How to buy cellular shades
Here is a guide to help you select the right cellular shades for your home. There are many choices that are available in the market so to prevent any confusion on what type of cellular blinds to buy, below are all the buying factors that you need to consider.
Color-There are many colors of cellular shades to choose from, ranging from white cellular shades to black cellular shades. The color you choose will depend on the dominant color theme in your home. Having said that, it is sometimes good to play with contrast.
Size-The following are common sizes for window shades including 9/16″, 3/8″, 1/2″ and 3/4″. Before making a purchase, it is critical to know the exact size of your window shades. This can be done by measuring the diameters of your windows using a measuring tape. Do note however to add 2 inches to the measurement to make room for the installation of the brackets, headrails and mounts.
Number of cells-As you might have know, cellular shades is made from small cells blinds together to form a cellular structure. Viewed from the side, this structure looks like honeycomb, which is why they are also called honeycomb shades. When buying cellular shades, the number of cells will determine the level of insulation the blinds can provide. There are currently three types of cell: single, double and triple cellular shades. The higher the number of cells, the stronger the insulation. For those living in countries with seasons, a triple cell window shades is recommended to provide adequate insulation and help you with your energy saving.
Shape of cells-There are two shapes to choose from L shaped and D shaped. The latter can better hold the position of the shades when they are folded and looks neater compared to the L shaped shades. If you can afford to buy the D shape shades, I would recommend it. If you are on a budget, then L shaped cellular shades will do just fine.
Fabrics: Cellular shades are made mostly from fabrics. Currently, there are two main choices:spun lace and point bond. Point bond cost less money but are not as good an insulation as spun lace. It is also not as soft to the touch. However, for people looking to buy cheap cellular shades, point bond might be good enough.
Blackout: There are different grades of light filtration for the blinds. For people who doesn’t want any light coming into the room, blackout cellular shades will be a good choice as they block out outside light very effectively. This is also why they are sometimes called room darkening cellular shades. If you do not want a complete blackout, there is the translucent grade that you can choose from. This allows the light to shine in but still protects the privacy of your home.
Top down bottom up: Most of the time, you need to choose whether you want your blinds to be open from the top or bottom. Most of the home will choose the top down blinds but there is benefit to the bottom up version. During days when you want the light to shine in but doesn’t want anybody peeping in the home, a bottom up cellular shade can achieve this. If you don’t know how to choose between the two, you can opt for the duofold upgrade. With this upgrade, you will have 2 lift cords, one to activate the top down and the other to operate the bottom up.
Cords or cordless: Most of the traditional cellular shades are operated via strings and cords. However with recent concerns over teh danger imposed by these strings on young children and pets, we are seeing more cordless blinds being introduced in the market. These cordless cellular blinds operate via a spring mechanism. Note that given the lack of strings, you might have difficult reaching for the spring mechanism if the window is too high up. In this case, I would suggested a motorised version that can allow you to control the movement of the blinds via a remote control.
Plus Energy System: This is an add on that can help you increase the insulation of your home and reduce your energy consumption by more than five times. It is track barrier sealing the edges of the shades and it is installed between the shades and the windows.
With this guide, we hope you can more information to help you buy cellular shades.
