Blinds and Shades: What’s Your Style?

Blinds or shades? It is perhaps the most common debate we see in our line of work, after all they are both popular options for window coverings so when it boils down to it which is better? A better question is which is better for you. When it comes to blinds and shades, which is better is going to differ from person to person. To help you understand which is the potentially right window covering solution for you, we’re going to lay out the pros and cons and then some!

Blinds and Shades - The Big Difference

At its simplest, the big difference between window shades and window blinds are their structure. Blinds are a hard covering while shades are softer. Those differences come with a whole host of further factors that they either perform better (or worse) in than the other but they both serve the same function: light filtering, providing privacy, insulation.  How well they do those jobs is variable!

Here is a fast and furious rundown of the different kinds of custom blinds and shades. When you’ve finished this blog, if you’d like to know more, keep your eyes peeled for the other two posts coming this month as we are going to dive deeper into these different types!

Types of Blinds and Shades

Blinds:

• Wood Blinds
• Faux Wood Blinds
• Aluminum Blinds 
• Vertical Blinds
• Motorized Blinds
• Vinyl Blinds
• Composite Blinds

Shades:

• Cellular Shades
• Roman Shades
• Roller Shades
• Solar Shades
• Woven Wood Shades
• Bamboo Shades
• Pleated Shades
• Sheer Shades
• Graphic Shades

Alright with those lists out of the way now we can look at blinds and shades and their differences in performance.

Blinds

Privacy and Light Control

Blinds are built of solid slats that are controlled to manually tilt and block light (and views). Because of their construction it is possible that the slats might not block the sun in the way a user is looking for, and the slats will cast shadows as well. Because blinds are solid they provide exceptional privacy  when they’re fully closed.

Insulation

How window coverings perform when it comes to insulation might not be the most obvious benefit but it is a huge one, especially here in Arizona! Insulation is measured in R-Value which is the ability of the material to resist heat flowing through it. It’s pretty simple to understand, the higher the R-value the better it’s heat resistance. 

In general, blinds don’t offer great insulation. While the solid slats might block heat, they’re not one solid piece, they have gaps between each slat which all allow heat to move freely. They’re great at blocking light and they look great, but insulators they are not. 

Now let’s look at a couple of other factors that are important considerations in the blinds vs shades debate!

Cleaning and Durability

Privacy, light control, and insulation are the main three functions of blinds and shades, but looking at how they stack up when it comes to upkeep is also useful. Blinds are a top performer when it comes to durability and ease of upkeep. Simply add some polish to a soft cloth, wipe the slats and you’re well on your way! Certain materials can be even easier to clean, of course certain others can be more particular. For instance, if your blinds are a real wood material you will want to be careful about getting them too wet as that can cause the wood to warp.

Now, durability wise blinds are going to stand up a bit better over time, simply because of the nature of their materials. They're harder. Wood, faux wood, aluminum, PVC. They’re not going to tear or get cut. Though they are susceptible to bending or breaking – especially if you have an over eager cat for instance.

Style

Style-wise blinds are tried and true. You know what you’re going to get, aside from color and material they all look, well, like blinds! If you’re worried about having bland windows then blinds might not be for you, but if you’re comfortable with a traditional look, wood or faux wood blinds can do the trick.

On to shades!

Shades

Privacy and Light Control

Shades have two settings, open or closed, the shades are either up or down. Where you can really flex some customization is in the material of the fabric proper. The material of shades come in a huge range of different light filtering fabrics, or more sheer if you’re looking for that. Either way you can choose an option that both lets in plenty of natural light and allows for total privacy.

Insulation

Shades are an incredible insulator! The way shades work, as one large piece of fabric, means that when they are completely lowered there are no gaps for air to easily flow – so long as it’s properly installed of course! Certain types of shades are even better at insulating such as cellular shades. More about that later this month!

Cleaning and Durability

When it comes to cleaning, shades can be a bit more tricky to clean than blinds. If you have just a light coat of dust you can use a vacuum with a brush attachment or use a good duster but for anything more serious it’ll need some tougher stuff including potentially professional care. Since shades are also made of softer materials, there’s an increased likelihood of them being tore or getting holes poked through them – that sort of thing. If that were to happen it’s very possible they might require total replacement.

Style

One thing blinds can’t touch? The level of style shades have. Shades have a huge range of variety in materials, colors, prints, fabrics, mounting, and more! Whatever style you’re looking for, there’s probably a shade for that!

So, blinds vs shades, think you know your winner? Give Budget Blinds Scottsdale a call and we’ll get your windows covered in no time! Still have questions? Want to get some professional advice first hand? Call today and schedule your free consultation! We’ll help you understand the best window treatment for you!