The blinds have been used for a long time as a substitute for curtains, they are much more practical and comfortable when regulating the amount of light, you want to enter your home.

All external retractable blinds made by Sure Shade are unique in terms of quality, making them stand out from all other building products.

Parts of a blind system

There are different systems of blinds, however the basic system has four main elements: drawer, guides, sheets or blinds the drive.

Cajon: It is the structure that holds the blinds as such, and there are three types of drawers.

Compact system: The drawer of the blind is installed just above the window, this position facilitates the installation, as well as allowing a good level of thermo acoustic insulation.

Mini system: In this case, the drawer is installed on the outside of the house. In this way there is no thermal transfer in the drawer.

Traditional system: There is no drawer, in this case the locksmith perforates the wall to make the installation of the system. A disadvantage is that when this perforation exists, the quality of the insulation level decreases.

Guides: Consists of that part of the structure that allows each blind to remain in place, avoiding deforming them. They are usually made of aluminum or PVC.

Lamas or cloths: It refers to the material of the blinds themselves, that set of pieces that when grouped offer sun protection. According to this piece, the system of blinds can be:

Roller shutters: They prevent the passage of light completely, in addition to isolating the window from the outside. The materials used are PVC, aluminium and wood.

Adjustable blinds: It is another horizontal system, but it has the peculiarity of allowing the intensity of the light that must enter the house to be adjusted, favouring energy saving. They can be made of metal and PVC.

Curtains vs. Blinds

Both the curtains and the blinds are decorative and functional, however, before choosing which of these elements should be in a particular room of your home, it is necessary to take into account the following aspects:

1. The decoration and dimensions of the room, for example, if the room is small, vertical blinds will provide the effect of amplitude.
2. If you want to totally block the sun’s rays, prefer large blinds. In case you do not want to completely eliminate sunlight, some curtains or light blinds may be what you need.

Shutters Really Necessary?

Rolling shutters are a widespread system in Australia and, as often happens in many other choices of the human being, they are more about a custom than a true rational and conscious choice. Have you ever wondered if they really are necessary? The blinds are understood as absolutely necessary when they really are not … and if not they ask the millions of Central Europeans who live without them. The problem is that here it is a custom, and customs are very difficult to change.

But we’re not going to demonize the blinds. It is true that there are cases in which they fulfil a true function and offer us advantages that compensate for the inconveniences. Everything consists in analysing each case and opting for the most favourable option. So, we are going to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of this constructive element in the most objective way possible so that you can assess if they really are the best option for each case.

Blinds: advantages and disadvantages

3 advantages

Let’s start with the advantages of this constructive system

1. They are an excellent system of light control, which allows total darkness during the night, and almost total during the day, which favours rest. Only the placement of well-placed curtains achieves the same effect of total darkness as the blinds.

2. They serve as sun protection to prevent the entry of unwanted solar radiation, provided that they are well used by the user and placed in windows exposed to the sun located East, South or West, since north or in shady places is not necessary protection. Of course, its behaviour is not as good as that of the awning or that of well-designed overhangs, since heat accumulates between the blind and the window.

3. Certain types of blinds, such as self-locking security, improve the security of the home. However, to be useful they must be completely closed, they are not infallible and only make sense in accessible plants, since in high plants intrusion is not possible.

5 drawbacks

1. The main drawback of the incorporation of blinds to a building is undoubtedly that they are a weak point of the thermal envelope, that is they are what is known as ‘thermal bridge’. The drawer of the window is full of air at outside temperature, and always becomes one of the most important thermal bridges in a house, which translates into a loss of continuous energy and a reduction in the energy efficiency of it.
2. The drawer of the blind, is not watertight (although there are some better than others), which means a constant entry of air and noise with the consequent loss of comfort and efficiency for the user, with unwanted currents and annoying noise from the outside.

3. The blinds, due to their configuration, are difficult to clean (both the drawer and the holes of the shutter itself) and therefore a point of accumulation of dirt in the house.

4. Not only do they facilitate the entry of outside noise, but they are a source of noise in themselves, both on a day-to-day basis, when opening and closing them, and on windy days.

5. It is common to find blinds that over the years roll up badly, get stuck or simply do not rise beyond a point. Therefore, they need minimal maintenance, which, while not important, does exist.

That is why we usually recommend avoiding blinds and opening the mind in search of alternative solutions that solve problems without affecting in such a decisive way the acoustic and thermal comfort of the interior, the energy efficiency of the building and, after all, to our pocket. Awnings, shutters, fluorescent curtains, Alicante shutters… are some of those solutions … It’s just a matter of changing the chip.

If the economy allows it, opt for those that besides rolling can be adjustable slats, since they are more useful as solar and light control and easier to clean.

Here at Sure Shade you can finally enjoy top quality external cover that will help you keep your house cool and comfortable for these hotter days as well as protecting yourself of excessive UV rays.