Wood Blinds: A Natural Window Blind
Each slat or piece of real wood blinds tells you its natural history. It tells you the environmental factors that affected its growth. No two pieces of wood is exactly the same. Learning to read the grain patterns and other variable features of wood let you identify the type of wood it is and the history it has. Depending on where and how it is cut from the tree, the grain of wood is the direction and regularity of its fiber. The direction and the density of the grain is what produce the patterns and its variations in each piece of wood. At one time wooden blinds were the number one blinds used. They were the modern replacement to wooden shutters. Most of the wood blinds today are made from Ramin Wood or Base Wood. These two woods are ideal because they are lightweight, have a distinctive grain for staining and sturdy for wood blinds. People do however get their wood blinds custom made to match their furniture in cherry, oak or walnut. When they are custom made wood blinds can have optional features like fabric tapes, cord-want tilt and motorization, light blocking, UV control and anti static control. You can also get cordless operations and specialized valances upon request. As like other blinds, wood blinds come in a variety of styles. You can get vertical, horizontal, mini and even roman shades in wood. Wood Blinds can be constructed with a no-hole option, which makes the room really dark. Using a 3-inch wide valance with these types is very attractive. The Ramin wood is a less expensive alternative to these types of blinds and usually is used with a 2-inch wide valance to hide the metal head rails. The size of the slats determines the look you want when purchasing wood blinds. One-inch slats look good on French Doors where as two-inch slats look good on any size window. Wooden blinds that have slats bigger than that look like plantation shutters, which provide a maximum, see through space when open. You want to make sure the rooms you use your wood blinds are not prone to humidity or air moisture because they can warp and ruin the stain as with any wooden furniture. It is not recommended to wash wood blinds for the same reason. Even though the wood is sealed, excessive water and damp may cause them to warp and discoloration. They may be dusted off as you would any wood furniture and polished with a good wood dusting/polishing commercial product. You may also use the brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner if you choose. Wooden blinds are pricier than other types of blinds especially if they are custom made. You want to make sure they are under warranty or guarantee upon purchase. |
