We have the window treatments, the colors, the material, the accessories

We have the window treatments, the colors, the material, the accessories.

We have the window treatments, the colors, the material, the accessories all researched and we are ready to buy. Yes! But, before you go off to do just that remember the devil is in the details. When buying your window treatments don’t just consider the window dressing itself, but remember to consider the environment you will be putting it in. The environment of the immediate area where you have a window dressing causes daily wear and tear on it, so be particularly careful when considering your picks in window coverings.

In areas like the kitchen and the bathroom, the humidity will usually be higher due to the steam from the water use. Kitchens will also produce a variety of smells from the spices and oils in the cooking process of the foods. For such areas, having drapes may not be the best options. The fabric of the drapes will easily suck in the moisture and become heavy. Longer term this can cause growth of bacteria and other harmful substances that enjoy wet and warm places for growing. And, if you are particularly and clean the drapes regularly, long term the material would fade and break down faster due to the many numbers of times it will need to be cleaned. For such high humid places, faux wood or real wood blinds with special coating for water resistance and protection would be one of the best choices. You can still have the elegance, but none of the issues the material taking in the moisture.

Bathrooms with windows above the tub lets in lots of light and can be great in the design of the room. So make sure when getting the window treatment you don’t forget details such as the location of the tilt rod and its other controls. If you look at the following image, the tilt rod is placed further away from the ledge above the bathtub. This mean every time you want to close it or open it or adjust it you are going to have to get in the tub. So that warm bubble bath you were planning for will either include you stepping into it too early into the water getting your clothes wet or your towel wet or showing your neighbors some scandalous skin.  The best option would be to have tilt rod on the opposite side to allow easy reach.

Another thing to consider is the window treatments for patio doors. Drapes or fabric vertical blinds are good options to consider and many people do use them. But I do have to warn you, patio doors can be high traffic areas, which means people could constantly be  going in and out. In such a condition drapes and vertical blinds can become cumbersome, as they may float and flutter in and out of the way. On top of that if the door is left open and the wind coming in will also cause them to flutter needlessly unless they are pulled to away to the other side.  Drapes may last longer with such motions as they have no rigid piece holding them in place, whereas the tops of the vertical blinds can become strained from the stress of the blinds constantly turning unnaturally in the wind. Long term the wear and tear will increase dramatically, forcing you to either fix or replace them sooner.

Another thing people forget to consider is the side on which the vertical blinds will be stacked. So in your attempts to get the blinds out of the winds way you pull it together to the side. The worse thing that can happen is that it pulls and stacks on the side that the door opens. Basically, now all the slats of the blind are at the opening part of the door. This makes it difficult to manoeuvre the door, for people to walking through, and for your to keep the blinds from being damaged from the wind.

Also, the window treatment for patio doors are covering a large area where there may or may not be lots of direct and harsh sunlight. It is important to consider U.V resistant material for your window treatment in these cases as they will last longer without fading, warping from the heat, or cracking. Some materials will also help to keep the heat out from the harsh sunlight to help keep the room cooler.

It is very important to consider the location of your window treatments before you plan to purchase them. Think about the daily activities the location goes through. What do you do there every day? What is the space used for? Will there be lots of people coming in and out of the area? Will there be children and pets in the area? Does the area have high humidity or sharp and constant sunlight? How do you interact with the space? What would make your life easier? Be careful not to forget the details and specifications for the location your window treatments will be placed. Such little things can determine how long those window treatments last you and how quickly you will be forced to spend money on replacing them.