The first thing to remember is that the word faux means "false" or "fake".  That then tells us that "faux wood" means fake or imitation wood.  In many things, fake could be undesirable.  But, in window blinds it has quickly become something to be desired and that has made them a hot seller.  At the same time, it has reduced the cost.

Real wood is beautiful just like fine furniture.  It’s the first choice of those wanting to stick with the "real thing".  But, window blinds serve the purpose of blocking harmful UV rays, sometimes dampness, and the general ravages of burning sunlight.  For those reasons, real wood blinds take a terrible beating on the window in some installations.

Several years ago, technology was developed that allowed manufacturers to design slats for blinds that looked like wood, but that were actually a plastic composite.  Different manufacturers use slightly different formulations for their composites.  Within a short time, the state-of-the-art in faux wood became very sophisticated and the appearance choices became exciting.

What does this development mean?  It means faux wood blinds are moisture resistant, warp resistant, fade resistant, and peeling resistant and look like real wood.

Now you have your choice of products.  The beauty and elegance of real wood blinds, also known as "natural wood", or you can have the new faux wood blinds made of the industry’s newest materials.  The Blind Barn sells the best of each of these two types.

Many homeowners are very concerned about maximum energy efficiency when selecting window covering products.  So, what’s most effective?

The hands down winner is the honeycomb/cellular shade.  It stands to reason that a blind with an air pocket built into the design is going to do a great job with either heat or cold.

The light filtering fabric choices also do a good job of letting light through while insulating against heat or cold, plus stopping most UV light.  This can reduce the need for higher levels of interior lighting while the room is being protected from the ravages of nature.

Window coverings can do much more than just “be pretty” or protect your privacy.  They can also increase the energy efficiency of your home.

Many people have never stopped to consider how light effects the color of shades and blinds placed on windows.  The color of light actually changes dramatically from day to day, and from morning to night.

Sunlight early and late in the day can skew heavily towards warm colors such as reds and yellows.  Mid day sun is probably the most natural color, but light reflected onto a shaded window from a deep blue sky can be very blue, even on a sunny day.    Heavy tree foliage reflecting sunlight onto shades can move towards a green cast.  Cloudy days are very blue.

When nighttime comes, the light striking your shades from inside will be rather reddish if from incandescent bulbs, and perhaps a bit towards green if from fluorescent tubes.

What’s this all mean?  Basically, your blinds and shades will never be the same color from day to day.  In addition, shades on windows facing two different directions will undoubtedly be different colors at the same time.  Learn to enjoy the different colors.  It’s all part of nature and the beautiful world we live in.  Let your window blinds and shades be a part of the ever changing color.

Tremendous advancements have been made in eliminating, or shortening the cords on window coverings. Why is this an advantage to you?

Safety is one big reason. No cords, no cord loops, no strings for children and pets to become tangled in.

Appearance is another advantage. Cords looked just fine until we discovered we could have blinds and shades without them. Once you’ve seen window coverings without “strings”, you never want to see them again if they can be avoided, or reduced in length.

From a safety standpoint, some manufactures solutions are as simple as break-away tassels on the ends of existing cords. It’s a simple feature, but it eliminates the potential for a child getting caught in a loop. Pay particular attention to the safety aspect of cords when choosing blinds for a children’s room.

Consider the “cordless” option wherever you can for the added appearance and safety. You’ll be happy you did.

With the dozens of blind and shades styles available, how do you know what to look at? We’d suggest you choose what you like best, as overly simplistic as that may sound.

The biggest sellers for most window covering dealers these days are the faux wood blinds. No wonder. They’re not made of wood, but rather a composite material that is resistant to sun, moisture, warping and discoloration. Manufactures have developed this product to a level of excellence that has made them very popular.

Faux wood blinds are available either in shades of white, or in some really nice wood grains and it’s getting better all the time.

We offer faux wood blinds by America’s most respected manufacturers. They include Hunter Douglas, Graber, Heartland and Arbour.

Professionals appear to have an easy time with anything they do. One of the reasons is that they use the proper tool for the job. Even though installing blinds and shades is an easy job, the proper tool makes it even easier.

Most professional window covering installers use “hex head” screws. 1/4” Hex head screws will be furnished with your blinds. Even though they can also be driven with a screwdriver, using a hex head nut driver will work much better.

If you’re mounting into wood trim, especially hardwood like oak, drill a small hole first so you don’t split the wood. If your installation requires a different length screw than those provided by the manufacturer, purchase #6 by the proper length hex head screws at the local hardware store.

Here’s a recommended simple, but effective tool list:

¼ inch Hex head manual nut driver. Looks like a screwdriver, but has a different end. The handle is red, standard for the ¼ inch size.

Battery powered drill/driver with ¼ inch Hex head drive nut driver. You don’t need an expensive one, this isn’t demanding work. You don’t need the powered drill if you don’t mind using the manual driver on a number of shades. We wouldn’t be without one of these around the house.

Small drill bits for pre-drilling into hardwood (if you’re mounting on wood, otherwise skip).

Other tips and tools:

You will most likely be either mounting into the wood trim, or outside mounting into the wallboard, likely hitting the header above the window. In the event you have only wallboard with no solid wood behind it, you’ll no doubt be using a plastic anchor. These will not be furnished with your blinds and shades, you’ll need to get them at the local hardware store. We’ve ran tests, and the ones pictured here work best.

TIP: Don’t punch a hole for the anchor in the wall board with an ice pick. You’ll break the backing of the wall board and lose the mounting strength. Drill the appropriate sized hole for the anchor. Good anchors with proper pre-drilled holes have tremendous strength.

Welcome to the new Blind Barn Blog. We want you to know about us and about the fine quality name brand products we offer. We’ll aim for frequent updates on the blog, so if you have an interest in window coverings for your home or office, bookmark our site and check back often.

How about some questions and answers to start off our new blog.

Q: Who is Blind Barn?

A: We’re window covering professionals who have been in the window covering business for more than 4 decades. We are a factory authorized dealer for every major brand, and some that are not so major, but represent a good value.

Q: Why don’t you have an 800 number?

A: That’s an easy one. 800 numbers have to be answered. That means hiring people with little or no experience in window coverings to pick up the phone and give you a pre-canned answer that may or may not be accurate or address your concerns. We believe you should have more.

At the Blind Barn, when you email us a question or comment, you receive an answer from an owner of the company, nothing less. That’s the person who cares the most about your satisfaction. If we don’t have the answer immediately at hand from our vast experience, we’ll contact the factory for the facts and give you a written response, and we’ll do it without delay. You can even email us digital photographs to illustrate a question about your installation if you wish.

We check our emails 7 days per week, including most holidays.

Q: Are shades and blinds hard to install?

A. Most are not. The Blind Barn site offers a number of how to measure guides, and detailed factory instructions for each product are packed with your blinds. Take it slow and easy on the first blind until you get the hang of it, then go to town. With most products, it’s little more than screwing the bracket to the wall or woodwork and then snapping the blind into place. When you get finished, it’s great to stand back and admire the new room you did yourself.