Great Pleated Blinds

 

The terms “pleated blinds” and “pleated shades” are pretty much used interchangeably by consumers. The product looks more like a set of blinds but acts more like a window shade. Pleated blinds are among the newest innovations in window treatments, and if you don’t have them yet, read on.

 

What are pleated blinds?

 

Pleated blinds are one continuous shade, instead of a series of individual slats like those of traditional blinds. The pleats in the fabric, however, give the appearance of narrow slats. Most pleated blinds are made of a special honeycomb material. Also called cellular blinds or shades, this fabric consists of numerous “cells,” much like a honeycomb. Inside each cell is trapped air.

 

Advantages of pleated blinds

 

Pleated blinds have numerous advantages over traditional blinds and shades. For one thing, the cellular construction makes them extremely energy efficient, with much more insulating qualities than possessed by their older cousins.

 

The windows in your home are notorious for allowing hot air to enter during the summer and allowing warm air inside your home to escape during the cold months. In fact, in many homes, almost half of the heating and cooling energy is lost through its windows. Pleated blinds can help maintain your home’s interior temperature, so your heating and cooling system won’t have to work so hard.

 

If you live in a temperate, sub-tropical, or tropical climate, you know how brutal the sun can be in the months of summer. Much of this solar energy passes through your windows, raising the temperature inside your house. Pleated blinds can help with this with their unique cellular design. Some even have light-reflecting material on the exterior side of the blinds, while maintaining their rich colors on the interior side – the part you see inside your rooms. In the colder months, when you want to invite the warming rays of the sun inside, you simply raise the blinds.

 

Pleated blinds also offer optimum privacy. When closed or lowered, no one will be able to see inside your home.

 

Pleated blinds are a cinch to clean, too. Compare dusting or cleaning one continuous shade instead of having to clean numerous individual slats of traditional blinds.

 

Types of pleated blinds available

 

Pleated blinds come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Even if you have windows with an unusual shape, you can find pleated shades to fit. You can also choose the pleat size you want. Wider pleats will give the appearance of Venetian blinds, while narrower pleats will look more like mini-blinds. Pleated shades also come in a wide range of colors, so you’ll have no problem finding shades to match or accent any décor. Consumers have a choice of fabrics, too. These include different weaves, textures, and liners.

 

Most pleated blinds are cordless, so you won’t have to worry about dangerous, unsightly cords dangling from your window shades or blinds. This is especially important if you have small children or pets in your household that might get tangled in cords. There’s also a motorized option that allows you to raise or lower your pleated blinds with just the press of a button.