Faux Wood Blinds
Faux wood blinds are a great substitution for real wood blinds, like basswood blinds, in areas that have a lot of traffic, or if there’s very high humidity. They are very durable, so they are a good solution if you own a home that you rent out, or are maybe running a small hotel as they won’t fall apart with more than average use. Faux wood blinds are actually quite a bit heavier than wooden window blinds, but they cost a lot less and the strenght of the materials makes them a great choice.
The slats on faux wood window blinds come in a smaller set of sizes than you’ll get with natural wood blinds. The material usually comes in slats that are between 1 and 2 inches in width and are made with PVC, or a made with a compound of wood pulp and PVC. The material they made with can make them much harder to lift that natural wood window coverings. The heavier slats also require more strings and ladders to support them.
For more control of the light in situations where you wish to have as much darkness as possible, Faux wood blinds with curved slats are the best. The standard flat slats are standard though, and will recreate the look of a real wood blind. The blinds have holes routed in them for the cords to pass through for raising and lowering them. These holes make little gaps and light can stream through, which can be a problem for some people. Wood blinds with no holes routed ad available and in these the cord is threaded through the slat’s edge instead. Some use a cloth tape, which are normally used for the wider slatted blinds.
If you like a lot more light to come into a room, consider a 2 1/2″ slat. This lets in more ambient light because there’s less slats needed to make it. It makes it less heavy and when it’s fully retracted it takes up a lot less space as well.
Faux wood blinds do come in different colors, but the variety is much more limited than that of the natural wood blinds. This is because of the materials the slats are made of.
Are Faux Wood Blinds Lower Quality?
Many people see faux wood blinds as lower quality, but because of the affordability factor, and the durability of the materials, they may be the best choice depending on the application. Remember, faux wood blinds can be very heavy, so when installing always make sure you use adequate backing and support and install into a window frame or studs.