Fabric Vertical Blinds

Today Sue writes:

Dear Diva, I am putting new vertical blinds on the sliding doors in my family room.  I have two dogs that like to run up near the window and I want to avoid that loud clatter sound as they run back and forth along the sliding door.  Will going with fabric vertical blinds stop this horrible noise?

Sue, opting for fabric vertical blinds will definitely stop the horrible noise associated with dogs running along the sliding glass door.  However they may still not be the best choice.  The advantage vinyl vertical blinds have over the fabric ones, is that they are easier to clean and often times less expensive.  So in your situation where you want to get rid of the noise the blinds make, you may be opening up another can of worms as far as the overall cleanliness of the blinds.  Questions to ask yourself are: How dirty did your previous vertical blinds get? And do the dogs run right up against the blinds?

These questions are important because often times when fabric vertical blinds get dirty, there is nothing you can do to remedy the situation. So if your dogs do run against the blinds causing them to get dirty, your choices are to live with dirty blinds or replace just the vanes portion of your window treatment if you do indeed opt for the fabric vanes.  There are things you can do to minimize the amount of dirt caused. Such as choose a darker color fabric or one with a pattern/texture to help minimize how noticeable dirt is.  This would be the best option to minimize the noise and try to preserve the blinds. Another thing you could do is to make sure that the blinds are completely open to one side and out of the dog’s way as possible.

fabric vertical blinds

If having to replace the vanes or going with a dark color/texture and having the blinds open are not an option, you may want to reconsider fabric vertical blinds. Vinyl blinds are easier to clean and less expensive if you have to replace them.  If fabric vertical blinds don’t sound like they will work for you, and you definitely don’t want vinyl vertical blinds, then you may want to consider another option entirely. One option would be sliding panels in a coated or vinyl roller shade fabric.  This choice may still make some noise as the dogs run along the sliding glass door, but it should be much quieter and the fabric will be easier to clean.  Another option still, would be a horizontal blind. You would just want to make sure that during the hours the dogs are more likely to run back and forth that the shade is only lowered to just above dog height. This way they can still see out and will not be able to do any harm to the blind.

While there is no correct choice for this situation, by weighing out the pros and cons you will find the best solution for you. I think your best bet to avoid the loud clatter of noise is to go with a fabric vertical blind in a darker color/texture to help minimize the appearance of dirt if it will fit in with your family room’s design.  One last tip: if you have the choice, when it comes to fabric vertical blinds, choose fabric weights instead of chains. The chains keep the blinds in line more, but they also make a horrible noise when dogs run along side them!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!