Swags and Tails

Do you find yourself opening and closing heavy curtains throughout the day, to try and get an appropriate amount of light? Do you wake earlier than necessary because sunlight is streaming in through your sheer bedroom window coverings? Are you concerned about the effect the sun's rays having in fading your furnishings and overheating your home, leading to increased air conditioning costs? 

If you're struggling with your current window coverings, or you want to cover new windows with easy-to-operate shades that come in a variety of fabrics to allow in just the perfect amount of light as well as match your home's decor, then roller blinds may be your ideal solution. These thin shades are available in options that block out light or allow you access to light and views from your windows. Or, you can choose two layers of fabric that accomplish multiple goals for letting natural light into your living areas.

What is the Difference Between Single and Double Roller Blinds?

As their names suggest, single roller blinds utilise one layer of fabric, while double roller blinds use two independent layers and can be more versatile. Typically, a double roller blind is used to incorporate both a blackout shade and a more translucent shade that lets some light in. 

With a double roller blind, you can raise one layer and close the other to allow the amount of light you desire. Perfect for day and night use, double roller blinds maintain a slim profile while giving you maximum flexibility. Other uses for double roller blinds include using different patterns or colors to match the look of your room.

What Are the Benefits of Roller Blinds?

Roller blinds are easy to raise and lower, as well as extremely versatile for nearly any room. The use of double roller blinds enables you to choose multiple functions or looks for your window coverings.

Blockout Roller Blinds

Blockout or blackout shades eliminate almost all incoming light. Darkening your room on demand can help improve your sleep, especially if your schedule is untraditional. Blockout blinds are also an excellent choice where you need more privacy.

An additional benefit of blockout blinds is that they can add insulation and block out harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, keeping your room warmer in cold weather and cooler in the hotter months. This helps you save on energy costs. Blocking UV rays can also prevent your furnishings from fading.

Some types of blockout fabrics can be bonded to a more attractive or textured material to give you all the benefits of reduced light and great privacy as well as a look that matches your interior decor.

Sunscreen Roller Blinds

Keep some light and retain your views with filtered sunscreen fabric in your roller blinds. Sunscreen blinds can also permit you some privacy without eliminating all light, like a blockout shade will do.

Sunscreen blinds are an excellent solution to letting in some light but still providing some insulation and blocking between 80 and 97 percent of UV rays. In addition, some types of sunscreen fabric are treated with antimicrobials to prevent growth of unwanted molds or mildews in damp locations.

Translucent Roller Blinds

Retain some privacy while letting in plenty of daytime light with translucent blinds. Translucent fabrics are a good balance of complete blockout blinds and using a sheer fabric. You can also choose from a huge variety of fabric textures and colors that lend a beautiful look to your room while providing sufficient light.

Sheer Roller Blinds

Don't miss out on the views from your window with sheer roller blinds. These sheer fabrics let in plenty of natural light filtered through decorative or textured materials that give a softer and more decorative look to your room. While sheer blinds don't provide absolute privacy, they do give you some protection against curious passersby. +

No matter which type of roller blinds you choose, you can combine the look you want with the functionality you need for your specific environment.

What Fabrics Can Roller Blinds Be Made of?

You'll enjoy your roller blinds most when you can customize them with the fabrics that both perform and look great with your décor. Most blinds are available in a variety of colour and pattern options. Patterns can most noticeably work to give your room an added dimension; for example, you can use vertical stripes to make a room look higher. You can even choose textured materials that incorporate contrasting fibres to give a subtle boost to your decorating scheme. Coordinate roller blinds on different windows or in different rooms to all work with the overall look of your home. In addition to appearance, you'll want to consider fabrics that will add functionality to your window coverings. Do you want a translucent look that lets in plenty of light with a bit of privacy? Or are you seeking to block light or darken a room? Some fabrics provide extensive UV protection to protect your furnishings from fading. With double roller blinds, you can even choose two functions in the same window space.

Once you've selected blind fabrics that coordinate with your home and work to filter light as you wish, make sure that they also will stand up to the climate in your area and last for many years. Blinds will be most durable when they are:

• Fire retardant and non flammable
• Resistant to dust, mould and bacteria growth
• Resistant to staining and easy to clean
• Resistant to fading due to UV rays

High-quality roller blinds will be available in a range of fabrics that give you the ultimate flexibility in how you want your window coverings to look, perform and last. Dollar Curtains + Blinds offers a huge selection of trendy and classic blind fabrics that are of the highest quality to last in challenging Australian climates. Because we buy in bulk, we get the best prices that we pass on to our customers, letting you get a great value on quality materials. Many of our material options are made exclusively in Australia.

How Are Roller Blinds Measured?

Before you determine the size of roller blind you need, decide whether you want an inside mount -- on the interior of the window frame, called a recess fit -- or an outside mount that fits over the window frame, called an arc fit. Your decision will be based on how you want the window covering to look and whether you need the functionality of a blackout shade. The latter is best mounted on the outside to fully cover the window and prevent light from entering the room.

But even after you've determined where you'll need to measure, you may still be worried about making a mistake. Dollar Curtains + Blinds provides a measurement service staffed by expert installers so you don't need to make vital measurements yourself. Avoid errors and have a professional make sure that your blinds fit perfectly.

Where Can Roller Blinds Be Installed?

Roller blinds are slim enough to be installed on nearly any window. Install the fittings on the window frame or inside the window frame depending on your needs. Most people with the aim of blocking out light and increasing privacy choose an outside recess -- what we call the arc fit. An added benefit to an outside recess installation is that the rolled-up blind permits the most natural light to enter.

In other cases, you may decide to install two blinds using an inside recess. Because an inside recess fit does leave a light gap, it may not be the optimum choice for blockout shades.

What Brackets Are Used?

All brackets are not alike. To get the most out of your roller blinds, you must have the right brackets that hold your blinds securely, reduce gaps that let in unfiltered light and blend in with the window frame as much as possible.

At Dollar Curtains + Blinds, making sure you have the right brackets is just as important as helping you select the right fabrics and functionality for your roller blinds. Our double brackets use a slim profile that doesn't stick out from the window or let in unwanted light. The brackets incorporate chain winder guides that keep chains from interfering with blind operation.

Attractive pelmets are the finishing touch; these concealing covers go over the bracket to make your windows look nice. Pelmets can also assist with insulation as they can help trap air that enters through the top of your window. Coordinate your pelmets with the fabrics used in your blinds, and choose either a bonded pelmet for a sleeker appearance or a padded pelmet for a softer look.

What Types of Controls Are Available?

Raising and lowering your roller blinds is easier when you've selected the best option for controls.

Spring Operated

Roller blinds with an easy-to-lift snap lock spring system will raise and lower with a small tug on the base of the blind. Positional bearings make manual operation quiet and smooth. With no cord to tangle or get in your way, spring operated blinds may be the best choice for a home with small children or pets.

Chain Operated

Pre-looped, stainless steel chains allow ease in operating your roller blinds. A chain works well for especially large or heavy blinds. Don't like stainless? Plastic options are available and can also be customized for length, which also makes them safer for use with children and pets. Thin chain modules reduce gaps that can let light through. As well, many chains are available without unsightly joiners.

Motorised

For blinds that are located on harder-to-reach windows or for use with home automation systems, motorised rollers let you raise and lower your shades via the touch of a button (or a smartphone). You don't need any chains, so the overall appearance is sleeker and safer for children and animals. Plus, motorised options are best for larger or heavier blinds.

No matter which control you choose, Dollar Curtains + Blinds' options are safe for use around young children and pets. They can be customised to meet your family's needs.

What Types of Other Design Options are Possible?

You can further customise your roller blinds by choosing special finishes and fittings. The bottom of your blind can be fit with a bottom rail that fits into a stitched pocket, or you can elect to have a scallop or fringe at the bottom of the blind fabric. You can even create a special bonded insert in a coordinating fabric at the bottom of each blind panel. With spring operated blinds, or for a unique look, you can also add metal ring pulls or tassels.

Base rails are often added to provide a bit of extra weight that keeps the blind from moving as much during a breeze. These aluminum base rails can be oval or D-shaped or wrapped in fabric depending on your preference

Cassettes and side channels can be added to any blind to help conceal hardware and brackets or to close any light gaps. These are especially nice in bedrooms, children's rooms or on other windows where you want to minimize light, such as in a home theater.

How Do You Choose the Best Roller Blinds?

The key to getting window coverings that will last in Australia's climate and perform as you expect is to invest in high-quality blinds. At Dollar Curtains + Blinds, we've invested many years in researching and making available the best fabrics, mounting hardware and other options to provide functionality and a well-designed finish. To learn more about the available fabrics, finishes and controls for our roller blinds, see our online roller blinds brochure.

When you purchase through us, your roller blinds will be durable, coordinated to your decor and easy to operate no matter where your window is located. We offer the most innovative roller blind systems on the market with the widest variety of available fabrics to meet all your requirements. We offer a 3-year warranty on our blinds to guarantee that they'll last. Contact us today to learn more about our single and double roller blinds and how they can be perfectly customised to your home or business.

In 2017 to 2018, residential electricity bills in Australia averaged $1,522 with tax. Victoria is averaging at $1,602.32 this 2019.

Regardless of where you live though, electricity rates continue to rise, so much so it's now "the new normal." That doesn't mean you should just endure it. Something as simple as installing window plantation shutters can bring your bills down.

But what are plantation shutters exactly? How can they help cut energy consumption at home? All these and more we'll answer in this post, so be sure to keep reading!

What Are Plantation Shutters?

Also often called plantation blinds, plantation shutters are popular window treatments. They got their name from the grand houses built on South America's cotton plantations.

The main distinguishing characteristic of plantation shutters is their wide louvres. A louvre is a form of construction involving a horizontal arrangement of materials.

In plantation shutters, these materials are often blades or slats of wood, glass, or metal. Each blade or slat varies in width depending on the blade size you choose.

Before, people installed plantation shutter blinds outside their windows (external shutters). But today, you can install these as inside window shutters (internal shutters). They can also either be movable (adjustable) or fixed window treatments.

The Primary Use of Plantation Shutters

The louvred construction of plantation shutters helps with light control and ventilation. Their openings allow some sunlight to get in while letting air move in and out of the building. This also aids in keeping indoor moisture at optimal levels.

Movable plantation shutters provide even greater light control and ventilation. You can adjust the openings of the panel depending on how much light or air you want to let into your home. You can even pair them up with stylish and energy-efficient curtains!

Increasing Comfort while Reducing Energy Consumption

Did you know that you can lose up to 40% of your heating energy through your windows? That up to 87% of heat inside your home comes from outside, through your windows?

Now, consider that heating and cooling make up 20% to 50% of energy bills in Australian homes. That's a lot of energy lost and wasted.

Plantation shutters can help keep that heat inside or outside, as needed. How much depends on the thickness of the shutters themselves. But rest assure that quality plantation blinds help lessen these heat loss and gains.

In summer, these window treatments act as a barrier so that heat outside won't get into your home. Their openings still let some amount of air move in and out for proper ventilation.

During the winter season, plantation shutters help keep cold air out. Adjust their panels so you can take advantage of the sun's light and heat.

Increased Privacy without Compromising Beauty

Internal and external plantation shutters cover most of a window's surface area. That makes them a great choice for boosting window privacy.

At the same time, their large louvres give them an elegant, sophisticated look. That's why they're great for living rooms, dining rooms, and even bedrooms. This also makes them a perfect choice on windows that the front of your house as the louvres look beautiful to transform a home’s facade.

Plus, they're available in various stains and finishes, from white to darker neutrals. This makes it easy to work in traditional or modern home designs.

Upgrade Your Windows with Plantation Shutters Now

Now that you know what are plantation shutters, consider investing in them ASAP. Especially with the rising costs of electricity and the harsher weathers, we're experiencing. With these window covers, you can beautify your home and make it even more comfortable.

Ready to transform your windows? Then please feel free to request a free measure and quote from us! We can help you get started with your window and home improvement project.

Are you blinded by the light?

Well, you may need to buy some blinds. No one ever said buying blinds was the most exciting purchase you'll make, but having high-quality curtains and blinds is a real game changer.

Deciding between Venetian blinds and roller blinds can be difficult, trust us. There are many factors to take into consideration; cost, cleaning, privacy, everything matters. Both have their perks and their deficiencies.

Let us give you some information that might help make this decision a little easier. Here's our rundown of Venetians blind and roller blinds.

Let's Talk Light

Let's get right to the nitty-gritty. How much or little light do you want coming through the blind?

If you want to control the amount of light coming in through your windows throughout the day, Venetian blinds will allow you to do so. You can adjust the amount of light by opening and closing the slats. Rays of light may still slip through the cracks, however.

If you are an all-or-nothing kind of person, then you'd choose roller blinds. With these, you can shut the light out completely during the day and night, if you choose. Or, you can leave them wide open and let the whole world into your room.

It's worth noting that you should consider your privacy when having the "light" conversation. Both blind options will offer complete privacy, but with Venetians, you can be semi-private and still get some light into your room.

Let's Talk Decor

Which of the blind options is better for decor? Both can be lovely. It depends on what you're going for in the room.

Venetian blinds bring a certain amount of decadence to your room. They're a more classic style of blind and there are some gorgeous models that will enhance any room.

Roller blinds, on the other hand, come in many different patterns. They can even become the focal point of your room, depending on the pattern you've chosen. You can make a much stronger statement with roller blinds.

Practicality

Aside from the amount of light that you want to let into your room, Venetian and roller blinds each have a unique "user experience".

Venetian blinds are a bit bulkier than roller blinds, so you need to consider space. While you can order both for any window size, roller blinds tend to be tighter fitting, taking up less space, than Venetians as well.

Roller blinds are the perfect option if you don’t want your window views obstructed. You can roll them up and have a no obstruction to your outside views which makes them very practical.

Both types can be easily cleaned. With Venetians, you'll have to dust every slat, which can be more time-consuming. Rollers consist of fabric so they will have a different cleaning process altogether.

If you give your blinds the proper care, both Venetian and roller blinds will last a long time.

Venetian Blinds or Roller Blinds?

As we've laid out in this article, there is no right answer to this question. Both are a great choice. In fact, why choose?

Get a set of Venetian blinds for your kitchen and a set of roller blinds for your living room. Having the best of both worlds is possible in this scenario.

Whatever you decide to do, you should feel lucky to be getting some great new blinds.

To shop for your new blinds, check out our products page.