Roller Blinds - Buying Guide
Roller Blinds are becoming one of the most popular window furnishings to hit the market, and prices have never been more affordable. Here at Philp-Wrights we often get approached by people that have purchased blinds off the net looking to replace parts, which are often not available, or they actually want to replace the whole blind itself? There are many different prices on the market for roller blinds, so how do you know what you are buying? Here is what you should look out for when buying roller Blinds.
- Make sure that the fabric is of high quality! ask to see the spec sheet of the specific fabric. Is it fire retardant? is it mould and mildew resistant? is it stain resistant? is it fade resistant? what is the colour fastness number? What is the warranty on that particular fabric. Their is now a virtual sea of cheap imported fabrics that are coming in from Asia, that have none of these properties hence their price. As the old saying goes "You get what you pay for". Good quality fabrics will not fade, tear or be overcome by mould and or mildew within a few years. They will also resist stains from most products and simply look and perform great for many many years.
- Make sure you are purchasing a blind with quality componentry(Tubes, side winders, brackets, springs etc)While many of our competitors are now using budget european copied chinese componentry, Here at Philp-Wrights we only use Australian Acmeda RB09 blind componentry which is backed by a massive 10 year commercial warranty, and 25 year domestic warranty. Which basically means your blinds will go up and down smoothly and effortlessly, long after the neighbours blinds that where purchased online have failed.
- Make sure your blinds are custom made from scratch and not simply ready-made cut-down blinds. The Quality of readymade/cutdown blinds is extremely poor, and quite frankly a false economy. This is usually reflected by the miserable 12 month warranty they are given. Don't get fooled by clever misleading television advertisements claiming "up to half the price of custom-made blinds, as this will also be half the quality! and half the lifespan!
- Most sunscreen fabrics have a 5% open weave, this is what allows the light to filter through. Due to this you can see outside during the daytime but keep in mind that in the evening when the lights are on and it is dark outside, people will be able to see inside your home. So for people that require privacy, a Sunscreen Blind will not be suitable. One way to overcome this is to have a Double Roller Blind - see notes below.
- Double Roller Blinds are a combination of the Sunscreen Roller Blind and a Blockout Roller Blind. They can be mounted onto a special double bracket. This allows you to have the Sunscreen Blind down during the day and in the evening when privacy is required, you just pull down the Blockout Roller Blind. Another option is to recess the Sunscreen blind into the window frame and to have the Blockout Roller Blind on the face of the architrave, or vice versa. This allows you to eliminate the cost of the double bracket and allow you to achieve a more streamlined look.