All you need to know about Vertical Blinds

What are Vertical Blinds?

Vertical blinds are window treatments that consist of individual slats that hang from a track. These slats can be rotated to control the amount of light and privacy in a room. Vertical blinds are available in a range of materials, including PVC, fabric, and even aluminium. They come in a variety of colours and patterns, making them a versatile choice for any decor.

The Benefits of Vertical blinds

Vertical blinds offer a number of benefits that make them an attractive window treatment option. Here are some of the key advantages of vertical blinds:
Light Control: Vertical blinds offer precise light control, allowing you to adjust the amount of light entering your room. You can open or close the slats, tilt them to control the amount of light, or completely draw them to the side for a full view of the window.
Privacy: Vertical blinds also offer privacy, making them ideal for bedrooms, bathrooms, and other areas where privacy is a concern. You can adjust the angle of the slats to block out prying eyes while still allowing natural light to filter in.
Versatility: Vertical blinds come in a variety of materials, colours, and styles, making them a versatile window treatment option that can complement any home decor.
Easy Maintenance: Vertical blinds are easy to maintain and clean. You can simply wipe them down with a damp cloth or use a vacuum with a brush attachment to remove dust and dirt.

You can replace the slats: The amazing thing about vertical blinds is that you can actually replace the louvres when your old ones get tired or damaged. It is such a clever and cost-effective way to upgrade your decor.

Insulation: Vertical blinds can help to insulate your windows and keep your home more energy-efficient. The slats can be adjusted to keep out drafts in the winter and keep out the heat in the summer.

Choosing the right vertical blinds

When it comes to choosing the right vertical blinds for your home, there are several factors to consider. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice:

  1. Material: Choose a material that fits your lifestyle and decor. PVC is a popular choice for its durability, while fabric blinds offer a softer, more elegant look.
  2. Colour: Consider the colour of your walls and other decors in the room when choosing the shade of your blinds. Neutral tones like white or beige are versatile and work with any decor, while bolder colours can add a pop of colour to your room.
  3. Pattern: If you want to add some visual interest to your room, consider choosing vertical blinds with a pattern. Stripes, florals, and other designs are available.
  4. Width of the slats: The width of the slats can impact the look of your blinds. 89mm louvres are the most common louvre width and they give a more modern look, whilst wider 127mm slats are rarer and give a more traditional feel.
  5. Customisation: Our vertical blinds are fully bespoke and made to your measurements so you can have them on the largest doors or the most awkward windows.

Installation

Installing vertical blinds is a straightforward process that can be done by most homeowners. Here are the steps involved in installing vertical blinds:

  1. Measure your window: Measure the width and height of your window to determine the size of the vertical blinds you’ll need.
  2. Mount the brackets: Attach the brackets to the top of the window frame using screws and a drill. Make sure they are level and secure.
  3. Hang the headrail: Insert the headrail of the blinds into the brackets and snap them into place. Make sure the blinds are level and straight.
  4. Hang the louvres: Rotate the hooks that are on the headrail so they are at 90 degrees. Then hang the slats. Do not hang the slats if the hooks are facing forward. If you do this the blinds will obstruct each other and won’t rotate (trust me I have done this so many times!)

The Cleaning and Maintenance of Vertical blinds

Cleaning and maintaining vertical blinds is a simple process that can be done with minimal effort. Here are some tips for keeping your vertical blinds clean and looking their best:
Dust regularly: Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment to remove dust and dirt from the slats. You can also use a soft cloth or duster to wipe them down.
Spot cleaning: If your blinds become stained or dirty, spot-clean them with a mild detergent and a damp cloth. Be sure to test the detergent on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure it won’t damage the blinds.
Lubricate the track: To ensure your blinds operate smoothly, lubricate the track with silicone spray.

I hope this article has helped you to decide whether vertical blinds are for you.

How do I block a street light in my bedroom?

Do the street lights on your road make you feel like this?

In the UK, streetlights are a common source of light pollution in the UK. This is especially a cause for concern at night when the street lights enter the home and prevent you from getting to sleep.

Many street lights use high-intensity bulbs that emit a strong, blue-white light, which can suppress the release of melatonin and disrupt our circadian rhythm. This makes it harder for us to fall asleep and can lead to feelings of grogginess and fatigue during the day. Additionally, the bright lights can create a sense of alertness, making it difficult to relax and unwind before bed.

So how to block out street light and improve your sleep?

The good news is that there are several steps you can take to reduce the impact of street lights on your sleep. Here are some of the most effective solutions:

  • Invest in blackout blinds. Blackout blinds are designed to block out all light, making them the perfect solution for blocking out external light pollution. Blackout blinds are available in many styles eg blackout roller blinds, blackout vertical blinds, blackout skylight blinds, therefore you can choose a blind to darken your room which will match your decor and budget.
  • Use a sleep mask: If you would rather not change your window coverings, a sleep mask is a great alternative. Sleep masks are designed to cover your eyes and block out all light, allowing you to sleep peacefully, even if the streetlight is shining into your room.
  • Install a window film: Window film is a thin, adhesive material that you can apply to your windows to block out light. There are several different types of window film available, including privacy film, which blocks the view from outside, and reflective film, which bounces light back outside.

Street lighting shining into our bedroom at night can have serious consequences on our sleep quality and subsequent health. There is little we can do about the street lighting itself but we can control the amount of light that comes into our homes by using blackout blinds or window film. If you don’t want to make such an investment, many people opt for handy sleep aids such as eyemasks to stop the light coming into our eyes.

For more information on blackout blinds and how they can help stop light pollution entering your room, to begin with checkout out our site.

Rigid PVC Blinds – All The Info You need

Rigid PVC vertical blinds are a popular choice for homeowners due to their durability, ease of maintenance, and versatility. Made from rigid PVC, these blinds are much more durable than traditional fabric blinds and are ideal for areas that get a lot of use, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and conservatories.

Made from tough and durable PVC, they come with numerous benefits, including being 100% waterproof, mould and mildew-resistant, offering blackout capabilities, and not requiring weights or chains, making them a safer option for homes with children.

These stylish window coverings are simple to clean and are an ideal choice for windows in bathrooms and kitchens. They come in a range of designs, from plain to textured, light-filtering options, and a neutral colour palette from white through to dark grey- giving you many options to complement most room colour schemes.

The PVC material, also known as polyvinyl chloride, offers numerous advantages for use in blinds. The synthetic fabric makes the blinds more rigid and durable than traditional vertical blinds, making them stronger and more long-lasting.

Additionally, due to their smooth surface and absence of crevices, PVC vertical blinds are effortless to clean, as there are no areas where dust or dirt particles can get trapped. Overall, rigid PVC vertical blinds are an excellent choice for those looking for a practical, low-maintenance, and stylish window treatment.

To install the rigid pvc vertical blind all you have to do is:-

  1. Mount the bracket on the top of the window recess using screws.
  2. Snap the headrail into the bracket.
  3. Assemble the blind by inserting the slats into the top rail, ensuring they are perpendicular.
  4. Attach the wand to the rail.
  5. Your blind is now ready to use.

Our Top Energy Saving Tips at Lifestyle Blinds

Lifestyle Blinds | Energy Saving Tips

We’re all looking for energy-saving tips these days. Whether it’s how much water to boil in our kettle or how many degrees to turn up our thermostat, the need to save money on household bills is a key priority. In Autumn 2022, the energy price cap increased by 80% with another price cap reportedly set to come into place in January. It has never been so important for households to understand the best ways to reduce their outgoings and find ways to keep their homes comfortable. At Lifestyle Blinds, we don’t just help our customers to manage light. We manufacture premium window blinds that lock in heat, reduce excessive temperature gains and make each room more comfortable. So, here are our top energy-saving tips for the upcoming winter. 

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What Are Solar Reflective Blinds And Do You Need Them?

While many of us welcome the warmer weather brought in by Summer, it certainly has its drawbacks. Excessive sun exposure, specifically on uncovered windows, increase the internal temperature of our homes to uncomfortable levels. No matter how many windows you open or fans you switch on, this heat is difficult to shift. Thankfully, there is a solution – Solar Reflective Blinds. But what are solar reflective blinds and do you need them? Let’s look into this in more detail. 

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4 Quick Ways To Keep Your Houses Cooler This Summer

Summer 2022 has been a historic season for northern hemisphere heatwaves with 40 degree daytime temperatures and 25 degree night time temperatures being seen multiple times. 

This concerning trend and the reasons for it are unfortunately not going to go away any time soon so we need to learn to be able to live in our homes comfortably during these sweltering times.

The homes we live in should be able to protect us from these debilitating heat waves but modern homes with low ceiling, small square footage and large glass windows are proving to be worse at keeping us cool than older houses with large ceiling heights and smaller windows.  Furthermore many UK homes also do not have insulation which results in hotter houses in the summer and cooler/leaky houses in the winter.

Newer houses are resorting to air- conditioning which exacerbates the problem, pumping warm air into the streets, compounding the urban heat island effect and adding to greenhouse gas emissions.

“Ever since we started depending on fossil fuel for heating and cooling, we’ve been building houses with disregard to the climate. We’ve lost centuries of wisdom that taught us about thick insulating walls, small windows, shading and tall deciduous trees to the south and west where heat beats harder and about whitewashing surfaces in the spring to reflect the summer heat”

Eleni Myrivili, chief heat and resilience officer for the city of Athens, where temperatures reached 45C this summer.

So apart from pulling down our houses and starting again with a more eco friendly and sustainable design, what can we do now/today to cool our houses down?

  1. Stop your house getting hot in the first place.  Solar shading products such as blinds are “passive solutions” (meaning they don’t need energy input for operation) which used correctly can help to keep your home cool. You need to use them correctly though. During the day close your blinds and curtains.  Make sure your blinds have a light colour backing ideally white or silver.  This will reflect the heat back to the outside world. 
  2. When some of the heat goes out of the day and the sun is directly not shining into your room open your windows and blinds to let any heat that has been gained escape.
  3. Minimise all internal heat gains eg IT, AV, cooking. 
  4. Get air moving in your home for example with a fan.  Air movement will result in physiological cooling (removal of sweat) this will reduce skin temp and result in cooling of the body.

How do you keep your homes cool in the summer? We would love to know. Please drop us an email to naomi@heathlifestyleblinds.com

Does Closing Blinds Really Save Energy?

A woman closing roller blinds to help save energy in her home.
Lifestyle Blinds | Does Closing Blinds Really Save Energy?http://www.lifestyleblinds.com

There’s no hiding the fact that our energy bills have skyrocketed in recent years, as high as 54% in early 2022. As a result, more and more of us are looking for ways to cut back on our spending, especially with household bills. Alongside installing a smart meter and choosing energy-efficient appliances, you may have heard that your window coverings can help you save money. So, does closing blinds really save energy? Let’s delve into this in more detail. 

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Conservatory Roof Blinds Or Film – Which Is Best?

Conservatory blinds
Lifestyle Blinds | Conservatory Roof Blinds or Film – Which Is Best?

Conservatories have continued to rise in popularity over the past few years. Whether it’s a desire to feel more connected with nature or a need for additional space, many homeowners are opting for these effective glass structures. Modern technology has moved the design of conservatories forward, making them more energy efficient and inkeeping with our homes. However, due to the abundance of glass, several hurdles still exist with them, primarily, the management of light and heat. You have two main options to choose from here – conservatory roof blinds of film. So, which one is best?

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