As I sit here at my computer, I am looking out the window at the park next to my house.  And, I am looking  through an old wood blind which has been tilted open.  My house was a previous foreclosure and the blind was here from the previous owner.  In fact, I am fairly certain that these are the original blinds which were installed in the house - which is 20 years old.  So, when I say old wood bind, I mean old wood blind.  I have not updated the window treatment yet, because I have lots of other work to do on the house before I can get to the replacing the blinds. 

Contractor's always do the big messy stuff first, like gutting bathrooms and kitchens, removing walls, changing windows, painting and new floors.  So, the blinds have to work for a while as there is lots of expense and work before they can be attended to.

So, how does this relate to my little wood and faux wood blind blog?

I was just noticing how the blind - even though showing some wear, some fading, a slightly loose cord and some dust - is still doing a good job of standing duty in a very hot window.  I got to thinking, this blind is still functional and actually looks halfway decent after 20 years.  Back in 1995, the blind could not have cost more than about $100, so doing the math, this blind has suffered 20 years of extreme heat, dust and a rather long foreclosure for about $5 a year.  And its still going.  I wonder how the old wood blind would be doing if it was actually taken care of in a consistently climate controlled home for the last 20 years?  Or how good might the old wood blind be if it was not in a  window staring down the Arizona sun during the hottest part of the day?

Oh well, it doesn't matter.  Someday I will retire the old wood blind, but I might just say a few kind words over it for its years of hard service and for consistently bringing functional value to my little office. 

So what's the morale of the story?  If you happen to be one of those people who appreciate the heart of this story, then a wood or faux wood blind may be the window treatment for you.

We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project.  Also, for a rough idea of what your project might cost, check out our online wood and faux wood blind calculator.

Last week we explored the Appeal of Faux Wood Blinds.  So, we thought as proponents of equal time, we ought to share the appeal of the real wood blind.  Okay, okay, a bit of a hokey opening line, but nevertheless there it is - just hanging there - so I guess we better move forward.

Here are a few compelling reasons to like wood blinds:

Natural Aesthetic

There is just something appealing about using "natural" materials in your living space.  Things like wood, stone, flowers and woven grasses help us feel more connected to creation and somehow makes us happy.  These natural materials have a one of kind unique look and "flavor" that is impossible to replicate with some man-made material.  It just matters.

Added Elegance

Wood blinds also tend to add an extra measure of elegance to a room that faux wood can’t quite duplicate. Again, this is the one of kind look and feel of a wood blind as juxtapositioned against the replicated shiny PVC look of a faux wood.  One screams practical function the other screams elegance.  They just do.

A Variety of Color Options

Wood blinds come in a variety of wood types - basswood being the most popular for its affordable durability - and in a wide range of stains and finishes.  This makes it a lot of fun to match your blinds to window trim, furniture, flooring, or any other design element in the room. And just because the blinds you’re considering are made of real wood, that doesn’t mean you can’t opt for white, or some other colorful option. In addition to simply controlling light, wood blinds can make a color statement in a room.

Lightweight

Contrary to popular belief, real wood blinds are generally lighter in weight than faux wood blinds. This makes for easy raising and lowering as well as less strain on the lifting mechanism, meaning your blinds should last longer. It also means that wood blinds are typically the best and often only option for larger windows.

It is hard to go wrong with wood blinds.  Lots of options and a look that is worth the few extra dollars.  We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project.  Also, for a rough idea of what your project might cost, check out our online wood and faux wood blind calculator.

We receive a lot of requests for your standard faux wood blind.  Have you ever deconstructed what the primary reasons are for this products almost universal appeal?  Here are a few of our favorite reasons:

Lower Cost

Because faux wood is a poly manufactured product it does not involve harvesting and working with real wood, as such, they are lower in cost than wood blinds. Painted faux wood blinds are a great option for folks who enjoy the look of painted real wood, but don’t want to spend the extra money on painted real wood blinds. And, despite their lower cost, faux wood blinds still come as a high-quality option.

Moisture Resistant

Faux wood blinds are more resistant to moisture than wood blinds are.  Why? The synthetic materials in faux wood are capable of standing up to frequent exposure to moisture and even to being sprayed with water.  This is why you can install faux wood blinds in bathrooms and even showers.  Additionally, faux wood blinds are an especially great option in humid climates. 

Easier to Maintain

Also, the moisture resistant nature of faux wood blinds mean that they are easier to maintain. Faux wood binds can withstand wet household cleaners and even being sprayed down with a hose.  But, don't get to crazy with the cleaners - keep it gentle - they are not impervious to all nature of abuse.

Environmentally Friendly

Faux wood blinds, made from a poly material, greatly helps to reduce the number of trees being cut down.  Also, faux wood blinds are fully recyclable and can melted down into there base element for use again.

We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project.  Also, for a rough idea of what your project might cost, check out our online wood and faux wood blind calculator.

We offer an affordable option for your perfect arch shaped window.  Now, keep in mind that for this program to work for you, your arch window must be very close in size to being what is called a perfect arch.  Meaning, the height is 1/2 the width.  So for instance, we could fit an arch into a window opening that was 35" wide at the base and 17 1/2" from the base to the highest point.  And, the curvature of the arch must be a continuous slope.  No legs allowed.

We have installed this type of application using a matching faux wood blind on a standard rectangular window below with the vinyl stock arch on the top portion of the window.  For the price, the results are always surprisingly excellent.  The main advantages of this program are the price and the unexpected look and feel of these vinyl stock arches.  The arches even come with movable louvers, which is what you would expect on a much more expensive fan style shutter.

The restrictions to using the vinyl stock arch are that we can only provide 4ea basic colors - in the neutral zone, antique white, alabaster or birch - and our sizes are limited to about 72" in width.  Additionally, some chalking and adjustments may be needed at install to accommodate windows that are not perfectly square.  This is especially true for stand alone arches, as some light bleed can be seen along the bottom.  It is a manageable situation by an experienced installer, but something to be aware of.

Bottom Line - you can have a beautiful movable vinyl arch in your arched shape window at half the cost, or less, of other window covering options, if you are comfortable with a neutral color faux wood option in your space.

We would love to help you with your wood and faux wood blind project.  Also, for a rough idea of what your project might cost check out our online wood and faux wood blind calculator.  For an estimate of what your vinyl stock arch project might cost, please send us your dimensions via this contact form and we will email you an estimate.