Types of Window Treatments

Curtains and Drapes, Cellular - Honeycomb Shades, Horizontal Blinds, Pleated Shades, Roller Shades, Soft Fabric Treatments, Shutters, Vertical Blinds, Exterior Treatments, Others not listed above.

Curtains and Drapes.

Call them curtains, call them drapes, just don't call them bed sheets! Is there a difference? Yes, but it is a function of the hardware, not the fabric. A Drape is a fabric that is draped over something like a window, bed canopy, or a bar to become a room divider. Normally, a drape is decoratively folded and stationary. A drape is not moved unless you manually move it. A Curtain is also a fabric, but it is attached to a device that will draw aside the fabric at your pleasure. So, if you push a button or pull on a cord and the fabric moves -- it is a curtain. In the real world, the two terms are used so interchangeably that it is not worth busting someone's chops over their misuse of the terms. Drapery Fabric is specific to sun fade resistant fabric meant for window treatments. If you are glancing through a fabric book and find a nice pattern, but it says use for Upholstery or Apparel, not Drapery, then the pattern may fade or the fabric itself may yellow and degrade in sunlight. Not all fabrics can take the punishment of sunlight or sufficiently dissipate heat from sunlight.

Some companies offer the same pattern in fabrics for different uses, soft window treatments, and wallpaper. You can have the same look in bed sheets, dust ruffles, table covers, bed covers, canopies, pillow shams, placemats, seat cushions, napkins, lamp shades, curtains, wallpaper, and window valances or cornices. Why anyone would do that is beyond me. Special order fabric is sold by the square yard. You can usually have small samples at a nominal charge. Many wallpaper books with coordinating fabric and fabric sample books can be borrowed without charge. Whether you chose to have custom made draperies or buy ready made curtains, you will need to have some idea of the area to be covered by the treatment. Please follow the Outside Mount Measurement procedures. Calculating how much fabric you need to order for a given project is an involved process. Fortunately, there is another author who put an excellent book on the market.

The book I recommend for people in the business or do-it yourself types is The Encyclopedia of Window Fashions, by Charles T. Randall. It is heavily illustrated and has information like design suggestions, yardage charts, and a glossary. I have seen the book in stores next to the window treatment displays. Your local library probably has a copy. Of course, those of us who write would prefer you buy the book to encourage all of us to continue putting this kind of material out there.

TIP: Do you appreciate high quality, luxurious drapery, but do not like the idea of missing a car payment just to cover one window? Consider pre-owned draperies from second hand shops, interior designers, and charity bazaars. If what you find was for a larger window then your own, that is OK. One can always make a fabric fit a smaller window.

Cellular -- Honeycomb Shades.

Cellular shades, also called Honeycomb shades, are second to drapes as the most flexible type of window treatment in utility, fashion -- styles, sound absorption and colors available. One extra feature of cellular shade material is that it's stiffness and foldable nature make it possible to follow tracks and mold to odd shaped windows. The stiff fabric can also be used as lamp shade fabric, (I would stick to small pleated two cell fabric for lampshades).

Spun polyester is the typical fabric for a cellular shade, by no means the only material. Cellular shades should look good for about seven years of normal use. Regular light dusting and occasional vacuuming are the normal cleaning methods. If the shade is soiled, say by spaghetti sauce from a food fight, please follow the instructions that come with the shade. Many stains can be gently washed off, but never bleach or dry clean the fabric, or submerge the metal hardware in water. To vacuum, you place a brush attachment on the vacuum tube. Starting at one side of a shade by an open cell, you slowly drag the vacuum along to the other open side of the cell -- pulling any thing along inside the cell with the air flow, and vacuuming it out.

• Cellular shades are lightweight and easy to motorize.
• The draw cords are hidden in-between the cells to ovoid the pinhole light-leaks of pleated shades.
• Cellular shades stack tight, that is that when closed the gathered material is closely stacked together with little distance between head and bottom rails.
• More cells will add to the thickness of the stack, as will smaller pleats when compared to large pleats.
• More cells will add more dead air space between you and the outside world, and therefor more sound and thermal insulation.
• The main ways to have a cellular shade fit closer to the window, (less depth), is to use smaller pleats, and fewer cells. Another method is to make a large pleat shade then slice off the back of the cell so you basically have a half cell shade. This will expose the draw cords to the outside world, and the shade may no longer have a white back.
• Almost all Cellular shades are White to the outside world. The fabric on the back of this kind of shade is usually white. White back fabric will reflect better, and not effect intended color inside the room. Also, many people need to show white window treatments to the exterior of the building in order to meet condo or apartment guidelines.

Horizontal Blinds.

Pleated Shades.

Roller Shades.

Soft Fabric Treatments.

Shutters.

Vertical Blinds.

Exterior Treatments.

Others not listed above.

Properties of Window Treatments.

Ultraviolet Protection.

With the depletion of the Ozone layer in the atmosphere, the harmful effects ultraviolet light can have on your home furnishing, (not to mention your own skin), might be a concern for you. UV light coming through windows will sun fade wood and textiles like carpet and fabrics. Too much UV exposure will weaken and break down your furnishings. Actually, anything that is placed between the sun and your home's interior will block some UV, even the window glass. Scientist will pay a lot of money for glass that does not interfere with UV radiation. Say, lenses used in experiments. Unfortunatly, old Sol's rays are persistent.

The measurement of a window treatments' capacity to withstand UV radiation is expressed in the numeric value of percent of UV blocked. The higher the number, the more UV protection is provided by the window treatment. In other words, if a cellular shade is rated 95% UV blockage -- then it is stopping 95% of ultraviolet radiation from normal sunlight in the test situation. NOTE: Some ratings' systems are understood to include a particular type of window for all tests on a manufacture's line of products. Please use ratings of the same test standards to compare products.

Ultravialet light cannot pass through wood or aluminum. So, do not expect UV ratings for wood and aluminum blinds. Sometimes you will see two numbers in the rating, one for closed veins, and one for opened veins.

Thermal.

The Thermal properties of window treatments are expressed in two different measurements: R-Value, and Shading Coefficient.

R-Value is a numeric expression of resitance to the flow of heat. The higher the number, the more the window treatment provides insulation to your room. R-Value is the most common measurement of heat resistance in all sorts of building products. Fiberglass insulation for a wall might have an R-Value of 15. Fiberglass insulation for the attic might have and R-Value of 23. What about the windows? Single pane glass windows may have an R-Value from about 0.90 to 1.00. A double-glazed window may have an R-Value from about 1.75 to 2.00. An inch thick film-insulated glass window can have an R-Value of 6.00 by suspending a transparent polyester film between layers of the glass. A triple Cellular window treatment, with all that dead air space, may add an additional 3 points the window's R-Value. A normal double Cellular shade may add an additional 2.5 points to the R-Value of the window. Generally, aluminum blinds, pleated shades, and roller shades offer the lowest window treatment R-Values.

Have you ever been in a greenhouse, or sat in a car with leather seats after the car was parked in bright sunlight with the windows rolled up? Eeeee-Ouch! The Shading Coefficient is a numeric expression of a window treatment's ability to resist heat gain, shade the room, and reflect heat. This number is like a golf score, the lower the number the better for you. This is how it works.

1. The percentage of heat reduction is established. (Example: 75%)
2. This number is subtracted from 100. (Example: 100 - 75 = 25)
3. This second number is made into a decimal. (Example: 25 * 0.01= .25)

So a Shading Coefficient number of 0.35 is better than 0.45. The only generalizations for this type of rating are that sheer window treatments that let light through will have poorer ratings, and multiple cell Cellular shades will have better ratings. So many factors affect this rating that they can surprise you.

Acoustics.

Aqoustics is the study of sound in enclosed places, although the term is sometimes misused to refer to the general study of sound. A physical object can make sound, reflect sound, absorb sound, or bend sound. The one rating you will find for window treatments is for Sound Absorption. The higher the number, the more sound is absorbed. The scale for this rating is 1, so a rating of 0.10 is low and a rating of 0.60 is high. Generally, Pleated shades and Roller shades are the lowest sound absorption window treatments.

At this point, it may prove helpful to get a little technical. In 1818, a French physicist named Augustin Jean Fresnel proved that a sound would bend around an obstacle if the obstacle was the same size, or smaller, than the wavelength of the sound. If the obstacle was significantly larger than the wavelength, then the sound was reflected.

The lower the pitch of a sound, the longer the wavelength of that sound.
The higher the pitch of a sound, the shorter the wavelength of that sound.

For example:
The low note on a piano has a wavelength of 12.5 meters, (just over 41 feet).
The high note on a piano has a wavelength of 8.1 centimeters, (just under 3.19 inches).

Most people can hear frequencies as high as 15,000/sec with a wavelength of 2.2 centimeters,(about the width of their own thumb). OK, so it is 2:00 A.M. You are trying to sleep, but there is a romantic cricket in your bedroom making too much noise. You have difficulty locating the cricket, because the sound has such a high pitch, and short wavelength, that it reflects off hundreds of surfaces in your room.

The best way to absorb sound in a room is to have the sound waves bend into porous objects, increasing the total area the molecules of moving air make contact with solid surfaces. This increases the friction between the air molecules and the solid objects, like individual fibers of a cloth drape or Cellular shade. This turns the energy of the sound into heat. The sound is absorbed instead of reflected.

Note: the sound rating is generally for the full range of sounds that we hear. If inside your room there is a high frequency noise problem, (pet birds, children's' toys, squeaky furniture or machines, etc.), then you would be better off with a fabric window treatment. The shorter waves of sound are less likely to reflect off an intricate cloth surface than a smooth surface like aluminum or PVC.

Safety.

Accident Prevention.

Obviously, any person measuring for, removing, installing, or cleaning window treatments will need safe and ready access to the window area(s). An installer will have a ladder on the truck, but a person called in to measure may need to know in advance if access is a problem. Potted cactus plants seem to be under the windows I work with.

Have you ever closed curtains causing the drapery rod to fall off the wall to smack you on the head? Please, make sure that window treatments are secured to the wall or casement with the recommended number and length of screws. Please use support brackets when instructions indicate. This is important if you have small children and pets that love to clime up things.

Manufacturers work hard at avoiding accidental strangulation of children and pets on window covering cords. The main point is to secure all loose cords. Cord Cleats should come with any treatment that can use them. (You just wrap the cords around the cleats to keep the cords out of reach.) Cord Clips are also used to keep the cords up and out of the way. Break away tassels will literally break apart if a minimum amount of pressure is exerted on the cords. All treatments with a continuos cord loop should use a Cord Loop Tensioner, a type of pulley secured to the wall or casement that holds the cord loop taut. These devices should come with the window treatments bought today. If these devices are not included, or if you wish to retrofit your existing treatments, you can purchase these devices after market. Look for them in hardware stores and any place that sells window treatments.

Some safety features are an integral part of the window treatment hardware itself. Motorized treatments do not have cords in the first place. (A few independent companies specialize in motorizing window treatments, any thing any size.) Some systems use one control wand for both tilt and traversing a blind. Some systems, (often for curved applications), use tracks to guide the shade draw and may use a locking handle instead of a cord. Operator Poles that extend one's reach are another method to avoid cords.

Hold-down hardware will help reduce accidents like children and pets running into a blind that flaps up and out from rough housing or wind. (WARNING -- If the family dog desires to see out the window, it will. Do not hold down a treatment in place over the dog's favorite window because you will end up with a mangled window treatment. Nothing personal -- a dogs gotta do what a dogs gotta do! Cats tend to shred.)

TIP: Please mention any safety concerns you have with your salesperson or interior designer as soon as you can. This will allow time for research and save time by eliminating from consideration window treatments that are inappropriate for your situation.

Lead Exposure.

Some old vinyl blinds made with lead have been known to release the lead as a layer of dust on their surfaces. If you bought the old vinyl blind yourself and know the origins of the blind, you probably do not have to worry. Blinds made in the U.S. sense lead was banned from products as paint and gasoline should not contain lead. Old window treatments that were painted before lead was banned from paint, (1978), should be tested with kits available at hardware stores or your paint dealer.

Measuring for Window Treatments.

• For most window treatments, the smallest unit of measure used is 1/8 of an inch. I recommend measuring to 1/16 inch accuracy, and round up or down from there.
• Measure three ways in each direction to find the most accurate reading.
  • For an inside mount (IB), it is the shortest measurement -- rounded down.
  • For an outside mount (OB), it is the longest measurement -- rounded up.
  • For depth, look for obvious obstructions like window cranks and quarter round molding.
• Please measure what is there. Do not take deductions yet.
  • Most fabricators make deductions from the measurements given in the order, but not all of them do.
  • The person who places the order will need to know at what point this shift in exact size is made.
  • You may change your mind as to what type of treatment to order and the new hardware may have different rules.
• Please write down where you would like the controls to be and other information if applicable.
  • Standard controls (ST) for blinds are Tilt Wand on the left and Draw Cord on the right.
  • If there is only one control, (draw cord only, tilt only, or infrared eye), then ST normally places it on the right.
  • Tilt can be wand or cord.
  • Controls can be right, right (RT,RT), or left, left (LF,LF).
  
• Please write down just what the mounting screws will be going into, if you know. Are the screws going into wood, drywall, plaster, brick, concrete, steel, or whatever? I was once surprised be I I/4 inch wide steal corner pieces that were well hidden under plaster and paint. I had no idea that there was any thing but drywall and perhaps a wood frame around a window. Fortunately for me, this was an outside mount that was unaffected by going up 1/2 inch. I could have also used extension brackets. Now I tap, tap, tap, and take a magnet for situations like that.

Measuring for Outside Mount would normally involve two sets of readings. First, measure the minimum area to be covered. This is an outside mount reading over the window opening and probably window casement -- trim if the trim is to be covered as well. Second, measure the maximum area that can be worked with. That is measure to the first obstruction in each direction -- the ceiling, floor, left and right walls or whatever else like cabinets. Between the minimum and maximum areas is a size that would be visually pleasing for your window treatment, especially if it must coordinate with other treatments. If a standard size of the window treatment you have chosen falls within the min-max areas, you could save some money.

• If there is only a window opening you wish to cover, take the opening's width and height as the first set of readings. When the window treatment is ordered, enough must be added to the size of the treatment to block the light coming in at an angle. This additional size will depend on the window treatment used, and how far away from the plain of the wall it will be.
• When an OB treatment is ordered, please remember to add for stack back if that applies. For example; you order 2 inch Verticals for a sliding glass door that is 6 feet wide, (both panels). You wish to see out of the entire width when the Verticals are drawn back. You would need to order, and have room for, a Vertical blind about 8 feet 2 1/2 inches wide. The extra 2' 2.5'' is where the staked vanes will be to stay clear of the door opening. What if you do not have 8 feet of room? No problem. Use 3 1/2 inch wide vanes that only require 7 feet 1 inch wide space to clear a 6 foot wide window opening.

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