Our window treatments are designed to serve a purpose, we want them to help regulate the heat, protect our home and contents from UV damage, provide privacy and security and help to add a decorative element to our homes. A manufacturers warranty on blinds is often 5 years with an average lifespan of about 7-8 years. But with a quality choice of blind and proper maintenance, your blinds will last you up to 10 years and beyond. These are some signs that it is time to replace your window treatments.

Wear and Tear

Image credit: Rollease acmeda

If you have just moved into a new house and are not aware of the age of the blinds or you can’t remember the last time you replaced them, there are a few things to look out for. Faded fabric or timber is a normal sign of age with all blind materials due to prolonged exposure to UV rays, however, pronounced discolouration is a sign that your blinds are nearing the end of their days. Fraying fabric down the edge of your roller or Roman blinds is a sign of both age and ill-fitted window treatments, the fray is caused by the friction of the blind scraping down the inside of your window frame. Custom-fit blinds will allow for block out protection without hugging so tightly the fabric is damaged. Faulty or aged mechanisms will be the most obvious sign that it’s time to replace your blinds, for example, twisting the tilt wand on your Venetian blinds only to find that they barely move or no longer fit snugly together are a sure sign the tilt mechanism is compromised.

Safety

Image credit: Louvolite

Wear and tear can lead to safety issues with your window treatments. When the lifting mechanism of Venetian or Roman blinds wears it can make it very difficult to manoeuvre up and down, while this is annoying it also means that the mechanism has the potential to fail which could result in the blind falling unexpectedly. There is no better time to consider replacing old blinds than when our children or grandchildren become mobile. Roaming toddlers have the unique ability to highlight all potential dangers within a home. Blinds with long dangling cords are hazardous to small children so the safest remedy is to replace these with roller blinds, shutters or panel glide blinds.

Upgrade Your Aesthetic

Image credit: Watson Blinds

Sometimes when taking on renovations or home upgrades our window treatments slide down the priority list. Well-chosen, quality made window furnishings will provide added privacy and security while helping to reduce the cost of your energy bills, but all utility aside they can also drastically elevate the design aspect of your home. Universal streamline blinds can work perfectly in modern spaces while layering treatments such as blinds and drapes in older or more traditional homes can add texture and warmth. Regardless of your taste, one thing is certain; aged, warped and discoloured blinds can look very shabby, without the chic… so by replacing worn-out blinds you can instantly transform the space to be more functional and tasteful for years to come.

Your Fashionline Team.

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