The Advantages of Venetian or Horizontal Blinds
With many different types of window treatments, Venetian or horizontal blinds offer the most advantages and value for money.
16/04/2023
Venetian, or horizontal blinds, have been used to decorate windows since the 1800s and, prior to that, shutters were used in hot climates to keep a house cool by blocking sunlight through windows and doors. It is only in the last century that these types of blinds became more popular as a window treatment as homeowners and decorators became aware of the many advantages of installing these types of blinds in the home. For practical information on all types of window treatments, visit Window Treatments in our Decor section.
The many advantages of installing Venetian or horizontal blinds can be summed up as follows:
1. Ability to control light flow into a home
Being able to control the flow of sunlight through windows or glass doors is one reason why many invest in horizontal blinds. Simply by tilting the angle of the slats, you can adjust and control the amount of light in a room. A simple wand - or remote control - lets you easily tilt the blinds to filter or block out sunlight.
Tilting the angle of the slats down [on the window side] lets you control the amount of light coming into a room and that also assists in lowering the temperature by blocking out UV rays.
2. Does not block off airflow
Air circulation through windows keeps a house cool and prevents a buildup of mould or mildew in a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry. Unlike many other window treatment options, blinds do not obstruct the flow of air and can still be adjusted for privacy and light control.
3. Provides a high level of privacy
Another reason for the installation of blinds in a room is for privacy, particularly in bedrooms, bathrooms, or rooms that overlook a street or neighbour. When you need blinds for privacy the angle of the blinds determines the level of privacy. Tilting the front edge of the slats downwards (into the room) ensures that no one at ground level can see through the window/s but anyone higher up, such as in a flat or apartment above you, can. When you need privacy from above, the front edge of the slats should be up while the back (against the window) be facing down.
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For complete privacy at ground level, tilt the blind slats down at the front (on the room side). For privacy from above, tilt the slats up (on the room side).
4. Complements all styles
Venetian and horizontal blinds have come a long way in the past decade. Whereas it used to be only plastic slats, now you can have aluminium, wood, faux wood, and other materials as well as blinds that are operated via remote control. The styling of today's blinds fits perfectly with the design of any home and complements all types of window treatments, even the layered look.
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5. Is readily available if replacement is needed
Venetian and horizontal blinds have a fairly long lifespan with proper care and maintenance, but should you need to replace a blind for any reason, there is no shortage of suppliers and plenty of these offer custom manufacture if you need a non-standard size or need to install on an awkward window shape.
6. Do-it-yourself repairs
While finding the supplies for repairing blinds might be difficult unless you source these overseas, if you know the actual part names of the components - see the video below for more information on this - that make us these types of blinds, you can do an online search to find a local source of supply. Having said that, new Venetian or horizontal blinds are reasonably affordable and most home decor shops offer inexpensive blinds for a home. For more information on how to repair blinds and the associated spare parts, visit this website. They offer tons of information and detailed guides.