Welcome to the Fifth and final article in our a five part series, covering all aspects of selecting the best blind type for your room and your personailtiy.
Question 4 - Who will be using the blind and how will they be using it?
-
Is this for a child’s room or a home office?
If this a for a child’s room you may want to opt for a blind that is inherently child safe by design. Our perfect fit blinds are child safe by design and we would recommend looking at Perfect fit Rollers for a child’s bedroom. This is because they are sturdier than the other perfect fit blind types and they come in wipe clean fabrics so they will last longer. Also we have blackout fabrics in this range which can help your child sleep in longer during the bright, early summer mornings or help them to settle during an afternoon nap time.
Other inherently child safe options are spring loaded roller blinds or wand controlled vertical blinds.
If you are looking at blinds for a home office we would recommend a slatted blind that can be angled to reduce glare throughout the working day. Options include aluminium venetians, vertical blinds, and faux wood and real wood venetians.
-
Is this blind for a home or in a business setting where fire safety regulations need to be adhered to?
If this blind is to go into work environment , community building or anywhere fire regulations need to be considered then we recommend you viewing our vertical blinds or our roller blind ranges. These ranges have flame retardant fabrics available to select from.
-
Is this to be installed in a rental property?
If this is to be used in a rental property we would advise selecting a vertical blind. This is because slats can sometimes be replaced without the need to purchase a whole new blind and this can be a cheaper option if just one or two vertical slats get accidentally damaged. Vertical blinds also come in blackout fabrics, wipe clean fabrics and fire-retardant fabrics. Roller blinds can also be considered as they are very cost effective, come in a wide range of fabrics including blackout, wipe clean and fire retardant.
-
Does the user of the blinds have other considerations when it comes to operating the blinds?
If the blind user has shoulder or arm problems and you are looking at a venetian blind you may want to opt for our Sherwood real wood venetian range. This has a Easy Lift Cantilever system which means you pull more cord when raising and lowering the blind but the weight of the blind is lessened. Another option is a wand control vertical or a spring-loaded roller blind which can be very easy to operate for those with arm, shoulder or hand difficulties.
If the person using the blind is doing so from a seated position such as from a wheelchair, or is holding onto a walking stick or frame, a wand controlled vertical blind is a good option. Alternatively, any venetian blind where the controls are positioned on one side for ease of use and access might suit better. Most of our aluminium venetians and faux wood and real wood venetians have a choice of control sides when ordering but it can depend on the width of the blind as to if its possible to have the controls all on one side.
Please note due to child safety legislation, all control chains and cords must hang at least 150cm from the floor so do take this into account if you will be using the blinds from a seated position to work out if this will allow you enough cord to comfortably reach or if a different blind type would suit you better.
There are motorised remote control operated blinds for people that are unable to get the window to open and close the blinds or have limited reach. This is not something we are currently selling on the website but are happy to provide information on this if necessary. Drop us an email if you need advice on these type of products.
