Many consumers wish to seem informed before they go to make a major purchase. Learning about a computer to avoid being “slicked" by a clever salesperson is one such example. The same applies for home furnishings, particularly window treatments and blinds. To enter a store and have a smart cracking salesperson find out that you know nothing about blinds, well- this is a potential nightmare. Imagine that you are only willing to spend a basic sum on your blinds, and the salesperson steers you to another model, using your ignorance of window treatments against you.

We have heard of occasions where a client enters a blinds store looking to buy elegant and expensive treatments, and an unsophisticated sales person, afraid of losing a sale for price, greets the customer and promptly promotes low cost generic blinds. Other times, a sales person may lose a sale, and leave a frustrated client, when the sales person pushes blinds that are outside the financial reach of the customer. Using the information found here, a customer may be properly educated and satisfied in a search for blinds.

To understand what you want to buy, let’s discuss the names for the blinds. Look at them, and you will often know what they are. If you learn the names, which might be difficult to learn at first, you will start with a blinds buying advantage. In this article we will describe what they are, and in others, we have spoken, and will continue to describe how to use the blinds for your best suit.

Blinds with slats that are oriented horizontally are called horizontal blinds. Depending on the type of material, horizontal blinds will have names related to what materials are used to make them. For example, a blinds made from wood are called wood blinds. Blinds made from metal are a bit different, lately are called venetian blinds. The horizontals that are smaller are called mini blinds. Get it? They are smaller kinds of blinds. Often these blinds are called metal blinds, or, perhaps, aluminum blinds. Blinds made from artificial, PVC, or foam, materials, are often called Faux blinds, which is from the French for “fake." Flat and thin, or curved and thin blinds are usually called PVC blinds, which is a low cost version of all the others.

Vertical blinds are those that have the material running up and down, or hanging (vertically) from a track. Vertical blinds can be made from fabric- so they get the name fabric vertical blinds. Others made be made from aluminum, and these are called aluminum vertical blinds. Aluminum vertical blinds are not sold often anymore, but they are still out there. Then, there is plastic, again using PVC, to make PVC vertical blinds. Those made from PVC used to be the least expensive type, but recent changes have meant that only entry level PVC vertical blinds are the lowest prices.

Some variations may require a little more exploration. What makes a mini, a micro, or a regular venetian blind? Well, venetian blinds, which used to be of wood, are two inches in depth, and use cloth lift tapes. Mini blinds are 1 inch in depth, and are from aluminum. Micro blinds are about half an inch, from aluminum, and, like minis, use braided thread lift ladder strings.

The prior listed products are the most common and basic general blinds that are in the market. However, considering that in our market there re many kinds of windows, there need to be many more kinds of blinds. Some specialty blinds that you may come across are skylight, motorized and between the panes. We will discuss these types of blinds as it may help you.

When one has a window in the ceiling, the lighting effect can be great and beautiful. However, often these windows can let in too much light For these windows, a skylight blind may serve the trick. Not just any blind can fit in a ceiling window, and they will need to function at an installed angle. Often mini blinds are a good alternative, because they can be wire guided for skylights.

When a level of automation is required, blinds that can be controlled with a remote control are called motorized blinds. Other names within this are home automation systems, remote controls, receiver, and of course, the type of blinds.

With double paned windows, you have the advantage of better insulation for sound as well as temperature. However, you do not have an advantage of better light insulation. Quality made windows have the opportunity for blinds that take advantage. These are called between the panes treatments. These require controls from outside. The between the panes blinds usually do not have complete control, but they work well enough to be a product of choice.

Educating yourself about the correct names for the types of blinds in the stores or for sale on the websites will dramatically help you find what you are looking for. Ask for them by name, and ask about options or alternatives. You never know what you will see. The blinds industry has many innovative products coming our regularly.