How to Remove Old Blinds Without Damages

You’re excited to finally get rid of those dirty, bent, tacky blinds from 1988. Put down the pry bar for a minute and read this article before you accidentally damage your wall or window frame. Removing mini blinds, roman blinds, and wooden blinds without damage can all be accomplished by taking your time and using the right tools.

Before starting the removal process, you will need a few tools: a screwdriver, pliers, joint compound, a small putty knife, a sponge, paint that matches the wall’s current color, a paint brush, and wall primer if you think you need it. The wall primer is optional.

Step 1: Raise up the blinds all the way before doing anything. This makes them easier to handle.

Step 2: Some products use a valance or cornice to cover the top rail and brackets.  Next you will want to remove this valance.  Be very gentle for this step. Grab the bottom of the valance and push it toward the direction of the window so that you create a slight gap between the top of the valance and the top of the clips. Very carefully push the valance in an upward and outward motion at an angle until it is not touching the clips anymore. Make sure to remove the valance gently or the clips will break off.

Step 3: On a door mounted blind the hold down brackets need to be removed. These brackets are the ones that attach the bottom part of the blinds against the wall. Sometimes the end cap portion of the bottom rail has hold-down pins. If this is the case, remove the hold down pins before removing the hold down brackets. Next, use your screwdriver to unscrew the hold down bracket screws. For extra tight pins and screws, remove them with a set of pliers and use a power screwdriver instead of manual screwdriver.

Step 4: On wood, faux wood, and other horizontal blinds, you will unlatch the mounting brackets from the front and slide the head rail out. If the blinds are heavy or bulky, you may need help with this step. Wooden blinds tend to be heavier.  Roman shades and cellular shades brackets are often times spring loaded or require a or tab is loosened behind the shade.  You may need to refer to the product installation instructions to determine which type of bracket your blind uses.

Step 5: Remove the side and center mounting brackets with a screwdriver. If there are wall anchors, you may have to remove them with needle nosed pliers.

Step 6: The screws probably left small holes in the wall. Get out your joint compound and patch the holes using your putty knife. While it’s still wet, smooth out the joint compound with a sponge and let dry. Get paint that matches the current color on the wall and paint over the newly smooth area after the joint compound is completely dry. I like to save small glass food jars from pickles and salsa and stuff. I use them to store a little bit of paint for quick touch-ups like this.

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Featured Brand: Levolor

Levolor blinds are one of the most trusted and desired window shade brands on the market. Levolor continues to be a top choice in window treatments with their wide variety of high end cellular, roman and woven wood shades as well as vertical, aluminum, faux and wood blinds, and panel track window treatments.. Levolor provides excellent value, superior quality, and lots of style.

Since the early 1900’s, Levolor shades have been the go-to source for window shades. Today, Levolor maintains this loyal dedication to quality, value, and innovative style in the world of window shades. Levolor is a division of the Newell-Rubbermaid Company, a global marketer of consumer and commercial products.

After starting up in 1914, Levolor quickly became synonymous with aluminum horizontal blinds or the 1” mini-blind that continue to be featured in just about everyone’s home in the US. Levolor is also well known for their contemporary Levolor Accordia cellular shades and their continued excellence in creating stylish custom window treatments. If you are looking for a unique look for your window coverings, Levolor blinds should be at the top of your list.

Levolor shades are a timeless addition to any home or office. As beautiful as they are functional, Levolor blinds will continue to be a worldwide market leader in window fashions. The diverse line of Levolor shades includes attractive designer creations such as vertical blinds, aluminum blinds, and wood blinds. Levolor cellular shades, woven wood shades, and sheer vertical shades round out their diverse offerings.

The Levolor Accordia cellular shades are one of the most popular blind choices they offer. These stylish honeycomb-shaped energy savers, available in a variety of fabrics, conveniently and effectively trap air. This creates a layer of insulation right at the window, which normally does not have as much insulative value as the surround wall. The pockets of these cellular shades increase the energy efficiency of windows in both winter and summer. For those who are looking for a quick and affordable way to instantly save money on heating and cooling, Levolor cellular shades are an ideal match.

If you need assistance choosing Levolor shades best suited for your home and style, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you find the perfect style of blind or shades that you are sure to love.

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Keep Both Light and Privacy with Top Down/Bottom Up Shades

One of the top reasons people shop for top down/bottom up shades is for privacy. Most people don’t want the inside of their home exposed to complete strangers, especially from ground level floors when it is easy to see inside. Window shades are often purchased to help remedy this. This brings up the dilemma of totally blocking out the light during the course of the day. With top down shades, you no longer have to pick between privacy and natural sunlight in your home.

Top down/bottom up blinds are shades that not only slide up from the bottom but also slide down from the top, hence the name. This allows you to block the view from outside on the bottom, and let in as much light as you want from the top. This is great news for those who have been previously frustrated at being forced to choose between having a dark room at high noon or a fully exposed room that one can peer into from a block away.

Available in a variety of colors, styles, functions, and fabrics, opacities, top down/bottom up shades are quickly becoming an ideal choice for every window in the house. Top down shades are available as cellular shades, roman blinds and even woven wood shades. These options allow you to combine your choice of color, style and texture with the versatility of a top down/bottom up system. Cellular top down/bottom up shades let you balance between letting in the sunlight during the day on the top while still getting some insulation around the window at the bottom.

Top down and bottom up shades are an inventive window treatment that basks in the glory of its flexibility. Windows can often open from the top which can help circulate fresh air throughout your home. A top down blind system can let you choose to open the top window a bit to let the hot air out and open the bottom a bit to let the cooler air in. It also reduces the risk of your blinds getting damaged from getting blown around if a light breeze picks up. There are dozens of arrangements available to meet your needs. Top down/bottom up shades are a jack-of-all-trades, or shall we say, a “jack-of-all-shades”?

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Top 3 Reasons to Choose Blackout Shades

You may have heard about blackout shades and the advantages they offer. If you are not familiar with blackout blinds and are still on the fence about whether they are worth investing in, read on to learn the top three reasons to choose blackout shades.

#1 Light
The #1 reason people choose blackout blinds is because they effectively block light from entering the room. If your bedroom is illuminated by any light source from outside your home at night, you can use blackout shades to keep the light out and the room dark. If you enjoy an occasional morning of sleeping in, blackout shades are the answer. If you work the night shift, room darkening shades can be essential in helping you sleep better during the daytime. An added bonus – blackout shades provide total privacy, which is important for both bedrooms and bathrooms.

#2 Noise
Blackout shades are known for their light-stopping ability, but you may not be aware of their noise reduction properties. Because of their insulating characteristics, blackout shades can greatly cut down on noise coming from outside of your home. This combination of noise cancellation and light blocking makes room darkening shades the perfect solution for people who live in cities, near busy roads or next to a loud neighbor.

#3 Insulation
The honeycomb design of cellular blackout shades helps to keep out the cold better than nearly any other window covering. The blackout component keeps your home cool in the summer by reducing heat gain. The shades are also backed in white fabric so they reflect the sun and heat. Energy efficient blackout cellular shades translate into year-round savings on both heating and cooling costs.

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Feng Shui for the Home

“Feng Shui” is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days. You hear it a lot (mostly from people that don’t know much about it) in sentences like “That is SOOO Feng Shui, I love it!” and “This lantern is Feng Shui- it’s supposed to bring luck.”. Feng Shui- the ancient Chinese practice of creating a harmonious energy balance in the home- has become more and more popular in the United States as many aspects of eastern culture enrich our society.  

That being said, I will not attempt to fully explain every faucet of Feng Shui in this article. Feng Shui is a complex architectural and design endeavor worthy of a master’s thesis. If you were going to strictly adhere to Feng Shui principles you would need an architect to reposition doors, and in some cases whole rooms. Also, Feng Shui is considered to be a life-long endeavor and can require years of study to fully understand. However, by following a few simple basic concepts, you can make any room more peaceful, balanced, and energized (depending on your needs). I will attempt to lay out a few basic ideas and then give some tips for the “big threes” of any living space- the three places you’ll spend the most time in- the kitchen, living room, and bedroom.  

Feng Shui is all about balancing “energy”- active or “yang” with passive or “yin”. It also centers around making the energy of the room flow freely from one area to the next. Energy here can be thought of as the thing that causes people to instantly feel a certain way when they walk into a room. When you walk into an office (provided you enjoy your job, of course) you feel motivated and focused. When you walk into a store you feel relaxed by the easy, flowing layout and calm, quiet music. The same can happen in your home. In your office you want to feel focused and ready to work- so you take down distracting decorations, paint the walls a neutral color, and probably face your desk away from the window. A few simple rules to apply to your home are as follows:  

• Keep your home clean and clutter free: Every time you enter a room that’s cluttered, it creates clutter in your mind. You feel antzy, or the desire to get out of that space, and it’s hard to relax.
• When painting and decorating, avoid contrasting colors like red with green, yellow with deep or “true” purple, and blue with orange. While combining the two colors in a space brings out their intensity, it’s usually too much intensity. In a culture where home is usually the only place we can relax, such intensity is just agitating. Don’t be afraid to use bold colors, just use them in combination with colors that complement them, like reds with yellows and oranges, and blues with greens and purples.
• Walk into each room in the house, including the bedrooms. Does the room invite you to do what you want to do in that room? Is it an obstacle course to move through? Does it have lighting that is too harsh or too soft? Can clean air move freely through the room? These things (simple as they may sound) really are the basis of Feng Shui.
• Remember that certain colors have a measurable effect on the mind. Purple, for instance, has a tendency to suppress appetites and therefore is not a good color for the dining room unless the whole family is dieting. Likewise, pink would be counterproductive in the room you exercise in.

The Bedroom  

Roman Shades in Bedroom

• Make sure both sides of the bed are easily accessible and the bed is not directly facing the door. 
• Keep exercise equipment, TVs, and most electronics out of the bedroom (a small stereo is fine). These things are equated with yang (active) energy and are otherwise distracting to the two main functions of the bedroom- sleep and attentiveness to your partner.
• If a bedroom is Feng Shui, it excites and calms at the same time. A mixture of active and passive colors is a good idea- like white or cream with crimson accents.
• Clean air while you sleep isn’t just good Feng Shui- it’s also a key to better health. Clean air promotes healing (and your body does a lot of repairs while you sleep), clear skin, and healthy lungs.
• Have adjustable light sources whenever possible.
• Use natural blinds that allow you to block light when you want- try wooden blinds or roman shades. With most roman shades you can choose a color that reinforces your Feng Shui efforts.

The Living Room  

• What you have in your living room will reflect what you do in your living room, but you should keep in mind that in order for it to be a comfortable space energy needs to flow through it. If it is an obstacle course rather than a relaxed gathering place you may find it difficult to have comfortable conversation with your company. I repeat, keep the clutter at bay.
• Is your living room a place where you sit and talk with friends and family? Choose “yang” colors- yellow, red, orange, or black. Keep the space open and easy to move in, but intimate. Lots of light also facilitates a feeling of openness, so if you have small windows keep the colors lighter and make sure your light fixtures are up to the task.
• Is your living room an area where you simply want to unwind with a movie at the end of the day? Bring the furniture a little closer together to keep the energy in a cozy “pool”, but still avoid clutter. Choose passive colors- blue, green, white, and purple.
• If you have large windows, use window coverings that help keep heat in in the winter and out in the summer. Go for a light filtering shade that will allow in some light to keep the space bright and welcoming.

The Kitchen  

• Keep the kitchen clean, bright, and welcoming, and if you have lots of gadgets find cupboard space for them.
• Flowers or a living plant provide a healthy energy for the kitchen.
• Yellow represents warmth and friendliness and, according to Feng Shui principles, aides in good digestion, making it an excellent choice for painting your kitchen.

There is more information available on Feng Shui than I could possibly list here. However, a couple of good, easy to navigate, and practical sites on Feng Shui are:   www.thespiritualfengshui.com and  fengshui.about.com.

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