มิถุนายน 2008 : Sheer window panel

วันพุธที่ 25 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Alternatives to Vertical Blinds

Wondering what to do with that large window or sliding glass patio door? Vertical blinds are the often the perfunctory choice for many would-be interior decorators, like myself; but there are other options.

I was in this situation myself recently. My wife and I moved into a new rental home that came sans window treatments of any kind. We have a very large sliding glass door with lovely views of Mission Bay in San Diego. By midday the sunlight pouring into our living room is almost blinding. I would like to preserve this view but limit the sunlight and heat build-up at these times.

With my limited interior decorating skills and experience my first response to this issue was to purchase vertical blinds. They work well, they look pretty good and they are generally affordable. My wife wanted something different which forced us to do a little research on possible options. Hereâ€™s what I found:

The first option I discovered was panel track blinds. Panel blinds, or sliding panels, come in a variety of materials including sheer, solar screen-like materials. This option limits heat build-up but still allows decent view-through. Panel tracks are kind of like vertical blinds except the panels are much wider and they roll or slide on an aluminum track. They offer a contemporary look, which is definitely a break from vertical blinds. But they are a little expensive, especially for a rental.

Option number two is vertical sheer shades. I donâ€™t think many people know what sheer shades are, specifically vertical sheer shades. These shades are a hybrid â€" a cross between solar shades and vertical blinds. The panels are sandwiched between two sheer fabric panels. They almost look like sheer drapes except that you can close the vertical panes inside the material for more privacy. This type of shades also comes with horizontal panels, which I believe are the more common usage. I really liked this option but again they are more expensive than plain-old vertical blinds. It was at this point that I realized that I was going to have to spend a little more. I figured that if we were going to stay in this rental for a few years, it would be worth it.

In my research, I also found that vertical blinds come in different materials besides vinyl. In fact, you can purchase verticals in fabric, faux wood, cellular, solar screen, and aluminum. The options that best fit my needs for this particular window were the solar screen and cellular option. The more affordable option was the solar vertical, though I did like the energy efficiency addition that the cellular verticals would offer.

At the end of my research, my wife and I narrowed down our options to the vertical sheer shades and the sheer (solar material) vertical blinds. I liked the look of both. The vertical sheer shades were the more expensive option but they offered the flexibility of greater room-darkening because you can close the vertical slats. The sheer vertical blinds were the most cost efficient choice but didnâ€™t offer the option of room-darkening. In the end, we decided to go with the more expensive sheer vertical shades, as it was only for the one window. And the verdict is â€" we made a great choice. Once installed our new blinds look great and function very well. If you were looking for a true room darkening option, these blinds are not the right choice but for windows with a view and minimal room darkening needs, they are a great alternative to vertical blinds.

If you are in the market for window shades and need an alternative to vertical blinds, consider sheer blinds, or sliding panels. - David Brooks

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How To Fit Curtains On Odd Shaped Windows

Check this out to get some practical window treatment ideas for your own home. Guides to the do's and dont's. They should give you some food for thought before you leap in and get started. (the other option.................brick your window up and have done with it. What do you think?)

Answers to a Tall and Narrow window?

My window treatment ideas for this kind of window. Set the curtains wider than you would normally. This gives the illusion of a wider window. Make the rod or track around 30cm wider each side of your window. Rather than the usual 20cm. Then when you open your curtains don't push them back as far as you would normally.

Wide window causing a problem?

Window treatment ideas for this kind of window are to not set the curtains to wide off the window. Probably only 15cm at most. Even though you have a lot of fabric to stack back when they open. You can use tie backs to hold them off the window. Another option is to use a thinner fabric.

Another thing that works well to give the window height is a valance or pelmet. Only rather than the usual 20cm depth make it 30 -35cm deep and fix it higher on the wall. So with the curtains not set to wide and a deeper top treatment this gives the illusion of a squarer window.

The dreaded arched windows!

Best window treatment ideas for arched windows. Most folks find this style of window a real pain.

It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.

The easiest thing to do is so simply fit a curtain rod straight across over the window and hang a pair of curtains. Just simply treat it like any other window.

If you want to work with the shape (talk about making life hard for yourself) and have curved top curtains that drapes back into tie backs, then this what you must do. On the width measure every 15cm across the window put markers on the window sill. Then note the full window width.

Next measure and make a note of both outside straight edges up to where the arch starts. Finally at each of the markers on your window sill measure straight up from the sill to where the tape measure touches the curve. make a note for a these vertical measurements. It's a good idea to make a quick sketch of the window and jot your sizes next to the places where you measured.

If someone is making the curtains for you just give them the sizes as measured. If your having a go at making yourself then (take a tranquilizer) you need to multiply all your width sizes by 2.5 to allow for gather.

What to do with a door curtain!

Window treatment ideas for doors. Normally you would have a single curtain drawing back to the hinge side of your door. It makes a lot of sense to have the curtain tied back. (otherwise your door curtain will end up flapping like supermans cape every time someone opens the door on a windy day)

Sometimes there is not enough room on the hinge side of the door for the curtain to stack back off the door properly. You can have the curtain draw back the opposite way as long as you have room to draw the curtain completely clear of the door.

If you only have a small space on the hinge side of your door and no room the other side. Then the best option is to have an eyelet curtain on a rod with 1.5 X width of the door. This will stack back into a very small space.

Kitchen window Ideas

Window treatment ideas for kitchens. Your over sink curtains should be a few cm's short of the work surface even if this means just reaching the window sill. Also generally tied back to avoid splashes. (your kitchen floor will still end up flooded when the kids wash up after dinner, but at least your curtains should stay dry)

Another suggestion is don't use curtains and if you need privacy then fit a roller blind with moisture resistant fabric.

Another thing to consider if you really do want curtains is having unlined curtains made of a good polycotton fabric. This will enable you to launder your curtains whenever they get cooking smells on them.

Great Ideas for you bathroom

Window treatment Ideas for your bathroom. If you have a window over a bath or shower. Then don't bother with curtains full stop. It will be a complete waste of time and effort.

Really the only practical thing to do is fit a roller blind with a moisture resistant fabric.

If your window is away from the bath or shower then go for it and have some curtains. Even still keep them short and have them unlined. also pick a fabric that will launder well and dry well if they become damp with steam in the bathroom. Polycotton fabric are very good for this.

One last idea is to have a polyester sheer curtain on a rod drawn right across your window and scooped back into a hold back arm that matches your curtain rod. Dressed properly this can look very soft and feminine. Whilst giving you some privacy.

Patio doors and French doors!

Window treatment ideas for patio and French doors. these are great windows to have allowing lots of light into your room.

One of the drawbacks can be lack of privacy on occasion, or the sun maybe a problem.

An easy way to solve this is to fit a sheer curtain on its own rail fixed in the window recess behind your proper curtains. You can then open and close them to suit.

Panel track blinds a really great idea for large windows like this. They are very modern and contemporary. They can be opened and closed by moving the panels by hand or by pulling a cord. Just like a standard corded curtain rail.

The proper panel tracking system is a fairly pricey piece of kit. There are other ways of getting a similar look. I am sorting out some info on this and will put a new article out very soon

I hope this helps you with your "odd" shaped window.

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French Door Curtains Now Offers Trendy Look

Door curtains serve dual purpose of adding elegance and controlling light into your home. Door curtains are now coming with the more modern designs and in the some of designer door curtains come with the window panels are placed inside the doors itself giving your home a wonderful look. With the passing of time, French door curtains are coming with the more new styles and different designs to suit the installation of window panels on the doors. French door curtains are now emerged as a demanding market where the team of designers and manufactures are working hard to create new styles, patterns and designs to produce unique edge styles in the curtains.

Before purchasing a curtain, the measurement for a curtain should be taken properly. Various designs included in a French door curtain are: solid color fabric panel doors, white sheer fabric door panels, soft stripe leno panel doors and unique sheer fabric door panels. The easiest way to search for the curtains is to search vial online where you can search out for various patterns, styles, designs and a range in the price and one can choose one according to taste and style. If an individual is planning a party, one can go for the themed curtains, which would perfectly match with the décor and give your interior arrangements a cool look. The curtains are used for various purposes and are designed accordingly to meet the needs of residents. One of them is custom shower curtain, which is an ideal curtain for your bathroom. It provides a good décor and beauty to the bathroom and gives it a feel of individual personalization. It is available in all kind of fabrics of your choice.

The price of the curtains varies with the variation in size and fabrics used in it. Some largely used curtains are designed with waterproof liners. Some people prefer to have curtains, which match with towels and bathmats. The curtains are also designed in patterns of pet animals, with photographs of beloved persons and other attractive images on it to give a different décor to your bathroom. Famous wordings, drawings of kids and attractive sayings can be included in custom curtains apart from luxury shower curtains.

The other essential curtain needed in your home is kitchen curtains. It is important to ensure that the curtains should be in coordination with the countertops and shelves and therefore not to lose a sight of the overall perception of the kitchen. The things you should keep in mind while choosing the perfect curtains for your kitchen are its textures, colors, and shape or size of the curtains wisely. They together give your kitchen an awesome look.

French window curtains include window coverings that are treated with rich color and are gorgeous. A window with classy coverings adds a final look to the room and gives a pleasing finish to the eye. The design of French door curtains reflects the hues and colors of the French countryside, and it is now have come and available to your home, so why wait?

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วันพุธที่ 4 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

3 Ways to Save Big With Solar Energy

Solar energy isn't just for electrical gurus or families able to make a large initial investment, it's for everyone. As the price of solar panels comes down and solar technology more efficient, solar energy is quickly becoming a way for the average family to save big on their monthly energy bills. Keep reading for 3 ways you can save a lot of money in your home with solar energy.

1. Go solar in the garden.

You pay nothing for electricity that comes from the sun, so why not use it in your home's sunniest spot - the garden? Several manufacturers offer solar-powered exterior lights that can illuminate porches, pathways, stairwells and gardens. Some are even bright enough to provide security lighting.

These extremely efficient solar lights use electricity generated by sunlight falling on photovoltaic (solar) cells, which is then stored in a rechargeable battery for use at night. Separate units that have a self-contained solar panel usually need to be placed in a sunny spot during the day, but lights with independent solar panels can go anywhere while you attach the panel to the roof or another sunny location.

2. Harness the sun to heat your water.

If you live in a sunny climate or can back up your solar system with a small, on-demand heater, this could be an ideal setup to save a lot of money. You'll save big on energy costs by installing a simple solar water heater to supplement your conventional water heater. Overall, a solar hot-water system is about 50-85 percent less expensive to operate than electric water heaters. The savings over gas heaters are less substantial, but there are still opportunities to reduce your energy consumption.

Before investing in any solar hot water system, have a heating consultant evaluate the potential savings and determine the system type and capacity best suited to your family's needs.

3. Harness solar power through your windows.

Opening your home up to light can dramatically reduce your heating and lighting costs. When renovating a home, always consult a lighting expert on the best window placement for the longest amount of daylight allowance.

If you're unable to invest in new windows, try simply opening the shades on a cold winter day or brightening a dark room with light paint and sheer curtains that allow the light to come in. For little to no expense, you can save a few dollars every month on your lighting bills.

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What Is Bespoke - And What Does It Have To Do With Curtains

Bestow A Groom Stare To Your Room:

Bespoke is an English idiom that is used a lot. Curtains are also used for light control to prevent glare, for sleeping during the day, or watching TV etc. Opaque curtains are suited for light control. For partial light control sheer or net type curtains are better suited. Curtains are also used for increasing the aesthetic appeal of a room. A pleasing to the eye curtain to the highest degree increases the aesthetics of a room and gives an affluent look. On the divergent dirty or under the weather matched curtains give a room a depressing glance. When the window looks onto a street it is better to give thought to the underside of the curtain as the curtain can be seen from outside and will read aloud the appearance of the accommodation.

Likely the brand of curtain that youâ€™ll most often perceive is a section curtain. This is the variety of curtain that is hemmed at the top and bottom, and is hung by hooks or rings and simply hangs in a natural fold, which gives the window very petite of a formal look. This type of curtain is popular for dining rooms and/or bedrooms, and often harmonizing up with blinds or shades.

A different type of curtain that is hung actually at the center of the window is called a CafÃ© Curtain The tiered curtain has manifold panels which have usually a couple of panels covering the top of the two base panels. So, the bottom half of the windows are covered by the base panel, with the top half being covered by the outer panels, as well as overlapping the base panels. For more formal areas in the home such as dining and living rooms, lined drapes and custom window treatments provide an elaborate look. A lining allows the curtain to drape nicely it also has insulating properties and is better able to filter out light for room darkening. If tie backs are used make sure to add extra inches to the measurements depending on how much framework gathers above the twine.

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Choosing The Best Window Blinds For Your Needs

Window blinds come in such a vast array of styles, colors, materials, fabrics, and sizes; it is almost too much to think about! They come ready to hang in the store, custom made to order, and ready to hang with your own alterations. They also come in a variety of slat sizes from mini to 2 inches wide.

The most popular style these days, due to the variety of colors available, price, and ease of use, is the mini blind. Typically they are made of a plastic material, but can be found in metal as well. Yes, they are easy to hang and use and cleaning is a breeze, but from a decoratorsâ€™ point of view, there are much better window blind choices that cost only a little more.

You have to consider your room - size, dÃ©cor, and architectural style - in order to choose the best window blinds for your room or house. For instance, if you want a room where you could just relax and re-energize, you would probably want to look at wooden blinds with a larger slat. These window blinds will add a special touch to the room, one of warmth and rich natural beauty. Cleaning of real wood will limit your choices, as dusting is the only recommended method.

If you really canâ€™t afford real wood blinds, consider faux wood window blinds. They have the look and feel of real wood, but are less expensive and will allow you to create a popular, clean, contemporary look. These blinds will never warp making them durable and perfect for high humidity areas. These can be cleaned with a damp cloth or simply dusted.

If you like that Zen-like feel to your room? Then panel track blinds are for you! They are modern and contemporary and will relax you with their clean simple lines. They allow you to create that Zen-like feel in your special place; that feeling of peace and harmony you crave after a busy stressful day. They are available in warm inviting colors to set the mood in your room, while still coordinating with your room colors and dÃ©cor. These sheer window blinds come in a variety of â€˜opennessâ€™ to give you just the desired amount of sun and light while still providing you with privacy and a beautiful view. Periodic cleaning with a feather duster or vacuum with brush is recommended and they are easily removed for dry cleaning.

Sheer Window Panel Store

วันอังคารที่ 3 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Alternatives to Vertical Blinds

French Door Curtains Now Offers Trendy Look

How To Fit Curtains On Odd Shaped Windows

วันจันทร์ที่ 2 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Adding Windows To Your Garage Door

We all love to improve our homes. We spend untold hours [and dollars] on the weekend doing this and that to improve our homes. Adding windows to garage doors is the latest fad.

Garage door windows are generally small and serve the purpose of lighting much more than of allowing vision to the outside. The reason for this is that when you can see out the window, it means that intruders can see inside as well. The garage is a very likely source of a home invasion and you do not want to make it easy to see what is stored inside. On the other hand, lighting inside the garage is important. Windows also tend to add to the decorative appeal of the garage door.

Windows are usually mounted high on the doors, but also must be fitted to the panels in multi-panel sectional garage doors. Since these panels fold up and ride into the garage ceiling when the door is opened and unfold and straighten when closed, the ability of the windows to survive this process must be taken into consideration. This is another reason that garage windows tend to be smaller.

Many consumers are interested in finding window styles that harmonize with the overall window designs of the main house. Since the garage door is an alternative entrance to the home, it is also important that the windows of the garage door harmonize with the window arrangement of the main entrance doorways. This creates a balanced look to homes where the garage is attached to the home and is most important when the garage doors and the entrance door is in a line across the front of the home.

If a window is going to be added to an already existing garage door, it is best to have it installed by a professional. Unless you are a very advanced DIY type of person with experience in setting windows, a professional is needed to insure the window is properly set and can withstand the opening and closing of the door. Although the window may need to be actually installed by another, you should retain the final say on the size and style of the window. There is such a wide variety of options available that you should be able to get your garage door window exactly how you wish it to be.

Since much attention is given to insulation in garages through insulating panels on the garage door and threshold seals where the door meets the floor, it would be foolish to offset the conservation gain with large windows that allow energy loss. This should be an important consideration is the window selection process. You should insure that your choice is not offsetting the gain from other forms of insulation.

Looking for garage door repair companies in your area? Visit http://www.GarageDoorRepairCompanies.com for an unbiased set of listings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aazdak_Alisimo

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Custom Window Shutters

When buying custom window shutters, it is important to know the difference between a customized and custom-made window shutters.

A customized window shutter is a pre-made stock that was cut to fit a certain size. On the other hand, a custom-made shutter is defined as making something new from raw material available.

Customized interior shutters are cut down and hinged from a pre-made stock that is usually poorly fitted. Also, the panels are not proportionate in size to the size of the window. When a lot of the window shutters are cut off, it may compromise integrity.

A common technique for installation used in custom window shutters is the mounting of the shutters by hanging strips to the inside of the window opening. The size of the hang strip is adjusted to the window opening. However, the hang strips decrease the operating space of the louver and are not needed in proper shutter unit.

Synthetic shutters normally have pre-cut stiles, louvers, and rails for quick production, resulting in an imperfect fit and disproportionate panels and components as compared to the window.

Window shutters that are really custom-made are already constructed from the start for certain window openings. Some companies sell high-quality window shutters made to the one sixteenth of an inch of each individual opening. The stiles and rails are also uniform throughout. The rail sizes are adjusted to the window opening's height and the spacing of the louver.

Custom interior wood window shutter units may be assembled and ready to install by certain manufacturers. You may choose between plantation and traditional shutters.

Before you buy custom window shutters, choose a company that fabricates custom-made and not customized window shutters. It is important to remember that windows are different and their dimensions are unique.

So choose a custom window shutter that adds unique style to your room but won?t make a huge dent in your budget.

Window Shutters provides detailed information on Arch Window Shutters, Custom Window Shutters, Exterior Window Shutters, Hurricane Window Shutters and more. Window Shutters is affiliated with Window Roller Shades.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino

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Window Treatments - The Finishing Touch To Your Home Remodel

Sounds obvious enough, right? And, in a way it is. I have seen many beautiful examples and many not-so-beautiful examples. The trick is to match up the decorating themes of a given room with the appropriate window treatment. The other choices are color, insulating properties, light control and privacy. By the way, I take window treatments to mean almost any window covering: blinds, shades, shutters and drapes. There doesn't seem to be much consensus on what a window treatment is so I am taking the broadest definition.

Choosing the right blinds and shades can get a little more complicated than these few choices. For example there are motorized blinds, cordless, valance options, wand control and more. But for the purposes of this article I will stick mostly to the major themes as mentioned above. Once you have chosen the appropriate blind, shade, shutter or drape, you can decide if you want to add any of the convenience options offered by the manufacturer.

First, let's lay out the main choices. In the window blinds category you have mini blinds, plantation shutters, vertical blinds, wood and faux wood blinds and finally, panel track blinds. In the window shades category you have roller shades, sheer shades, pleated shades, woven wood shades (also known as bamboo shades), roman shades, cellular shades and solar shades (also called solar screens). Then there are drapes.

The drapes category can be huge depending on how you choose to categorize them. But for the purposes of this article I will label them as custom and pre-made. Custom drapes are made-to-order drapes cut to the appropriate size of your window and usually with a built in 2 to 1 fullness. These are generally higher quality and made from a variety fabrics from silk to cotton. Made-to-order drapes are generally less expensive and can be picked up at many major retailers.

Segregating by room type, here are my recommendations. For kitchens, faux wood shutters and faux wood blinds are often an excellent choice. They often match up well with wood cabinets and can withstand the often hot and humid environments of kitchens. This is also true for bathrooms. But, other choices for bathrooms would be pleated shades, which you can think of as the non-insulating version of cellular shades. The nice thing about pleated shades for bathrooms is they pair well with the top down/bottom up feature which is excellent for privacy. Less expensive options for these kinds of rooms would be mini blinds, woven woods or roman shades. Mini blinds are a better choice for rooms with a more modern decor whereas wood finishes are best with wood-type decors. A simple rule of thumb is to match your window treatments with the overriding color and materials of the room: wood with wood, fabric with fabric, metal with metal and all in complimentary colors.

For living rooms and family rooms, the choices are pretty wide open. For large windows, like sliding doors, vertical blinds are an easy choice but don't overlook panel track blinds. Don't forget that vertical blinds come in more than just vinyl; they also come in faux wood, fabric, cellular and aluminum. Plantation shutters, though expensive, are a time-honored window covering choice. You almost can't go wrong with these, unless your house is very modern and contemporary. In that case, I would recommend aluminum mini blinds or vertical blinds.

For bedrooms, privacy and light control are usually the big factor. So, I would look into roller shades, cellular or pleated shades with a blackout liner, or woven woods and roman shades, again with a liner. The one you choose will depend on the overall décor of your room. If you want more insulating properties from you shades, go with the cellular option.

For dining rooms, I would recommend drapes or maybe roman or woven wood shades. If you like the roman shades, consider the pleated or tear-drop option for a more luxurious appearance.

For rooms with views and lots of sunlight, consider solar shades. These come in various levels of opacity, i.e. how much light they block. The nice thing about solar screens is you can still see out of your windows with out as much solar heat build-up as well as a greater level of privacy from the street view.

There you have it, the non-definitive guide to window treatments As a side note, consider checking out one of the how to measure for window blinds videos available on the internet, they can help. - David Brooks

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Sean_Brooks

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Sheer window panel

วันพุธที่ 25 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Alternatives to Vertical Blinds

How To Fit Curtains On Odd Shaped Windows

French Door Curtains Now Offers Trendy Look

วันพุธที่ 4 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

3 Ways to Save Big With Solar Energy

What Is Bespoke - And What Does It Have To Do With Curtains

Choosing The Best Window Blinds For Your Needs

วันอังคารที่ 3 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Alternatives to Vertical Blinds

French Door Curtains Now Offers Trendy Look

How To Fit Curtains On Odd Shaped Windows

วันจันทร์ที่ 2 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2551

Adding Windows To Your Garage Door

Custom Window Shutters

Window Treatments - The Finishing Touch To Your Home Remodel

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