which are used to open and close it. The first portion is the hanging stick that is being turned to open and close the blades of the blinds and the other one is the excess hanging string that is used to raise or pull the blinds up together. These two have special mechanisms that are placed on the upper portion of the blinds set. Basically, the one that lets the blind close, open and raise is the string that joins it together. In short operating Venetian blinds is No rocket science!
Of course like any piece of furniture in our homes, Venetian blinds sometimes might malfunction for example the lower mechanism might lower its function. Most of the time, it’s caused by the dust that can form on the small portion where the mechanism of  Venetian blinds is located. Don’t panic, you do not have to send your Venetian blinds for repair, simply clean off the dust .
If you buy your Venetian blinds from reputable manufacturer, these Venetian blinds usually come with warranty. The warranty may include miscarriage if delivered or mechanism failure before a certain date covered by the warranty. The very common wreck that may occur in a Venetian blind is on the blades. Most of the time, plastic when over-exposed to sun becomes brittle and later on will corrode. That is too difficult to repair since you cannot find any spare to change for several affected blades. So the easier thing to do is just go out and buy new Venetian blinds
String failures in Venetian blinds is also very common. This is due to the tension on the string during lifting of your Venetian blinds, the string after some time might break. You can easily repair this by connecting the broken string together by tying it up or by using a strong adhesive. When the hanging rod does no longer turn smoothly, the problem maybe on the gear on the upper portion of the blinds set. Just simply apply a little of lubricant in it so it will again turn smoothly. If you are too scare to do this yourself, you can get the help of a Venetian blinds specialist.
In short, your Venetian blinds needs to always dust free. Clean your Venetian blinds as often as possible to ensure that the gears and components work properly. Lastly, make sure you do your research before buying your Venetian blinds. Good Venetian blinds manufacturer and retailers help ensure your Venetian blinds are trouble free for many years to come!