shades | Home Makeover Diva

Types Of Skylight Window Blinds

02.08.2015 by Amanda Hartley //

Today Tamari writes:

Dear Diva, we just installed a beautiful new skylight and I love the amount of natural light it brings in, but during the day it gets way too hot in the room, what types of skylight window blinds are available?

Tamari, way to go on bringing more natural light into your home! The skylight addition will add more value to your home and could potentially save you on lighting costs. As you’ve also already found out, having a skylight can make the temperature in the room significantly increase. This is why I think it should be mandatory for window salespeople to inform customers of their window treatment options before finishing the sale. This is obviously just my opinion however, and probably won’t ever happen! But that’s okay, because that’s what I’m here for! That said, you’ve got two choices when it comes to skylight window blinds: cellular shades or 1″ aluminum mini blinds. Each will allow you to have control over the amount of light being let in, which in turn will help keep the temperature down.

1) Cellular Shades – Let’s start with cellular shades first. Most operate on some sort of track, so that the blind stays secure and straight in the window frame. When it comes to control options, you can either order a standard shade and purchase an additional skylight pole to open and close the shade, or there are remote control options. Which one you order depends on your budget, preference and where the skylight is positioned.

2) Skylight Shade Poles – The poles you can order to operate skylight shades come in either 6 ft or 9 ft long and usually cost $30 or less. They basically just have a hook on the end that connects to a little plastic ledge on the bottom rail of the shade. You then manually use the pole to raise or lower the shade. While the remote option raises and lowers with the touch of a button, but will be much more expensive. The remote option is usually your best bet if the shade cannot be reached with a skylight pole.

3) Shade Style – In addition to choosing the control type, you can also choose your cell size, style of fabric and how much light/heat you want to block. If you are looking to control the maximum amount of heat, look to cellular shades with more than one cell or a larger size single cell because it traps more air. A double cell shade is a better insulator than single cell and may help you reduce the unwanted heat. You can also choose a fabric type that blocks more light coming in. This will reduce the amount of heat and will also block most of the incoming light. This option is more popular in bedrooms, because of how much light it blocks.

4) Blocking Light – If you want to block the heat but not the light, this is also possible. This would be done with a double cell in a lighter colored fabric. Or you could choose Levolor Cellular shades and get the Energy Shield option. This options, eliminates air flowing through the shade. So in a skylight window, it would keep most of the heat coming through the window from passing into the room, which would then keep your room cooler.

5) Aluminum Mini Blinds For Control – Cellular shades have a lot more options than my next suggestion. However, if you want more control over how much light is let in at any one time consider 1″ aluminum mini blinds. Unlike cellular blinds which only go up or down, you will be able to tilt the shades opened or closed. One thing to keep in mind about aluminum mini blinds is that you won’t be able to raise or lower them. This is because the headrail and the bottom rail of the blind are fixed, which is how the blind stays flush with the window and doesn’t bell out towards the room.

Aluminum blinds are available with two control types, either a ring tilt or a remote control option. As with cellular shades, you control the ring tilt with a skylight pole. Or depending on preference and budget, you can add the remote control option. Regardless of which options you choose, aluminum blinds are available in a wide range of colors and are also only available by special or custom order.

6) Understanding Blind Custom Orders – No matter which style of skylight window blinds you select, make sure to order them soon. The reason being is that if they’re special or custom order, they’ll take anywhere between two and eight weeks to come in. And even more time should be allowed if you are having them professionally measured and installed or have a specialty shape. In the meantime, you can purchase inexpensive temporary paper shades to put up to help reduce your heat. To reduce the most amount of heat, choose a temporary shade that is blackout or privacy rated.

Typically speaking these shades will run under $10 and should help the room become livable again. Just standard window temporary shades will work, you don’t need anything special. To save yourself some time when the permanent shades come in, apply them straight to the window frame with easy release masking tape. That way, when you are ready to take them down, you won’t have any extra work, trying to get difficult adhesive off. This is also the same reason I am not recommending tacking a towel or sheet up in the window sill. If you spend a few extra dollars on the temp shade, you won’t have to fill in any nail holes later. Sometimes thinking ahead, will make your job easier in the long run!

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!

Cheap Home Decorating Ideas

06.27.2011 by Amanda Hartley //

Everyone dreams big when it comes to making over their home. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But if your budget is limited, you may want to consider some cheap home decorating ideas that can still make a big difference and be light on your budget. This way you don’t have to feel like you settled and you still get to makeover your home. Here are three very simple and very budget friendly projects that can help you achieve this.

The easiest and most cost-effective way to change the feel of any room is to add a new coat of paint. Maybe you’ve always wanted a different color scheme or maybe your walls are just looking dingy? Either way a new coat of paint will do the trick. This is your chance to freshen up your space or add a new twist. If you don’t know what you want, spend some time looking through some magazines or online to find a color scheme that appeals to you. Not only can a new coat of paint revitalize a space, but it can also do wonders for you! Maybe that blue that’s been up for years is bringing your down? Why not go with a brighter color and see if you can’t cheer yourself up! Plus one gallon of paint only costs around $2o (keep in mind though painting supplies will cost approximately $15-$30 more if you don’t already have them).

New window treatments or curtains will also make a huge difference. Maybe the blinds you’ve got up now hardly let any light in? Bring in some shears or 2″ faux wood blinds and see how much difference natural light makes. Perhaps the opposite is your problem? If you work at night and need to sleep during the day, how about getting some light blocking privacy panel curtains or some room darkening cellular shades. Either of these options is sure to help you sleep more during the day and give you the energy you need to keep you up all night long. On top of that, you’re finally getting the sleep you need and you can also get colors that will coordinate your new paint color and help with personality in your space. Depending on what style you choose and the size of your window, new window treatments start as low as $10 for in stock selections at home improvement stores. But they can get costly quickly going upwards of $300.

Hang some new art or photos on the walls. If you don’t have any art work or personal touches on your wall, it probably feels like a hotel room or apartment. Make your house a home by adding some personality. Check out websites like Etsy.com to find some good deals on original artwork. Then frame them yourself by shopping at discount stores and craft outlets. These stores are also a good place to look for frames and matting supplies for your own photos or scrapbook pages. Last year I found three prints that worked perfectly in my newly decorated kitchen for $10 each. I then went to a local craft store and found frames that were 40% off and cost me only $7. At under $60 for three pieces; it was definitely a cheap home decorating idea!

No matter what your vision or your budget you can decorate your home without breaking the bank! Sometimes it just takes a little additional work to make your space into your dream home, even when you can’t afford it. So try these three projects out for size and then think of other ways you can redefine your home on the cheap!

Fabric Vertical Blinds

05.25.2011 by Amanda Hartley //

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.

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!

Outdoor Solar Screens

05.19.2011 by Amanda Hartley //

Today Henrietta writes:

I need to find outdoor solar screens for my parents. They have a gazebo like area off the side of the house that they would like to start enjoying. But the problem is that the area gets a lot of sun coming in from the side and then it can get really hot and uncomfortable out there. Can you think of an outdoor solar screen solution that would be easy for my parents to operate and come in 10 or 12 feet wide? They need to see out but still get protection from the heat and sun, is this possible? Thank you for your time.

Henrietta, yes this is possible! You just have to know where to look. I’d suggest checking into SunSetter EasyShade Outdoor Solar Screens.

The SunSetter EasyShade Outdoor Solar Screens unroll up to 7 feet in height and come in a range from 4 to 12 feet wide. These are not custom solar screens, but they are made at an increment between 4 and 12. There is a manual version with a hand crank and a motorized version. While the motorized version is about $200 more expensive, you may want to seriously consider it due to your concern about this being easy to operate for your parents.

Just to help give you a closer idea of price, if you were ordering a motorized version of the 12ft shade, it would cost around $650. While these are not the most expensive solar screens available, I have noticed that they’re definitely not the cheapest either. You’ll find cheaper solar screens at home improvement stores that will simply raise and lower on a cord, but be warned that the larger the size, the harder it is to raise and lower. And this is why I have suggested SunSetter them over other such brands.

As I said above, these solar screens are not custom so you won’t have a lot in the way of the options. There is only three colors available: Desert Sand, Cream and Charcoal, with a choice on the color of the headrail in Cream or Bronze. If you take my advice and go with the motorized option, the motor is not run by a battery and you will need to plug them in. Luckily the power cord is a generous 12ft and if the area is on a patio you shouldn’t have any problem finding a long-term or temporary solution for power.

The motorized solar screens block 90% of the “sun, wind and mist.” By contrast, the manual ones only block 80% of the same. Either of these options should dramatically reduce the heat and sun that makes the patio area unusable for your parents. Especially as the weather continues to heat up. And if you’re concerned about how the shades will look during the time they are not open, don’t worry the headrail is compact and slim so they won’t be an eye sore.

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!

Top Down Cellular Shades

03.03.2011 by Amanda Hartley //

Today Ella writes:

Dear Diva, I am having a major meltdown over the shades in my family room! For the last four months we have been involved in a renovation project that should have only taken one month to complete. I needed to have made a decision on the shades last week but I still just don’t know what to do. The window treatment consultant suggested using top down cellular shades. My question is why would I spend the extra money on these shades? Please help me!

Don’t worry Ella, we’ll get to the bottom of this situation and you will be on your way to choosing the perfect cellular shades in no time! Most people don’t realize how many options are available when you get custom window treatments, they also don’t realize how expensive all the options can be. I understand your frustration with getting the consultant recommended option when you could spend a little more and get top down/bottom up or spend less and get regular. It just boils down to how you will use your cellular shades.

I’m going to guess that the reason the consultant suggest the more advanced option was because you are trying to let light in while maintaining your privacy? Or are you are trying to obscure an unsightly view that you only see out of the bottom of your windows? If you hardly ever open those blinds anyways than it doesn’t make sense to spend the extra money on an option you probably won’t use.

However if you do use those blinds and you also want to raise the shade from the bottom of the window sill it would make more sense to spend the extra money to go with the top down/bottom up cellular shades. Both options are valid, the important question is which will you and your family use? Once you figure that out, you’ll be able decide which option to purchase.

Your window treatment consultant is probably trying to find the best option for you, they just may not be listening well enough to your needs. So to repeat what I said above, if you aren’t going to open the shades my recommendation is to get the regular controls. If you will use the shades and see no need to lift the bottom up then follow the consultants advice and go with the top down cellular shades. That said, if you use the shades to let in as much light as possible get the top down/bottom up option.

Even though you won’t be opening the bottom of the shade very much a couple of inches does make a big difference to the amount of light that gets let into a room. Yes, it will cost more money, but it will give you the most versatility in the long run.

I’m sure that no matter which option you choice you will make the right choice for your new family room. You just have to take it one step at time and examining which option is the most important will help you get closer to your finished family room!