A car is not much more than a huge machine with a pretty cover and some nice seats. When you buy a car, however, you are buying the cover for the car, much more than you are buying the machine. The same goes for vertical blinds. In the case of vertical blinds, these are complicated mechanisms that have a decorative and functional material hanging below. Consider that the valance is a part of the vertical blinds that makes the machine of the system disappear.

A vertical blinds track is made, usually, of a large extruded aluminum section. This part, called a track, is sometimes a painted light color, and other times, it is a raw looking aluminum. Some of these vertical blinds use a steel headrail, however, these are the less popular and lower quality systems. Dangling slightly below the vertical blinds tracks are plastic carriers, which are made from a white or clear plastic. Even if these plastic parts are clear, they are still visible when the track system is not covered.

Also at the top of a vertical blind are the tops of the slats, or vanes. These are the attractive fabric material hanging from the tracks, and covering the window. The decorative problem is the need to attach these nice looking products to the control system for the vertical blind. The need creates what the window treatment industry calls slat punches or slat holes. The slat holes are not pretty, but they are consistent, usually. However, they do make a horizontal line of holes at the top of the slats.

So, the vertical blind does as much as covering the window well, but the fabric vertical blinds vanes do not, in and of themselves, cover the track or the holds at the tops. Therefore, vertical blinds should have a covering for the machinery at the top.

To this end, blinds will have a valance to cover the mechanism. A vertical blinds valance is not always included as a free option, but some companies do include one. The cost can be high to add one, as this is where some suppliers get consumers with extra charges. However, when the basic one comes with the vertical blinds, this is usually enough. The valance system will attach very easily, and is simple to setup. The appearance of the valance is of a groover system with the fabric inserted into the groovers.

The valance will usually hang, when properly installed, slightly below the bottom of the plastic vane carriers. This allows the valance to cover the machinery that powers the vertical blinds motion and support. The result is a top of the vertical blinds which are as attractive as the fabric blinds hanging below.

Upgraded valances are available. These usually will change the styling of the frames on the blinds valances. These framing pieces in the basic style are a plain ivory or white color. Upgraded designs will have a different shape and maybe some coordinated colors. The coordination is sometimes desirable, but usually not enough to overcome a bad design for the fabrics. Choosing a better quality vertical blind fabric will be sufficient for most to make a pretty product, and the valance is dressed up by using this same material in the valance as the insert.

When selecting vertical blinds, one should make sure to know if a valance is included. If one is not, either see if one is available for a surcharge, or move along and buy somewhere else. Buying a vertical blind without a valance is like buying a car without a body. The ugly track and control system is meant to be hidden, and when visible, will make sure that your hard work and investment is overshadowed by an industrial vertical blind track.