The Benefits of Blinds

By: Leslie Plummer Clagett (Page 9 of 12)

Courtesy of Smith & Noble

Courtesy Smith & Noble

Functional as well as decorative, shades, blinds and shutters can be used on doors as well as windows to direct, filter or block out light.

Courtesy of Hunter Douglas

Honeycomb shades in drop-down installation

Cross-sections of single-, double- and triple-honeycomb shades show the structure of their insulating channels.

Courtesy of Smith & Noble

Horizontal blinds in wood

Courtesy Smith & Noble

Window Shading

Select the louver size not only in relation to the dimensions of the window but also in relation to the view.

Courtesy of Hunter Douglas

The wide slats of some window shadings (left) don't obscure the outdoors as much as narrower ones (above) do

Courtesy of Smith & Noble

Roller Shades

Courtesy of Smith & Noble

Vertical Blinds

Courtesy of Pinecrest

Shutters as Bifold Doors

Courtesy of Smith & Noble

Plantation Shutters

This side-by-side comparison of vane widths shows how much light and air different shutters let into a room.

Photo by Geoffrey Gross

Outside mount:
Measure the height and width of the window, adding enough to overlap the casing and sill (if your window doesn't have a sill, the blind must still extend past the bottom of the window to avoid light leaks).

Photo by Geoffrey Gross

Inside mount:
Measure the window's width at three points, then take the narrowest dimension and round down 1/8 in. You also need to measure the height of the window.

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Measuring and Mounting

If you decide to measure the openings for the blinds yourself, you'll first have to decide to install them either inside mount or outside mount. An inside mount shows off a window's casing and its shape—like the distinctive look of a bay window. An outside mount can disguise windows of unequal size, unifying and balancing their appearance. To ensure accurate results, use a tape measure with a stiff metal rule.