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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/

 

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

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

Report puts blind cord dangers in the spotlight

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Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement

Report puts blind cord dangers in the spotlight

A report which aims to help save children’s lives by highlighting the dangers of looped blind cords and chains is to be released today (July 9).

The 30-page paper, by the four UK Chief Medical Officers and organisations including the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Northern Ireland, Public Health Wales, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) and Children in Wales, highlights the dangers looped blind cords and chains pose to young children.

RoSPA is aware that 28 toddlers have been killed by blind cords and chains in the UK between 1999 and 2014, 15 of which occurred since 2010. The report aims to reach out to parents, grandparents and carers about the risk of fatal accidents and how to prevent them.

It calls for more appropriate data to be recorded into deaths and near misses to better identify the scale of the problem.

The report also revealed that there are still millions of potentially unsafe blinds that were fitted in the UK prior to the introduction of new legislation in 2014. The new legislation requires new blinds to be “safe by design” or be supplied with the appropriate child safety devices installed. The report warns that there needs to be continued public awareness raising to reach those families that may be at risk.

Ita McErlean, RoSPA’s home safety manager for Northern Ireland, said: “This report is an important step forward in raising awareness of the potential dangers of looped blind cords. Anything that can help reach homes that still have blinds with looped cords or without the appropriate safety devices is a move in the right direction.

“Sadly, there have been more blind cord deaths across the UK since the report was published, which goes to show how important it is for us to continue to raise awareness among parents, grandparents and carers to ensure that looped blind cords are kept out of the reach of children. Far too many young lives have already been lost.

“These deaths are devastating for parents and families involved and we must do all we can to prevent more deaths and further suffering.”

The report was commissioned after a group, including the CMOs, public health agencies and RoSPA, was set up in 2013 to look at ways to reduce blind cord injuries and deaths.  The report has already proved useful for pushing this issue up the agenda with additional initiatives taking place across the UK since the report was completed.

Dr Michael McBride, CMO for Northern Ireland, said: “The purpose of the report is to help highlight the dangers of looped blind cords and look at ways in which blind cord injuries and deaths can be reduced.

“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 on it – can help prevent deaths.

“While the report shows that there has been significant work to address the issue, the fact that there have been further deaths since it was completed means that we must continue to step up our efforts to reduce the risk of unintentional injuries and premature, preventable deaths. There is no room for complacency when it comes to our children’s safety and we can always do more.”

RoSPA worked with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) to strengthen the current European standard relating to looped blind cords, which led to the new legislation being introduced last year.

Nelson Watt, chairman of BBSA’s Child Safety Working Group, said: “The British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) has been pleased to be involved with this report and recognises that the collective work of many stakeholders is vital in raising awareness of blind cord and chain safety. The BBSA will continue to develop its Make it Safe campaign to ensure appropriate messages are communicated regarding child safety and existing window blinds.”

Anyone wanting more information about blind cord safety should visit www.rospa.com/blindcords.

Motorise your blind from only £75.

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Deva blinds are now offering motorised blinds that are affordable to all.

Paul Pollard-Fraser said ‘For a long time motorised blinds were only for the super rich where money was no option and only the best would do.  But now with the introduction of mass produced and sensibly priced motors, motorisation is available for all.”

“I have motorised roller blinds in my apartment, in fact the video above is one of mine.  Neat and tidy with no trailing wires, they are great.  I have tested these motors and am happy to offer them to my customers.”

Your rechargeable battery will last between 6 and 8 months between charge and when a charge is needed all you need to do is plug the charger into the wall socket and directly into the motor.  The battery pack is integrated within the motor.

We will soon be offering solar chargers and light sensors to control the opening and closing of your blinds.

100% child safe with no trailing cords, motorised blinds are the way forward.

To find out more please contact us.

 

Duette window blinds brand launches new campaign

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Duette TV Ad from The Market Creative on Vimeo.

 

Hunter Douglas’ Duette, the energy-saving window blinds brand, has launched a campaign to leverage its position as the inventor of honeycomb cell technology, which traps air inside the blinds to boost energy efficiency.

Fabienne Tyler, Business Development Manager at Hunter Douglas said: “We are looking to communicate our energy-saving proposition in conjunction with a stylish, quality product offering, as well as the fact that we’re the originators of honeycomb cell technology. The campaign directly addresses both of those ideas, in a way that we are sure will resonate with our audience.”

Devised by The Market Creative, a honeycomb shape runs throughout the brand campaign, while the text ‘The Original Energy Saving Blind’ is incorporated into the design along with a heritage stamp.

Account director, Caroline Finch-Denham, who led the project at The Market Creative, said: “Hunter Douglas is the patent-owner of the energy saving honeycomb cell structure. By leveraging this heritage we have created a point of difference in the market and the idea is brought to life through the honeycomb shape that works across all channels.”

The campaign will be trialled over the next three months with a 30-second TV advert, running nationally on satellite channels, and a consumer press campaign with ads across a range of home interest titles. The look and feel developed by The Market Creative also been applied to the brand websitewww.duette.co.uk