I got some from the Box store here and you just give them the opening dimension if your going inside the opening like I did. If your attaching outside of the window just order so it overhangs the outside by what ever amount you care to have it over lap. My 2" wood blinds just fit inside my drywall opening and the slats them selves are about 1/4" away from the edge and have a 1/2" gap in the center. I have two windows and two blinds so the
1/2" gap it over the center divider for the two windows. Also keep in mind that the 2" wood blinds I have don't close completely, what I mean is if I close them all the way and go outside I can look up and see into the room. Keep that in mind when your buying what ever size slats your looking at.
I'm about to order and install some wood blinds for our livingroom window. Because the window is quite large (156" wide), I am installing three seperate blinds. I would like to know the gap allowance I should use between the blinds. The smaller the gap, the better the light control but I don't want to get into difficulties with installation and operation.
You are smart to do 3 blinds. Anything over about 48" is to heavy to lift.
You may want to check out the custom made faux wood at about half the price. No one but you will know the difference!
If you want to get it right the first time, measure the opening at the top, middle and bottom use the smaller measurement. Assuming 156" is the correct number order 3 blinds at 52" IB. IB means the factory will deduct 1/2" from each blind (verify the IB deduction from the place you order). You will need
3 blinds that total 1.5" less than the actual opening width to allow for the brackets. Your brackets will set right next to each other on the center sections. You may need to trim the valences a bit depending on your window configuration.
If on the other hand your window is not divided into equal parts as many are not, measure to the center point of the divide in all three places. Order 3 individual blinds at those dimensions as IB mount. Triple check yourself by making sure that the total of the 3 measures is = to the full opening width.
FYI. IB mount means the blind is going inside an opening that measures the IB amount. OB means the blind is mounting on the casing or otherwise should be made this exact width.
It is always a good plan to make your blind height/length 1/4" longer than it measures so it will never swing in the breeze.
My window has 3 sections. The two ends are about 25" wide each, with a large 89" section in the middle (I guess I'm actually a bit less than
156" wide total). Of course I'll get correct measurements before ordering. The outside sections open with cranks.
So I don't know if I'm smart or not, I was planning on having one large blind in the middle. The 1/2" between blinds would be covered by the window section trim. I don't want a 1/2" gap down the middle of the window, I thought it would look kind of weird. Perhaps you can advise on what this would look like, I don' think I've ever seen an example. The window is about 7' off the ground and 5' high by 12.5' wide. Would a gap in the middle look bad?
I was kind of aware that the middle blind would be difficult to lift. I thought it would be okay to leave it down most of the time and have the ends raised and lowered. If needed, I've assumed that two people could raise the middle blind easily (one person pulling the rope, I person helping to lift the blind).
Thanks for the advise about the 2" btw.
Finally, pricing where I am seems to be: wood blinds from large store is the same as nice faux wood from blind shop. The wood blinds from the blind shop are at least 80% more than from the large store. In other words, in our case (5' x 12.5'), wood blinds from borg is about $800. The nice faux wood is about $800. The wood from the blind shop is about $1500. I can't tell much difference from the wood finishes between the borg and the blind shop, and in some cases I prefer the look of the wood finish from the borg. Because our window is only 18" off the oak floors, I thought the best look would to have matching oak blinds. Some of the faux wood did have a similar acceptable finish though. The faux wood has the advantage of easier maintainance with guarranteed no fading.
thanks
"Colbyt" wrote in news:L3X5f.499776$xm3.70768@attbi_s21:
You had it right for you window comfig. You will never be happy with a joint in the middle of a window. 25-89-25 is the way to go.This being an exception to the general rule. If you have a choice of tilt controls go with the two string (cord tilt) as opposed to the wand type. They work smoother, are easier to use and seem to last longer on the larger blinds. You will need a helper to install the large one. Be sure to install all the center supports. Most people who have two inch blinds never raise them except to clean the windows.
A word about quality. Quality is determined by things the average person never notices. That is why almost all the companies have several grades. The slat thickness will vary from grade to grade. The number of coats of paint may vary. The smoothness of the wood will vary. The quality of the cord pulls will vary from wood to really cheap plastic. The internal components in the headrail may be of metal or plastic. All have some plastic but avoid the ones where they are all plastic except for the metal tilt rod. The number of vertical ladders can vary. On a real wood the ladders may be up to 24" apart. On a quality faux blind the distance is never more than
12". The wonderwood product made by many using Hunter- Douglas components is a quality faux product. Some of the major brand names sold in the BORG are not of the same level.
As for color, 99% of what the professional decorators sell is some shade of white. It goes with any decor, offends no one and hides dust quite well. The general rule is you blend with the color of your window trim. For future resale potential I can assure that white is the choice.
The borg I'm checking out carries Hunter&Douglas, Levolor, and Shadeomatic. I think they are all priced similar, when comparing similar products. More expensive products are from other canadian wood blind suppliers. That's a good idea to check the smoothness of the finish, smoother will be much easier to keep clean.
Our window trim and vinyl windows are white, and the surrounding walls are off-white/cream. I'm not sure if I want more white in the room. Certainly it's a good suggestion. I just thought matching the blinds to the floor would be a nice touch to break up the white, and the natural wood should be a fairly neutral color. However, the faux wood option (polywood) is very tempting too. It's maintanance, finish and simplicity is attractive.
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