Window treatments control light, add style

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IYN1_SS___Content-300x225Window coverings are essential and need to be done right. To achieve a custom, professional look, you’ll need help from experts. We can come into your home to give you help.

If your home is in need of window treatments here are a few things to consider.

1. Blinds versus curtains: There are several different kinds of blinds, each of which offers its own features and advantages. Types of blinds include pleated, Roman, panel track and wood blinds. If you’d prefer curtains in your space, you can opt for anything from a light and casual breezy look to a more ornate, formal fabric with sophisticated pleating and draping. If you’re not entirely sure, your design consultant can offer helpful suggestions.

2. Combination solutions: Often, the ideal solution combines blinds and curtains. You might wish to have blinds installed on the windows, which you can easily adjust for light control throughout the day. In a layered window treatment, you would then add drapes or curtains. These could be functioning, with ample fabric that allows you to cover the window completely, or not; the curtains might simply be panels of fabric that remain stationery but add softness and sophistication.

3. Privacy: Consider the level of privacy you require from a particular treatment. In certain areas of your home, this may be of no concern at all. If you don’t have to worry that someone can see in, you might select a gauzy, more-transparent fabric or blind. If there’s a spot where you definitely want the view obscured, great options exist both in curtain and blind solutions.

4. Light: Window treatments are a great way to gain control over the amount of light exposure you receive. If a certain spot is too bright, you’ll get limited use from the area; you’ll avoid it because it’s just too uncomfortable. If the area is on the darker side but you still wish for privacy, you’ll want to preserve the light that does come in but add a discrete level of screening.

5. The view from the street: We don’t always think about how our window treatments appear from the exterior of our homes. For condo dwellers, there are often rules you need to abide by. Many condominium boards require all window treatments to have a white backing in order to present a neat and uniform look from the street. As a unit owner, you are responsible for this. Or, maybe you simply want to create a cohesive style for your home. The careful selection of materials — with a certain amount of consistency or symmetry from room to room — is a simple way to elevate the overall look.

http://www.niagarathisweek.com/shopping-story/6205179-window-treatments-control-light-add-style/

5 tips to keep your homes warm and cosy in winter

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imgID44773891.jpg-pwrt3-300x200KEEP the heat in and the cold out this winter with a few simple measures that won’t break the bank.

1. A quarter of the heat in an uninsulated house is lost through the roof, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Insulating the loft is a great way to retain heat and save money.

Even if your loft has insulation, it may not be thick enough. The recommended depth for mineral wool is 27cms, but other types of insulation maybe different.

You should lay the insulation between the joists and then across them at a 90-degree angle to create two layers, although rigid insulation boards are useful if you want to board over the loft for storage.

2. Open chimney breasts can be very draughty, so if you have an unused fireplace, get the chimney capped on the roof and fit a chimney balloon from below. This inflates inside the chimneytokeep warm air in the room and block cold air coming downthe chimney, though, of course, the fireplace can’t then be used.

3. Letting in sunlight during the day makes rooms warmer, especially if they’re south-facing.

The best way to retain that heat is to close the curtains or blinds when it starts to get dark.

If you’re at work at that time, clever technology can do it for you.

If you want the blinds to close at dusk or when the temperature falls below a certain level, you can set them to, so the room stays warmer than it otherwise would.

4. If youprefer curtains,makesure they’re thermal ones or have a thick lining. This is one of the best ways to minimise heat loss through windows and patio doors.

Forextra insulation at thistimeof year, fit a curtain pole above your home’s front and back doors and hang a thick curtain across them, especiallyif the doorsare partially or fully-glazed.

5. To keep your boiler working efficiently, make sure it’s serviced annually.

Research by boiler manufacturer Worcester, Bosch Group found that fewer than half the homeowners questioned remembered to do this, while one in five had never had their boiler serviced.

Worcester’sMartyn Bridges said: “Even new boilers need to be checked each year. This is even more important the older the boiler gets. A boiler is one of the most relied-on appliances in the home,but is largelyforgotten until it actually stops working.”

A boiler service, which should include checking the effectiveness of the flue and that the boiler is safe, must be carried out by a Gas Safe Register engineer (gassaferegister.co.uk), – or OFTEC registered (oftec.org.uk /consumers/consumers) for oil fired boilers.

 

http://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/north_essex_news/14137927.5_tips_to_keep_your_homes_warm_and_cosy_in_winter/

 

Design with style: consider vertical blinds

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635826716154671584-HES-SUB-110915-Luminette-300x225Sliding doors and French doors provide an interesting entrance while allowing more light to enter a living space. Natural light, usually viewed as a positive, can become a problem when the sun is in your eyes during dinner or breakfast. It also can affect the screens on your TV or monitors. Many times the consumer doesn’t think about the damage that the sun may be doing on the furnishings or flooring as it shines into a room.

If you decide to put a traversing drapery on your sliding or French door, you may be blocking the view or natural light that you wanted. To open the drapery wide enough to take advantage of the full glass, the drapery will need to be approximately 1/3 wider than the glass it is covering. That amount of space is not always available, and you might not want that much fabric.

When I get a call to discuss this challenge, often I also hear, “I’m not interested in vertical blinds.” First, I explain that verticals do provide an answer with a small stacking width, and then I tell them there are many more vane options available. Clients might be expecting a PVC vane, but woven fabrics with sewn-in weights on the bottom can add texture with a softer appearance. Also available are wood vertical slats to add a warmer feeling.

For a more formal or upscale space, Hunter Douglas offers Luminette. This product combines the advantages of a vertical blind, but has a sheer fabric on either side of the slats. You are able to tilt the inner fabric slats to the degree of privacy desired while enjoying the elegance of sheers. When they’re completely opened, a minimal stacking space is used.

The most popular solution that my clients choose is the Horizon woven wood drape called Averte.  With dozens of woven wood fabrics available, most room styles can be coordinated.  A warm cherry- or walnut-colored slat that blends with the room’s cabinetry or trim leans towards a traditional style. A nice blend of multicolored grasses and reeds can be used in a room that has a more tropical theme, with rustic options available for a more casual space. The track that this product is mounted on can be hidden under a decorative valance of either the same woven wood or an endless variety of fabric options. The track is also offered in decorative wood poles in many colors, with lots of options for finial styles.

To operate the Averte, you simply slide the leading wood edge. No cords!

Both the Averte and Luminette can be motorized so that with the touch of a remote control or iPad you are able to control the light coming through your sliding or French doors.

To view the photos in colour, read the design blog “Dream It, Design It” at blogs.publicopiniononline.com/dreamit.

Success for Sophia’s Cause campaign: Ikea to stop selling blinds with cords

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Swedish furniture giant Ikea has said it will no longer sell window blinds with cords.

Cords from blinds have been associated with the deaths of young children, including Gloucestershire’s Sophia Parslow, through strangulation.

Sophia’s mum Amanda O’Halloran, from Tirley, was left devastated when her 17-month-old daughter died by accidentally hanging herself on the blind cord in her living room in June 2013.

Since then Amanda has campaigned tirelessly for the design of blinds to be outlawed to prevent a similar fate befalling other children, launching Sophia’s Cause.

In a statement, Ikea, which has a store in Bristol, said: “Product safety is the highest priority for IKEA, which is why we have been working to develop alternative solutions to exposed cords in window coverings.

“IKEA is committed to working together with our customers to raise awareness of this important issue and to help families get the knowledge they need to ensure a safer everyday life at home.”

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents welcomed the move, saying it hopes other retailers will also stop selling products with cords because of the risk of strangulation.

It says at least 27 todders have died as a result of blind cords and chains between 1999 and 2014.

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: “This is fantastic news. Not only will it help to save many lives but it is an important step forward for the blind cord industry. It is encouraging to see such a well-known furniture retailer taking the necessary steps to help prevent further tragedies.

“Any move that reduces the risk to children is a move in the right direction. Too many lives have been needlessly affected by the dangers of looped blind cords, which is why we called upon the blind industry to take voluntary action to reduce the risk.

“We hope that other major retail stores will make the same promise as IKEA to stop selling window blinds with cords.”

Research indicates that most accidental deaths involving blind cords happen in the bedroom to children between 16 months and 36 months old, with the majority (more than half) happening at about 23 months.

To reduce the risk posed by looped blind cords, RoSPA’s advice is:

 

  • Install blinds that do not have a cord, particularly in a child’s bedroom
  • Do not place a child’s cot, bed, playpen or highchair near a window
  • Pull cords on curtains and blinds should be kept short and kept out of reach
  • Tie up the cords or use one of the many cleats, cord tidies, clips or ties that are available
  • Do not hang toys or objects that could be a hazard on the cot or bed
  • Don’t hang drawstring bags where a small child could get their head through the loop of the drawstring.

Read more: http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Success-Sophia-s-Cause-campaign-Ikea-stop-selling/story-27933606-detail/story.html#ixzz3nrlcLhPA

 

Ikea to stop selling blinds with cords

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Pose too much danger to toddlers

Ikea has promised to stop selling window blinds with cords in an effort to improve childsafety.

As of today, it’s stopped selling them in the US, and says it plans to discontinue them internationally by the end of the year.

“Product safety is the highest priority for Ikea, which is why we have been working to develop alternative solutions to exposed cords in window coverings. In 2012, Ikea made the commitment to only offer window blinds and coverings with no or non-accessible cords by January of 2016, and we’re pleased to be able to announce that we’ve met this commitment,” says Heather Spatz, Ikea US country sales manager.

“Ikea is committed to working together with our customers to raise awareness of this important issue and to help families get the knowledge they need to ensure a safer everyday life at home.”

On average, one child a month died in a window blind accident in the US between 1996 and 2012, according to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission – which has named the cords as one of its top five hidden home hazards.

In the UK, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), there have been at least 30 deaths across the UK due to looped blind cords since 1999 – 17 since the start of 2010.

Most such accidents, it says, happen in the bedroom, to children between 16 months and 36 months old. More than half involve children of around 23 months.

At this age, toddlers are mobile, but still have a comparatively heavy head and undeveloped control of their muscles, making it harder to free themselves if they become entangled.

In addition, toddlers’ windpipes are smaller and less rigid than those of adults and older children, meaning that they can suffocate far more quickly.

“It can take as little as seconds for a toddler to lose their life after becoming entangled in a window blind cord or chain, but simple steps – such as securing cords and chains with safety devices and keeping furniture away from windows so that children cannot climb up – can help prevent deaths,” says Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England.

Last month alone, three inquests were carried out into the deaths of toddlers from blind cords.

Two-year-old Roisín Redmond choked to death after becoming caught in a looped blind cord at her grandmother’s home in Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny.

Three-year-old Mohammed Javaid, known as Haseeb, also strangled himself at his Huddersfield home, as did Oxfordshire thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran.

Recent changes to the law mean it’s no longer legal to sell blinds with cords unless the cords are fixed to the wall or have a snap-mechanism that breaks them when more than 4kg of pressure is applied; Ikea is going one further.

But as blinds tend to stay in place for years, the majority of those currently fitted in the UK are likely to pose some danger, and parents are advised to check, if necessary adding a cleat.

Toddler died after hanging himself on cord of window blind

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Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was pronounced dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital Photo: ITV Meridian

 

A toddler died by accidentally hanging himself on the cord of a window blind in his parents’ bedroom, an inquest heard.

Thirteen-month-old Johnny Doran was found suspended above the ground next to the window by his father Martin, 35, when he walked into the room.

The father-of-five, from Bampton, tried to resuscitate his son before ambulance crews arrived and took him to hospital in February.

The toddler never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly before 10pm at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Martin and Anne Doran lost another son, Martin Jr, to sudden infant death syndrome at their family home in November 2011.

On the evening of the latest tragedy, ground-worker Mr Doran had picked up his eldest son Jimmy, 13, from a boxing session, returning home just before 9pm.

His wife Anne and their two other children Larry, 11, and Margaret, nine, were watching TV in another room of the family bungalow in Weald Street.

Mrs Doran, a housewife, said she had sent her daughter to check on Johnny earlier in the evening and that he was fine.

The inquest heard that Mr Doran used the toilet by the back door before walking into the bedroom – which he shared with his youngest son – to put his coat away.

A statement by Mr Doran read: “I saw Johnny standing next to the window.

“He looked like he was leaning over.

“I knew something was wrong, he was not moving – he was limp.”

He then called the ambulance from his son Jimmy’s phone and gave his youngest son CPR.

Coroner Darren Salter said it was a “tragic accident” and described the boy’s death as “extremely sad and depressing”.

Mr Salter also encouraged homeowners to ensure their blinds met new legislation – as the Dorans’ set did not.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Ryan said that police investigations with trading standards found no wrong-doing on behalf of the blind company that now no longer trades.

The new rules state that blind cords – made after February last year – must either be fixed to the wall or have a snap-mechanism when more than 4kg is applied.

Mr Salter recorded a verdict of accidental death.

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2015-09-16/toddler-died-after-hanging-himself-on-cord-of-window-blind/

Window Covering Can Help Cut Your Energy Costs

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SAN DIEGO, CA–(Marketwired – Sep 11, 2015) –  Are you concerned about your carbon footprint? Or maybe you are just concerned about how high your utility bills have been because of the recent heat wave in Southern California.

Recent studies demonstrate that up to 40% of our energy costs are spent on heating and cooling the home. Unfortunately a lot of this money is simply going out the window. Window coverings may help you lower your carbon foot print and your monthly utility bill.

For many homeowners, the goal of window coverings is for blocking light and finishing a room. Today you also have very attractive choices in window blinds and shutters that act as insulation for your home. Today’s window covering can actually trap air between the glass and the window covering keeping the air conditioned or heated air in the home.

Glass is a conductor of heat and cold and with today’s home designs and downtown condo’s windows are used extensively. Ever touch a glass of hot water or cold water the temperature goes right through the glass, the same is happening with your home.

There is an easy solution to this and the solution is very affordable in comparison to E-Glass. Not all window coverings are the same when it comes to energy efficiency. Aluminum blinds and Vertical blinds offer the least insulation since they have gaps that impair the coverage of the windows. Window shutters are much better but still have some gaps but are one of the better choices. Cellular shades we recommend as the cells are designed to trap air and when custom designed sit very flush in the window frame.

Combining cellular shades with window curtains will give you the best energy- efficiency. Curtains that are designed correctly with pelmets prevent air from escaping upwards into a room and a total block out lining prevents air from escaping.

Today’s homes are designed to be more energy efficient from appliances to solar panels but many times the window coverings are overlooked. San Diego Window Fashions is San Diego’s most trusted name for affordable window coverings and blinds. With over a decade of experience in the window covering industry we off all the top brands at affordable prices.

 

http://www.power-eng.com/marketwired/2015/09/11/window-covering-can-help-cut-your-energy-costs.html

Sustainable Faber Blinds products feature in new landmark project

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Faber Blinds is helping to inspire the next generation of landscape professionals and raise awareness of green infrastructure at the RHS Hyde Hall’s new Learning Centre.

The company, part of the Hunter Douglas Group, has supplied solar shading solutions for the £3m new facility. The project is a beacon of sustainability for the construction industry and the significant environmental credentials of the Hunter Douglas product portfolio were instrumental in seeing the Faber system specified.

Part of a multi-million pound investment across a number of the Royal Horticultural Society’s sites in the UK, the centre  will help children to develop their understanding and experience of growing fruit & vegetables, cooking them and generally create an environment for learning. It will significantly improve the visitor experience for adults and enable the RHS to share and build expert knowledge by raising the levels of standards, accessibility and interpretation.

Faber’s 1800 FTS system has been utilised at the visitor centre. “The specialist high tension 5100 series fabric provides an excellent solar shading solution and has had a very direct cost and saving benefit,” explains Mike Foulston, Contracts Manager at Faber Blinds.

“We fitted the shades over the tills and fresh produce area to reduce spoilt goods and enhance customer and operator satisfaction.”

Faber 1800 FTS is an efficient and flexible internal motorised blind system that can be used in pitched or horizontal roof light windows.

The hardware of the blind can be fully enclosed in a square head box and there is a choice of various side channels to suit all applications. The system is especially suitable for installation in a concealed recess or above a ceiling when provision is made for this at the design stage of a project, so that the blind can be fitted in such a way that it is only visible when lowered.

Faber 1800 FTS can be used for both large and small windows, but the system has been specifically designed for large areas of glazing with each blind capable of covering an area up to 4000 x 6000 mm.

Located in the Hilltop Garden on the site of the existing grain barn, the Learning Centre is composed of two flexible classrooms, with a demonstration kitchen in each and an exemplar teaching garden. The rooms will be suitable for a range of groups and ages, including multiple school classes, adult learning courses and public lectures.

“The design is organised around a well-proportioned courtyard to help align the new Learning Centre with the existing buildings on the site,” explained a spokesman for architects Cullinan Studio.

“The exciting roof-form responds to the climate and support sustainability by providing protection, collecting rainwater, supporting solar panels, controlling daylight and fresh air.”

Faber Blinds, part of the Hunter Douglas group, is internationally recognised for fabricating outstanding solar shading solutions for commercial premises. It offers a wide range of products supplying both internal and external blinds, as well as awnings and brise soleil.

For almost 50 years, Hunter Douglas products have contributed to the sustainable thermal, acoustic and visual appeal of buildings across a wide range of branches and sectors, from trade to industry and from the catering business to government. These products consistently meet the needs of architects, designers and contractors, thanks to Hunter Douglas’ intensive collaboration with these parties. – See more at: http://specificationonline.co.uk/news-article/8957/hunter-douglas-sustainable-faber-blinds-products-feature-in-new-landmark-project#sthash.zq8JHBXH.dpuf

Have sex in the dark if you want to get pregnant – really?

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Blackout blinds could help you conceive according to this new study.

 

 

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If you want to get pregnant, you should have sex in the dark. That’s what the tabloids are saying today, after researchers in the US and Japan found that menstrual cycles were disrupted by differences in light.

The study – on mice – found that the fertility of pre-menopausal female mice was improved or reduced by differences in the light-dark cycle – younger mice were unaffected.

So what does it really mean? Well, it’s long been known that lots of the body’s processes follow a natural daily rhythm that’s based on 24-hour day to night cycles. And previous research has shown that light at night can suppress the production of melatonin – which could affect ovulation and the viability of eggs.

This new study suggests that fertility in middle-aged women can be improved by sleeping in darkness – without streetlight seeping through the curtains and the glare of mobile phones. So it might be an idea to invest in some blackout blinds if you’re trying to conceive. But as to whether you switch the lights off or not for sex – it doesn’t make a difference!

“In modern society, females are exposed to many challenging perturbations in the environment that might play a role in fertility difficulties–we now live with high light levels in the evening, and our sleep cycle is disrupted by shift work or crossing time zones,” said co-author Gene Block, of the University of California Los Angeles.

“The ability to rescue reproductive function by altering the light schedule in a rodent model suggests that improvements in ‘circadian hygiene’–for example, reductions in evening illumination, more regular meal timing, or avoiding rotating shiftwork or schedules that lead to irregular sleep–may all be important remedies for reproductive difficulty.”

http://www.madeformums.com/news-and-gossip/have-sex-in-the-dark-if-you-want-to-get-pregnant–really/38672.html

Starving dog was found dead hanging from blinds after woman abandoned it in her flat

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Aleshia McLaverty, 23, today avoided a prison sentence after the starved maggot-infested black Labrador was discovered by shocked animal welfare officers

Belfast LiveAleshia McLaverty, leaves Antrim Court after pleading guilty to dog cruelty by leaving a dog at a house in Antrim

An emaciated pet dog was found dead hanging upside down from blinds after its owner abandoned it in her flat.

Aleshia McLaverty, 23, today avoided a prison sentence after the starved maggot-infested black Labrador was discovered by shocked animal welfare officers.

McLaverty was given a two month jail term suspended for two years and was also banned from keeping animals for five years at Antrim Magistrates Court, reportsBelfast Live.

At a previous court, Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes said pictures he was shown in the case were “the worst photos I have ever seen of cruelty to an animal”.

She pleaded guilty to charges of permitting unnecessary pain or distress to a dog under her control and being the keeper of a dog without a valid licence.

Belfast LiveAleshia McLaverty has been accused of abandoning a black Labrador dog in a flat where it was found dead "hanging from blinds". Her case at Antrim Magistrates Court has been adjourned until August
Banned: The 23-year-old can not keep another animal for five years

McLaverty no longer lives at Firmount Drive in Antrim, Belfast, where the dog was found.

Outside the court McLaverty, who has a young child, did not comment.

Malcolm Irvine, prosecuting, said after receiving a report from a member of the public about a dead dog at a property, animal welfare officers gained entry to the property in April last year to be met with a “pungent” smell and a house full of flies with floors covered with dog faeces.

An emaciated Labrador-cross type dog was found dead hanging upside down from a blind cord with maggots in its mouth and eyes.

Mr Irvine said there was no food and the toilet bowl was dry suggesting the dog had drank from it and there were scratch marks on packets of food consistent with the dog trying to find something to eat.

A post mortem revealed the dog died of dehydration and starvation and it was likely in its death throes it tried to jump through a window in a last gasp bid to escape but then became entangled on a blind.

Google MapsAleshia McLaverty has been accused of abandoning a black Labrador dog in a flat where it was found dead "hanging from blinds". Her case at Antrim Magistrates Court (pictured) has been adjourned until August
Antrim Magistrates Court

During interviews McLaverty first said the dog belonged to her sister and that she herself did not live in the house as she had gone to stay with her mother but later in court she pleaded guilty to the offences.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompson said it was a “tragic case of passive neglect” and said the house was registered to McLaverty but she took nothing to do with it and her sister had lived in the address at some stage.

He said although McLaverty owned the dog she did not have direct control of it and the house was “abandoned” and had not been lived in for some time.

He said it was the sort of tragic case which “captures the ire of the community” and he said McLaverty, who now lives with her partner and their child, was “very emotional and distressed” and came to the court with a “good character” and with a clear record.

By her guilty plea he said she accepted she knew the dog was in the house and “effectively did nothing about it”.

Suspending a two months jail term for two years, District Judge Alan White said he had to give credit for the guilty plea and her clear record and the fact she has a “new baby” and he ordered her to pay costs of £119.