Impact Blinds

What is the difference between blinds, shutters and shades?

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:23:15 +0000

What is the difference between blinds, shutters and shades?

Here at Impact Blinds we have a variety of blinds, shutters and shades to choose from. Great value and fantastic quality blinds and window dressings is what you can come to expect from us. Give us a call or use the forms on this website to contact us, we can do the rest.

The main difference between shutters and blinds, though they seem very similar is the ability to roll them up and down. Blinds you can move them up and down as well as adjust the angle of the slats to allow more or less light through. Blinds also come in a horizontal or a vertical alignment. Blinds were originally made from real wood but as time progressed they were also made with aluminum, faux wood and pvc.
When people think shutters they think of the old white wooden shutters found on an old American plantation house. They are usually adjustable to open and close but the slats are attached to the side framing so you cant move them up and down like blinds.
Shades cover the windows with one entire piece of fabric that you can roll up or down. The main variation in shades is the amount of transparency of the shade material. Sunscreen shades let some light in, and allow the user to see partially out. Blockout shades stop all the light coming through to the room. Shades can be made from a fabric material, a paper texture or even pvc.
Give Impact Blinds a call today and we can guide you through your choice of blinds, shutters or shades.

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Wooden venetian blinds; a timeless look

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:21:05 +0000

Wooden venetian blinds; a timeless look

The history of Venetian blinds goes all the way back to ancient Persian society. From here they were traded out to the West, to Venice and Paris where their name originates. Though the french still name the popular blinds by their Persian origin.
The United States then got a hold of them all the way back in the 1700’s where they became popular window dressings in government and public offices. Over a hundred years later the entire empire state building had its windows covered with venetian blinds, one of the largest venetian blind orders in history!
Venetian blinds were originally built from wood but later in history they were manufactured from aluminum and faux wood. Both these new materials being more lightweight and cheaper to produce than the original real wooden venetian blind option.
Give Impact Blinds in Auckland a call today to sort out your next venetian blinds.

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Which blind to choose for your home

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:18:36 +0000

Which blind to choose for your home

Here at Impact Blinds a very important part of our service is helping our valued customers make the right choice when it comes to window treatments. Its always a good idea to drop into our workshop at unit 1, 21 Poland Rd, Wairau, Auckland and see samples of the best blinds in NZ. Or call us on 09 444 7771.

So how do you choose the right blinds? It all has to do with matching both your lifestyle, personality and goals with the type of blinds. Also this may vary from room to room around the house. Window blinds can come in various shapes and sizes giving them different characteristic effects on light coming through a window. So its perhaps best to first figure out what your trying to do in that room.
Important Step: Assess your goals and lifestyle uses for each room.

For example you work night shifts, and often have naps during the day. When you have your naps its important to have full control of the light levels and go to full blackout if required. So in your napping room you could choose blockout zebra shades or blockout roller blinds. For the living areas you may want something that aesthetically feels like an old American plantation, to match your old Auckland bungalow. White wooden venetian blinds would help you achive that look.

Sunscreen blinds can stop the damaging effects of sun rays on furniture, but still allow you to mostly see outside through them, which can make them good for living areas or even offices.
Roller blinds come in various transparencies from blockout to sunscreen transparent. This gives you flexibility in choice. They are made of a solid piece of material, so have a stronger blocking potential than something like venetian blinds.
Choices between colours, or construction material, like between aluminum or wooden for venetian blinds, are mostly an aesthetic choice and are less influenced by practicality.

Its always best to come on down to our workshop and check out the options. We can run through what you are trying to achieve and help make the right choice for you the first time.
Choose your favourite nz blinds option that satisfies your goals and lifestyle then the rest is easy.

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How to take care of your new blinds and window treatments

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:15:34 +0000

How to take care of your new blinds and window treatments

Now you have a new set of blinds lets practice keeping them clean.
We all know the site of those nice pristine white blinds developing mold and mildew marks. Slowly but surely those brand new blinds can go from glossy and shiny to dirty and moldy. The trick is to choose the right type of blind to make your life easier. A great time to attack those blinds with a cloth and some soapy water is after winter once it has started to dry up outside. Obviously different houses and environments can have a dramatic effect on how often you need to clean up those blinds.
Its best to dust your blinds first before washing. You can take them down and lay them on the ground which can make cleaning up easier and not require a ladder.
If your cleaning wooden blinds don’t use too much water as they will just absorb it without doing too much cleaning. You can use a bit if you need to get off some stains. Some linseed oil can be used to bring some shine back into the wood, and a drop of tea tree oil can also help keep the mold at bay for longer.
Faux wood or aluminium blinds are easily cleaned with some soapy water and you don’t have to worry about them. For a full clean take them off the framing and take them outside to dry after giving them a good clean with warm soapy water.
We can show you how to do your annual blinds and shutters cleaning when you purchase your new set of blinds from Impact Blinds. We have the best factory direct blind prices in Auckland. Grab a free fast quote today!

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Blinds or curtains?

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:11:18 +0000

Blinds or curtains?

There are two big options out there for covering your windows and doors; blinds or curtains. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, lets explore them in this article.

Curtains
Curtains can add a real character to a room and get quite artistic with colours and patterns. They tend to feel a bit more ‘soft’ and ‘warmer’ than your average blinds or shutters. You can run them all the way to the floor and add a lot of folding to increase the effectiveness of their heat retention making them potentially a better choice in a cold home.

Blinds
The harder and stronger construction of blinds offers a much longer potential lifetime without the slow decay and unraveling of fabric curtains. They can also be much easier to clean, just some soapy water and a few minutes, compared to dragging down mold infested curtains and taking them off to a cleaner, or doing it yourself only to have them shrink on you.
Blinds can be much cheaper than expensive fabric curtains and a lot easier to pick out with less colour and construction options to choose from, which can be a real blessing when renovating.

Blinds are very versatile; you can choose a style that stands out and adds its own character to a room or you can choose a style of blind that is subtle and melts into the edges of the room and seems to add more space than big curtains could. You can also find a suitable level of light permeation, by choosing different styles of blinds, to achieve the work or living ambience you require.

So as you can see they both have their place in the home and its really about what your trying to achieve both aesthetically and practically. Its becoming more popular these days to combine them as well. Which can give you the best of both worlds!
Give us a call or an email today to get your free blinds, shutters and window treatment consultation today.

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How to clean different types of blinds?

iblindsnz — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:55:53 +0000

How to clean different types of blinds?

How to clean different types of blinds

We all have to agree. Cleaning blinds around the house is a tiresome job to do. However, it is one of the best way to maintain the great condition of the blinds for a long period of time. We greatly want our customers to enjoy our blinds with premium quality as long as they can so here are our useful tips for cleaning different blinds!

Roller Blinds

In order to clean roller blinds, a vacuum cleaner or compressed air should be used first to clean off dust from the blinds. During this process, the blinds should not be scrubbed and any solvents or abrasive substance should not be used as they can be damaging for the coating of the fabric. A sponge or soft brush can then be immersed in water with mild detergent and be used to clean the blinds. (The temperature of water should not exceed 30 degC and soap flakes/detergent ratio should not exceed 5gm per litre of water) Wash the blinds with clean water and during the drying process, the blinds should be left down til they are fully dry.

Extra tips:

In hot weather, it is best not to clean the blinds.
Use clean white pencil eraser to lightly rub the fabric. This can clean off any small marks or stains.

Aluminium Blinds

In order to clean aluminum blinds, a feather duster should be used once a week to clean off any dust from the blinds. During spring cleaning, remove the blinds from their brackets and use a mixture of warm water and mild detergent to clean them. The blinds can then be washed to remove the detergent and water mixture and dried.

Extra tips:

It is best not to hang the blinds on a clothesline during the cleaning process on a windy day.
It is best not to dry the blinds completely when sunshine is directly glaring over them as the water spotting can be formed by this.

Wooden Venetian Blinds

In order to clean wooden venetian blinds, a feather duster should be used once a week to clean off dust from the blinds. During spring cleaning, the slats can be cleaned with a slightly damp cloth to clean off any dirt ingrained on the blinds. It is best not to rub the slats intensely and cleaning chemicals should not be used for cleaning wooden venetian blinds.

Extra tips:

Water should not be used to clean wooden blinds as the slats can become bent or twisted out of shape and or discoloured.

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