Reviews and Product Evaluations for Window Coverings
Business owners searching the net are confused by hype, loose information and fast talk. You wonder who to trust when it comes to getting the truth. This
site offers product evaluations and reviews of name brand manufacturers. Ultimately you get all the facts you need to feel confident about your purchase.
Our Interest is Helping People Get Exactly What They Want
You’ll get the pros and cons of how and what to buy at the best price.
Reviews are specific and informative. I give you the knowledge to ask the right
questions so the focus is on your best choices. I’ll help you do the right
thing. Buy quality products at a fair price.
Discount Window Coverings and Discount Plantation Shutters
Take advantage of new gigantic, efficient factories that make shutters
better and cheaper than ever. The window covering industry has changed and I will show you how to benefit from new suppliers as well as established
American manufacturers.
Custom Design Service and Professional Guaranteed Measure and Installation
If you are in and around the big cities in Texas I can save you money by
offering great prices and great design. Your window coverings will be
expertly measured and installed and I will be able to consult with you on an
individual basis.
Basics of Window Covering Ideas: Light Control and Privacy with Style
Window coverings need to be flexible, adaptable, easily opened and closed
to adjust the light. Natural daylight is essential to a healthy lifestyle so even a black out shade has to give it up and move out of the way for some necessary light into the room.
Windows and window coverings must allow the outside views to come in and
of course when needed provide privacy and light control. So how do you make them pretty?
Hard or Soft?
Soft window treatments belong in the realm of the decorator and designer. Fabrics, drapery workrooms, swags and cascades, color, texture. Whew!! It can make your mind spin!!
Window covering ideas from a good designer have a special artistic sense that is truly a gift. Window magic happens with the experienced eye of a good designer. Soft or fabric window covering ideas naturally flow from the interaction of client and designer. Hire a good one and be delighted with the creative outcomes. You will become emotionally involved with the process and when the drapery installer turns the fabric for the last time, it is all yours whether you like it or not. I don’t mean to sound so dramatic but there is drama when a drapery job is installed and you get to see the results of your teamwork with your decorator.
A good decorator is worth their weight in gold….not really but almost in
what they can create working with your likes, style and imagination. It is
a process that is so individual and so personal that not everyone has the
skill to pull it off.
On the other hand, hard window covering ideas are more finite and easier
to achieve. Product knowledge and experience at the window matter most when making your best choice of who to buy from and how much you will DIY.
Design Process
So how will you use the window/room? See the sun orientation chart on cafe
shutters to determine the importance of soft, filtered sunlight as opposed
to direct sunlight that produces a harsh glare.
The First Rule of Window Coverings
Rule # 1: You must provide light control and privacy as needed, cafe
shutters are no exception.
Being a good cop, I always think about the rules.
So consider the following for cafe shutters also known as half shutters.
Window Orientation:
Soft light must come through the window most times of the day. Otherwise, bright sunlight will defeat the look you want to create. The strongest, direct sunlight is from the west as the sun is about to set… from 4:00 pm to sunset. So avoid half shutters in west facing windows, they work best in north facing windows. Also, put your best insulating window coverings in west facing windows. Shutters with a thermal insulating panel are best.
Frame Options:
This type of window shutter looks best when the frame around the window is minimal or hidden. Consider a rear hanging strip or direct mount with a 2 panel opening. Bi-fold cafe panels work best with an inside mount top frame or a cafe aligning catch to keep the panels folded flat against the window. In your business, at the window we can help you choose your best frame option.
The shutter hinges are mounted directly against the wall or window frame.
Notice there is no light stop that will allow direct light to come in equal
to the thickness of the hinge. Also, out of square windows will be a
problem.
The hanging strip is mounted behind the panel using a wrap around hinge.
Notice how the hanging strip acts as a light block. Once again, out of
square windows are problems and may require a Z frame.
Louver size:
Traditional shutters or colonial style shutters have 1 ¼” louvers with smaller bi-fold panels. Most popular in the sixties and still fashionable in northern climates where sunlight is at a premium and windows are cased in wood. Here in sunny Texas, not so much. We have cheap houses for a reason: Sheetrock instead of wood frames around the windows, neighbors 15 ’ away, no trees, little privacy, hot, bright, sunny days.
Save money by ordering a smaller shutter that covers only a portion of the
window. Then, make your own curtains and save even more money. Of course,
if you decide to have professionally made draperies, the cost of a full
window shutter will be less.
Recommendations:
So after a careful review of window orientation and glare
potential do you still want the look of cafe shutters? Ok, figure out the
frame type that blends in with the window and wall. Finally, specify the
louver size and number of panels and soon filtered soft light bathes your
kitchen or breakfast room making it a delightful place to savor the day with
friends and family. Another open ended question is, “What did you see that you liked?” or “What did you like about your previous window coverings?” or the opposite of that, “What did you not like about them?”
To be a good listener is an essential part in the telephone conversation when we first talk and especially important later at the business when you look at specific window covering ideas. In my dual role of retail fabricator and then as wholesale distributor, I have learned about how well or not so well decorators, designers and retail store personnel have sold their product and what exactly the expectations are that the homeowner holds.
For example, a leading internet advertiser will sell a shutter job over the phone on price alone and specify the cheapest frame and leave all the option selection to the shutter measure person. Where is the added value to you the business eowner in that sales model? There is no design advice. First impressions Over half our business is from word of mouth referrals. Nothing could be better than to have kind words spoken about your company,
quality products and timely service. It is an essential reason for being to get golden word of mouth referrals.
Many products can be sold easily on the net without an in business measure.
Faux wood blinds or some simple shades are easily DIY projects. Others
require an experienced hand at the window not only to measure and install but most importantly to solve problems or create opportunities at the window with the window covering of your choice. Some product samples have to be seen and put up to the window to determine color and suitability.
That is the key phrase, of your choice, We don’t presume to know what you
want or what unique window covering ideas you have or what problems we will encounter in the business. The most optimal step is to plan an appointment so we can provide a window by window estimate of exactly what you want.
We measure the windows precisely when we come to your business. There is no need for another measure person because when we measure with precision and get all the details that is often when a problem occurs that needs to be addressed in an experienced way. Out of square windows, trim around the window, motorization design, and many other variables are noticed and we all become aware of possible solutions.
Our motto is, “No surprises” I want to make the installer a hero and make
their job easier. By measuring carefully and considering all the tricks of
the trade, we can make the installation go well. One example is when
stained shutters are measured for out of square windows. An inside mount L frame requires caulking to fit the windows and the caulking cannot be matched to the exact stain of the shutters. I would rather specify a Z frame that
overlaps the window and conceals the out of square window behind the frame and requires no caulking.
Choose:
Next we go over the different product samples and color selectors to define your window covering ideas. We prepare a detailed window by window estimate that I go over line item by line item so that I explain what products I have specified and just as important, that you go over my work and make sure I/we did not forget a window or a specific option. This is time well spent and makes for the perfect installation we all strive to accomplish.