Best For Home Windows Blinds Or Curtains

• by Daryl
• February 21 2023

Window coverings enhance your décor while allowing you to regulate light, privacy, and internal temperature. While many alternatives are available, the most common ones are curtains or drapes of fabric panels and blinds with adjustable slats. Each type of blind and curtain has certain advantages and disadvantages.

Knowing the difference between curtains and blinds can help you decide which is best for your light control, insulation, and privacy needs—as well as your décor and budget. Blind Express offers world-class blinds in numerous designs at the best prices.

Blinds Are Less Costly:

Blinds are easier to make, install, and use less time and resources. A professional can install brackets in a window frame, mount a blind, and attach the motors that move the slats in between 10 and 20 minutes for a total cost of $43 to $94 per window. Using plastic blinds instead of wood or premium vinyl will decrease your material expenses. This amounts to between $345 and $750 for blinds for eight windows or the number found in two spacious living spaces plus two to four bedrooms.

Because they require more time and materials to produce and more time to install, curtains are often more expensive (ranging from $50 to $250 per window to $400 to $2,000 for eight windows). Installing level brackets above the window, attaching the rod to the frame, hanging and securing the rod, and then styling the curtains will take a professional an hour or more. Curtains made of cotton are more affordable than those of silk or linen.

Blinds Provide Extra Options For Light Management:

There are two techniques to limit the amount of light coming through blinds with slats positioned vertically or horizontally. Vertical blinds may be moved from one side to the other, and Venetian blinds raised and lowered by pulling the lift rope that hangs from the top. The long, stick-like tilt wand may also rotate the slats and alter the angle at which light enters. Blinds provide extra options for light management, but because of their slatted construction, light can still penetrate even when they are entirely closed. When curtains are drawn, practically all light is blocked.

Blinds Are Low Maintenance:

Because of their smooth, slick surface, blinds are simple to dust with a microfiber cloth. Close the slats and wipe the blinds from the top down or from one side to the other to remove dust from both sides. Next, rotate the slats 180 degrees and oppositely continue the process. The front and back of the slats can be cleaned using a soft cloth dampened with simple water or a solution of 25% white vinegar and 75% water. After cleaning, use a clean towel to dry.

Curtain cleaning requires a bit of effort. To eliminate dust, use a dust brush attachment to vacuum from top to bottom. To remove grime and stains, mist the affected areas with a solution of one part bleach to four parts water, one-part store-bought stain pre-treatment solution, or a mixture of 25 percent white vinegar and 75 percent water. After letting the solution sit for a while, wash one or two curtain panels in the washing machine immediately, following the care label`s instructions, then air-dry them to avoid shrinking. If required, iron as instructed.

Blinds Endure More Time:

Well-cared-for blinds frequently retain their aesthetic appeal for 15 years or longer. Plastic, vinyl, metal, or wood with a polymer coating are synthetic materials resistant to fading and stains. They are also less prone to normal wear and tear since they are stiffer and more rigid than curtains. Curtains made of fabric, such as cotton, linen, velvet, or silk, are more likely to rip, stain, and mildew. Thus, they frequently need to be replaced within a decade.

Curtains Provide Better Soundproofing And Insulation:

To keep heat, curtains and blinds may improve your windows` overall insulation. This will reduce your utility costs throughout the winter. However, curtains have been demonstrated to cut heat loss by up to 37 percent during cold months, as opposed to the 14 percent reduction you may receive from blinds because they do not have slats through which heat escapes. The more substantial the curtains or blinds, the more insulating they are, with honeycomb-shaped honeycomb blinds and thermal curtains with acrylic foam sandwiched between layers of fabric being the most insulating.

However, blinds are more energy-efficient than curtains in warm weather. Blinds may reduce indoor heat absorption by around 45 percent more effective in the summer, which can minimize AC costs. This is because they allow more heat to escape from space. In the summer, curtains, which lose less heat, only cut interior heat absorption by 33%.

Blinds and drapes can help to block out exterior noise by absorbing it. But since they are thicker and don`t have slats through which sound might enter, curtains—especially those made of heavyweight, densely woven materials like velvet or velour—perform better than blinds.

More Design Options Are Available With Curtains:

Curtains come in a broader range of materials, textures, designs, colors, patterns, and levels of transparency, from sheer silk curtains to cotton ones with geometric inspiration. French country, mid-century contemporary, or Hollywood glam interior design styles complement them beautifully. For people proficient with a sewing machine, curtains are also do-it-yourself-friendly. Blinds are often only available in solid colors and a small selection of materials and designs; this simplicity makes them more suitable for the contemporary aesthetic of Scandinavian, industrial, and coastal home design trends.

To Get The Most Out Of The Two Window Coverings, Pair Them:

Feel free to install both curtains and shades to benefit from both. To increase your design possibilities, insulation, and soundproofing, consider using curtains in low-moisture spaces like living rooms and bedrooms where mold isn`t a problem. Install blinds for a long-lasting, simple-to-clean window treatment with a high degree of illumination control in high-moisture areas such as the kitchen or master bathroom where mold growth is a problem. To increase seclusion and create a more intimate atmosphere, you may stack the two window coverings in one room by putting the blinds first and then hanging curtains on a rod.

Get your home`s best blinds and shutters and make the best of your space. Either use it all alone or pair it up with curtains to get that calm vibe to your home.