Now you have purchased that dream house. The floor plan is what you have dreamed of for years, a large great room, and a beautiful kitchen. The bedrooms are grand. Furnishings are planned; you have a great sofa, tables, and all. Everything seems perfect, but you have the beautiful window problem. Great large windows, but what can you put that will cover them the best way? The problem of how to treat large windows is complex. These windows are large, so blinds can be quite pricey. Large blinds can also be quite heavy. These effects compound when one tries to use lower cost faux wood blinds to treat these large windows. While these can save money, they weigh more, as well. We tackle these problems, and offer several solutions on how to select blinds for large windows.Typical, or perhaps most common, windows are sized about 42 inches wide or narrower. Heights vary a lot, but typical window height is up to 48 inches tall. When a window is over 65 or 75 inches wide, it is considered a large window. Blinds can be made to that size, and larger, but when they get that big, not only do they get more expensive, but big blinds also can be very heavy. This may not seem like an issue for the average blinds customer, but when you consider that you will need to lift those blinds which weight as much as 25 or 30 pounds each, you will think twice about heavy blinds.
Little can be done to cut the cost of the blinds for these large windows. However, if you can stand to treat the window only partially, then you can have blinds that are less expensive. Caf? blinds would only cover the lower part of the window. This may be desirable in a kitchen, when you only want to block the light with your blinds. Bathrooms also can be a good place for caf? blinds, when privacy is created by blinds that only cover the lower part of the window, and wonderful light is permitted above the blinds' headrails. Take care, however, when using blinds in wet areas. Real wood is prone to warping, so consider the less expensive, albeit heavier, faux wood blinds, which are resistant to most warping.
When windows get very large, blinds can be made differently in order to accommodate the weight. Often these oversized windows can accommodate multiple blinds. By putting two blinds side by side, you can cover the same space. However, if you use more than a single blind, there will be a larger light gap in the middle. Windows with a mullion in the middle can have this, but when the window is a continuous glass, a consumer will want a blind that covers more of the window. There is where two on one, or three on one blinds are helpful. These multiple blinds can have very small light gaps in between them. By sharing a headrail, they are faster to install, and they have individual controls.
Beware of any retailer who insists that you are able to have a blind at 96 inches wide by 96 inches tall- without separating it. The wood will have a performance problem for you in these large blinds. Split them into multiple window blinds. The cost a little more, but when you can lift the slats in these blinds, you will be happy.
Another way to handle these large windows is to use a continuous chain or cord system for your blinds. These systems use a geared control system, and the force required to raise your blinds will be much less than if you were to use a standard cord lift system. These systems have additional benefits, because they are safer, and they often are more attractive, by not having too many blinds cords hanging in the front of the windows. Many of these blinds systems are only a little more expensive than the regular, but your blinds will be the talk of the neighborhood.
When choosing blinds to cover large windows, consumers are faced with a range of product choices. An educated decision to use the right kinds of blinds will allow a consumer to manipulate the blinds in a safe and fun manner. Large blinds can be extremely heavy, and this excess weight can not only cause physical difficulty to the consumer, but they can make many consumers not even want to use their blinds, out of dread for the heavy weight. When you spend good money on blinds, you want to be able to use them for moderating the light. Choose blinds wisely for large windows.
By Judith Persit
