To manually operate a Hunter Douglas SkyLift, a hand crank provides a direct way to open and close the shade by turning it, while a telescoping pole is used for hard-to-reach windows to operate the shade from a distance.
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Skylights
Skylight windows invite gorgeous natural light into your home. But, there are times of day–and seasons of the year–where the direct rays coming into Winnipeg homes is not welcome. Suddenly, that beautiful light is causing squinting headaches, heat exhaustion and damaged interiors.
When you cover skylight windows with the right window coverings, you’ll experience light when and if you want it. You’ll maintain comfort, while adding a layer of protection against harsh UV rays.
Hunter Douglas Doulite Duettes, which are a type of honeycomb shade, are available for skylights. They offer the options of a room darkening or light filtering fabric for the bottom shade and a sheer shade on the top to keep the damaging effects of UV rays to a minimum. It’s two shades in one!
Make adjustments simple with a manual crank, or even better, smart shades. The innovation of automated shades allows you to make adjustments with a tap on your phone or a voice command. Set schedules, save favorites, or sync the movement with your smart home system. It’s as easy as that.
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Hard to Reach Windows
Motorization
Motorized window coverings offer convenience, enhanced privacy and security, energy efficiency, and child safety, making them a popular choice for modern homes. They eliminate the need for cords, allowing for smooth and quiet operation, and can be easily controlled with a remote control or wall switch. Motorization is an excellent choice for windows that are difficult to reach because of their height or location.
Don’t want a remote? Automate!
In window coverings, motorization simply means using a motor to operate the blinds or shades, typically controlled by a remote or wall switch. Automation, on the other hand, takes it a step further by adding programming and smart features, allowing the window coverings to adjust automatically based on schedules, sensors, or integration with other smart home devices.
Automation allows you to set up schedules for your shades, so that shades automatically open and close exactly when you want them to, for everyday convenience.
Here’s a look at just some of the ways this can work for you:
- Swap your alarm for a gentle wake-up by scheduling bedroom shades to open.
- Schedule kitchen shades to open while you’re enjoying breakfast.
- Schedule all shades throughout your house to close in the evening.
- Enhance security by scheduling shades to move at set times, giving your home a lived-in look while you’re away.
- In summer or warmer climates, schedule shades to close during the day to keep your house cooler.
Schedules are created and controlled using the manufactures customized app on your smart phone. Take a look below at the Hunter Douglas PowerView video that explains just how easy this process is!
How are the blinds powered?
Once you have decided to choose a motorized blind or shade, you will also need to determine what power source will be the best choice. Battery operated blinds are the most common, both standard or rechargeable batteries are available. Another option is a plug in low voltage transformer. Based on your window covering needs our designers can help determine which power source will work the best for your particular situation.
Homeowners in the building stage have a unique advantage to wire their homes for window coverings, allowing the blinds and shades to run off of low voltage wiring. Wiring the window coverings provides a reliable power supply. You’ll never have to worry about replacing batteries, as hardwired blinds draw power directly from your home’s electrical system.
Superblinds is known for our expertise in wiring for window coverings. We work with well established brands such as Lutron and Hunter Douglas who provide quiet, top quality motorized products. We can guide you through the process and work with your electrician to the projects completion. Call us or visit our showroom for more information.
Battery-wands
Image 1 of 4Standard battery wands use lithium batteries. A more environmentally friendly option is a rechargeable battery wand. In both cases the battery wand is generally attached to the back of the shade headrail. If the window is accessible the wand can be easily removed to either replace the batteries or charge the wand when necessary. Choosing rechargeable batteries offer the additional options of continuous solar charging and the selection of an internal battery on some window covering products.
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Privacy
Openness Factor
The openness factor of blinds refers to the density of the weave in the fabric, typically expressed as a percentage. It indicates how much light and visibility is allowed through the blind. A lower openness percentage means a tighter weave, blocking more light and offering more privacy, while a higher percentage indicates a looser weave, allowing more light and visibility.
Opacity
Opacity refers to the amount of light that passes through a fabric. Sheer fabrics allow for the most light to enter a room, but they offer the least amount of privacy. On the other end of the spectrum, blackout fabrics block nearly all light from entering a room, and they provide the most privacy
People prioritize privacy from window coverings in the evening primarily for safety and security, as well as to improve sleep quality and maintain personal boundaries. At night, when interior lights are on, window coverings help prevent outsiders from seeing inside. The opacity of the fabric on your window will determine how much coverage you receive. Take a look at what various opacities look like from the outside into the home, in the photos below.
Top Down/Bottom Up
People love top-down/bottom-up shades because they offer a unique combination of light and privacy control, allowing for flexible light management and maintaining privacy simultaneously. This design allows you to adjust the shade from the top or the bottom, or both, providing options not available with traditional blinds.
Top Down Features
- Daylighting Across the Ceiling
- Interior Protection from Harsh UV Rays
- Privacy with Natural Light
Natural light improves your mood & the atmosphere of your home. But, what about privacy? Even more, direct light enters, increasing the temperature and causing glare. It’s time you said “enough is enough” with top down bottom up shades. Most of the window stays covered for privacy and light control, while natural light flows in across the ceiling to illuminate the space. Enjoy the ideal balance of light & control in your home.
Daylighting
Natural light crosses the ceiling and illuminates the space. This is called daylighting, and it’s a well-loved feature of top down shades. Just by lowering your shades from the top, you can have all the benefits of covered windows while enjoying mood-boosting sunshine. Reduced glare, no direct rays in your eyes, privacy and energy savings.
Privacy
Just because you have street-level traffic outside your windows, doesn’t mean you have to give up privacy. Not only that, but you don’t have to give up your sky views or natural light, either. Bring the shades down enough that you can have the best of both worlds–a cozy, private feeling on the inside with natural light that easily puts you in a good mood.
Custom Adjustments
Put your shades right where you need them when you combine the Top Down/ Bottom Up feature with PowerView Motorization. Lower from the top. Raise from the bottom. Lower from the top AND raise from the bottom. It’s customization at each and every window that makes these shades so unique. You design the way your room looks and feels. Experience a personalized atmosphere you will love!
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Child Safe Blinds
Cords and kids don’t mix. Did you know that ordinary household items like window coverings with long accessible cords can seriously harm or cause death to a child?
In 2021, new regulations for corded window coverings came into force in Canada. Before the change, an average of one child per year died from strangulation by a window covering cord. One death per year involving a home décor product is one too many.
Canada’s requirements for window coverings are the strictest in the world, and apply to all products sold in Canada, both custom-made and off the shelf.
Health risks
In Canada, there have been many reports of strangulation deaths and near-fatal incidents caused by window coverings with long, accessible cords. Children between 1 and 3 years old are most at risk.
Strangulation can occur when a child:
- places their head through a cord loop
- wraps a single long cord around their neck
- pulls inner cords out of the window covering and puts their head through a loop
Strangulation happens quickly and quietly. It can happen even when caregivers are nearby. It only takes 22 centimeters of cord (or a 44 centimeter loop), to strangle a child. This can cause:
- unconsciousness in 15 seconds
- brain damage in 4 minutes
- death in 6 minutes
Reduce the risk
Replace window coverings that have long accessible cords
Any type of long accessible cord, such as cords on the side, inside or back of the window covering, can strangle a child. The safest window coverings are ones without long accessible cords.
To keep your child safe:
- Remove window coverings that have long accessible cords.
- If you can only replace some window coverings, start with those in children’s rooms and play spaces.
- Use all additional components and accessories that come assembled with your window coverings (for example, a cord shield). These components help keep children safe and should not be removed.
Safety tips for long accessible cords on older window coverings
If you can’t replace your older window coverings that have long accessible cords, you can still take steps to reduce the risk. Until you can replace them, make sure to:
- Always keep cords out of reach of children.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and read all warnings.
- Never place cribs, beds, and playpens near a window where a child could reach a cord.
- Do not place furniture that a child can climb near a window.
- Securely attach tension devices supplied with window coverings to the wall so a child can’t place the cord around their neck.
- Install a cleat or tie-down device up high on the wall and use it to keep cords out of reach.
- Never tie knots in cords. Immediately untie any knots that form accidentally.
- Remove any devices that form dangling loops, whether at the bottom, middle, or top of the cords.
Window coverings with long accessible cords can become an even greater risk if incorrectly installed. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing and using window coverings.
Excerpt taken from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-safety/blind-cord-safety.html
When you have children or pets living in your home–or even just visiting, it’s important to have the peace of mind that cordless blinds and shades represent. At Blinds are Beautiful, we want to ensure the safety of our community members’ homes. We have a number of operating systems that make safety a priority for children and pets.
Find out more about the choices in lift systems, from cordless to cord-safe, and from manual to power options. You’ll rest easy with these innovative safety features, and with the clean look they provide, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
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Introducing LightLockTM
Known for innovation, Hunter Douglas is back at it with LightLockTM. This revolutionary blackout technology offers 100% darkness. Yes, you read that right: 100%.
How Do These Shades Work?
Along with your Duette shades, U-shaped side channels are installed right inside your window frame. These channels seal out the light.
The specialty blackout fabric prevents intense light from entering the space. Along with this incredible room darkening, you’ll also gain energy efficiency. Duette shades are well-known as the industry leader for their cellular construction, preventing energy loss. It’s a win-win!
Are They Just For Bedrooms?
Nope. Duettes with LightLockTM are quickly becoming the best blackout shades on the market for all the places in your home that need total darkness at times:
- Naptime areas for children, grandchildren, and adults
- Media rooms for any-time-of-day entertainment
- East- or West-facing spots that experience intense sun/heat
The Best Blackout Shades Are Here!
Ready to enjoy a movie, catch some extra Zzzs, or help your children sleep longer? You can have it all–and more–with LightLockTM. Our team at Blinds are Beautiful would love to help you achieve total darkness, complete comfort, and beautiful styling with the best blackout shades on the market. Contact us today!
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Room Darkening
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is about the difference between room darkening and blackout…and which option would be best. It’s a good idea to understand that room darkening is the term used when “most” of the light is kept from a room, but it’s still possible to see. Blackout is best described as an environment where all the light is blocked, and it can be hard to see. Both environments are favorable for a good night’s sleep. It’s often the intensity of the light–or if adults need daytime sleep–that can dictate which choice is best. Plus, the type of window shades and fabrics influence the results.
If you’d like ideas for the window treatments, including room darkening and black out blinds and shades, we’ve got plenty to choose from. Block the light, no matter the time–day or night.
Light Gaps
It’s always important to keep in mind that light gaps may exist–these are slivers of light that appear along the edges of room darkening shades when it’s bright outside. We mention this because there are times when blackout shades create more of a “room darkening” environment due to the gaps. This is where your window covering specialist can help guide you. Depending on the make-up of your window, the framing and depth, you can have varying light gaps. It’s dependent upon which window coverings you choose and how they are installed. One option to consider if you need it ultra-dark, is the LightLock system. This adds a U-channel to the frame, sealing out the light, paired with a blackout honeycomb shade. Another option, layering draperies, allows you to cover the edges of the window, while enhancing the style of your home.
Can it get even darker?
Get solutions to block the most intense sunshine for any room in your home. And, create the ideal media space for an afternoon movie. With the LightLock™ feature on room darkening shades, any room can achieve complete darkness!
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Wide Width Windows
Transform flooding light into a comfortable glow with our window covering solutions for large windows. Many of our shades let you enjoy your beautiful view while protecting your home from too much light.
Covering wide windows with blinds presents a few key challenges: weight, size limitations, and operating mechanisms. Large blinds can be very heavy, making them difficult to lift and operate, especially for taller windows. Additionally, many blinds have size restrictions, and very wide windows may require multiple blinds or alternative solutions like vertical blinds or sliding panels.
Our Design Consultants at Blinds are Beautiful will help you find the best solution for your windows.
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Tilt & Turn Windows
It can be challenging to cover tilt and turn windows with blinds because their unique inward-opening mechanism can be obstructed by standard blinds. Traditional blinds are designed for windows that open outward or up and down, not inward at the top or like a door.
Meet TrackGlide. Sleek tracks run along the edges of the window frame, allowing window shades to operate no matter the position of the window. Available exclusively with Duette honeycomb shades, you can enjoy light control, reduced glare, and privacy. You’ll also have the option to choose top down bottom up in addition to the comfort of these insulated shades.
Features
- Cover Tilt Turn Positions
- Enjoy Top Down Control
- Room Darkening Available
- Cordless Design Improves Safety
No Drilling with this Narrow Track
Oftentimes, homeowners feel overwhelmed when they have tricky windows to cover. Shallow window depth, low profile glass doors, tilt turn windows…these are just a few things we deal with every day. TrackGlide is an amazing solution for those windows that seemed impossible to cover. The narrow track of this system adheres along the edge of the frame–not on the glass–for a “no drill” installation.
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Travelling Wands
A traveling wand is used to open, close, and sometimes tilt window coverings like draperies and vertical blinds. It eliminates the need for cords, making operation safer and easier. For draperies, the wand is attached to the drapery hooks and used to slide the curtains along the rod. For vertical blinds, the wand rotates the vanes to control light and privacy and also traverses the blinds open and closed.
