You may surely find the view from your window to be attractive and refreshing. However, bare windows aren’t great all the time because there are several drawbacks, including – bright sunlight entering your homes will bleach your carpet and furniture or create a terrible television glare, or your neighbours always like to snoop around. Glass window curtains or blinds and shades are the most common ways to cover your windows.
They are a stylish way to control your windows for light, privacy, and energy saving. Glass blinds and shades are both functional and improve the ambience of your home. They can be fixed on almost all architectural styles and window sizes. Homeowners are often puzzled when they have to make a choice between blinds and shades. To help you make a choice, let us dive into some key differences between glass blinds and window shades and which one would be the perfect choice for your home.
Also read: Why is it Important to Dress Your Exteriors with Window Shades and Blinds
Key Distinctions: Glass Blinds vs. Window Shades
1. Cordless Operation
Cordless shades and blinds are both innovative glass window cover ideas. These coverings offer automatic raising and lowering or opening and closing. They don’t have regular strings to control, rods, or lines that hand from the rail. There is no option to pull and adjust them instead, the strings are interlaced within. They are perfect, especially when you have children and pets around. It can help in the prevention of household hazards that may lead to strangulation and even death.
Cordless mechanism also permits even raising and lowering of the blinds or shades. Cordless blinds are more common than shades as the latter comes in fewer design options when it comes to cordless operation. Blinds offer your more options to adjust the light by tilting the slats, but with shades, you can either lift it entirely up or keep it down. Both blinds and shades serve the purpose of glass. However, you may pick one depending on the type of window you have and your requirement.
2. Cleaning
Blinds and shades require to be cleaned, and the traffic in your area generally decides the frequency of cleaning. Glass blinds are basically glass with blinds inside and cleaning them is relatively easy. The glass is installed in a way that it easily tilts outward. You can use a cleaning agent or a soft cloth to clean the glass and then fix it back in its place.
The blinds stay safe, secure and clean within the glass and require no cleaning. If you want, you can run a dry cloth over the slats to keep them shining. Shades are also not difficult to clean and you may require a vacuum’ brush attachment to clean it. If you find a soiled area, then use a damp cloth to remove the dirt. For tougher stains, you may require a professional to do the job. Shades usually come in various materials and it is difficult to provide a specific set of instructions. You must follow the care instructions that are given by the seller.
3. Durability
Blinds are made of sturdier materials such as metal, wood and vinyl. Hence, they offer more durability than shades. But glass with blinds insidemeans the blinds are better protected. However, the glass should be carefully handled. Blinds are not indestructible! The slats may bend or break with time, especially if they are ill-fitted. They must be cleaned carefully and gently.
Blinds prove to work well in high-traffic areas and for bathrooms, playrooms, or doors because the hard materials are resistant to humidity and the slats within the glass are safe from external harm and dust. Using blackout glasses for the blind can enhance the level of privacy too. Shades are made of softer materials such as fabric, paper, plastic, or parchment. Shades are prone to being ripped easily compared to blinds. However, handling them with care and placing them in strategic places such as a living room or bedroom or in places where you require more privacy.
4. Style
Both blinds and shades come in a variety of styles and colours. Blinds are available in Venetian blinds, roller blinds, vertical blinds and more. Shades are available in tie-up shades, roller shades, Roman shades, balloon shades, skylight window shades, cellular and more. Both glass blinds and shades come in a variety of colours and textiles, which can be matched according to the ambience of your room. They can be expensive as well as economical.
Selecting blinds and shades for your home or office will depend on different factors, including your budget and its function. For instance, if you need glass window covering ideas for your bedroom then cellular shades work best, whereas wooden blinds would give a superior look when installed in your dining room.
5. Insulation
In general, blinds are made of slats and allow air to flow freely between them and offer poor insulation. However, with glass window curtains, this may not be a problem since the blinds are secured within glass, which keeps the airflow within the room. Using blackout glasses for the blind can also help improve the insulation. But if you are using regular blinds, then you shouldn’t expect them to provide good insulation for your room.
Shades, on the other hand, are wonderful insulators. They block the rays of sun from entering your home and can keep your room cool. During the winters, it prevents cold air from entering your home and keeps it warm. Even when you are using a heater or an air conditioning system for your home, shades help in retaining the temperature of your home better than blinds.
Cellular shades are known to be the best insulators. Their honeycomb pockets of air act as a separator between the window and the room. Using an insulator liner on Roman shades is also a wise choice for insulating windows.
Conclusion
Now you have a basic understanding of the difference between glass blinds and shades. Selecting between the two types of window covering entirely depends on personal preference and functionality. Both shades and blinds can give an aesthetic look to a room, and to give them a custom look, you can always choose to install them in unique colours and styles that match your room. Let your choices, features and functions of blinds and shades guide you in making your selection.
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