Ready Made Blinds – A Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide

When it comes to making a design statement in a space, the windows to a home are one of the most significant features to dress up. With the right window treatment, the rest of the room can be emphasised and complemented perfectly or make a space appear larger.

For many homeowners, creating your own personal dream haven edged with a touch of classiness is a must. Readymade blinds offer a convenient way to show your windows some love and perk up a dull looking room. Created with the most common sized window frames in mind, the variety of readymade blinds ensures you can find the best match for your home and space. Here a few things to consider when buying readymade blinds.

Styles and Solutions

Readymade blinds are beneficial to homeowners because they are available in a variety of different styles, fresh patterns and endless colours.

Readymade roller blinds are the most common style and offer a simple, easy to use window solution. They are a practical finish for any space and can be teamed up with curtains for added efficiency or boosted appearance. Because they are a hardwearing window solution, readymade roller blinds tend to be the most popular choice for homeowners.

Readymade blackout roller blinds are ideal for shift workers, children and light sleepers. They are made from densely woven fabric and can be purchased with an extra thick blackout lining so are super effective for minimising light entering the room. For extra protection, they can also be used behind curtains.

For homeowners that love the draping look of curtains but prefer the mechanisms of blinds, readymade Roman blinds add a touch of luxury to almost any space. A cording device attached to the slats at the back of the blinds allows it to be raised and lowered – when raised, roman blinds form soft pleats or hang flat when lowered. The thicknesses of these blinds are perfect in reducing the level of cold draughts in the home, reducing your electricity bills significantly.

When a simplified and sophisticated window dressing is needed, readymade Venetian blinds are ideal. Made from wood or metal horizontal slats, the easy-to-care for properties make them perfect for spaces prone to splashes or spills – namely the kitchen, dining and bathroom.

Window Measurements and Fitting

Once you have chosen the style and design of your window dressing and you’re armed with a palette of colours, it’s time to measure the windows. Whilst most readymade blinds are made to fit the standard window size, the measuring stage is the most crucial to ensure your blinds fit and look perfectly. Blinds that don’t accurately fit the measurements of the window can result in higher levels of light leaking into the room and low privacy control – and they won’t look good either!

If you’re doing the measuring yourself, it’s strongly advised you check and triple check the measurements. If possible it’s best to get a second person to check them too, just to be safe. Both the width and length of the window needs to be accurately measured for the best fit.

Measuring the inside window recess

• Ensure the recess is not obstructed in any way so the blind can hang freely when extended.
• The depth of the recess usually depends on the type of blind but as a general rule of thumb, 50-60mm covers readymade venetian blinds and readymade roller blinds.
• Measure the total width from left to right (A-B in diagram), and the length from top to bottom (C-D). It’s ideal to do this in a few different places to allow for any slight variations or irregularity.
• Document the narrowest of these measurements to the nearest millimetre using a metal tape measure.

Measuring the outside window recess

First decide how far you want the blinds or fabric to overlap on all sides. The recommended figure for this is at least 45mm.

• Measure the width from left to right (E-F). If you have chosen to install readymade roller blinds, add a further 38mm to take into account the operating mechanism.
• Measure the length from top to bottom (G-H) to the drop length desired.
• Document the measurements to the nearest millimetre using a metal tape measure.

Before attempting to fit your blinds, it’s important you read the instructions carefully.

Let it Slide

Consider how often the blinds will be open and closed. Some mechanisms are easier to slide or pull the blinds while other styles can be a little more difficult. For high-traffic rooms where the blinds will be used on a regular basis, consider more durable and simplified blind options. Cord and chain controls make for a much more professional and usable blind.

Caring for Your Readymade Blinds

Fabric and readymade roman blinds can be dusted with a feather duster, or vacuumed with the upholstery brush attachment (the same way as for furnishings and curtains). Readymade venetian blinds can be dusted and wooden ones can be treated with a wood cleaner if necessary. Do not use soap or water on wood blinds as this will cause the wood to warp.

Child Safety

For readymade blinds fitted in a child’s room, they must be fitted with a safety device. This is provided with the blind and is fitted to the wall in order to tup up the pull cord safely out of the way from children and pets.

Cords shouldn’t be tied together, twisted or looped. Cord accumulation systems can be used for extra protection but ensure it’s installed as close to the head-rail as possible so little hands can’t reach.

For safety considerations, its recommended beds and cots are moved away from any window fitted with a blind that has a side control mechanism.

If you’d like more advice on buying ready made blinds, why not use our website live chat feature, give us a call on 1300 652 027 or email us today!