Discount Blinds are not the same as ‘cheap blinds’.

‘Cheap Blinds’ by definition are blinds that are made to be cheap, which normally means mass production, cheap materials, cheap labour, ect.

Discount blinds on the other hand are still a high quality product, they are just discounted for one reason or another, for example during a sale or stock clearance.

What this means is if you are on a tight budget, which I understand a lot of people are during the ‘recession’ you can essentially get hold of the high quality blinds you are accustomed to at the same price as the low quality ‘cheap blinds’ you would usually avoid.

How you say? Simple, search for the discounts and sales!

It is important to understand that you are not the only one feeling the heat of the credit crunch, businesses are feeling it too and they are lowering prices and holding sales left, right and center!

This may sound cynical, but a lot of businesses are also going bust as well, and they have a lot of extra stock they quickly need to get rid of to recuperate at least some money. I’m willing to bet you can get a great discount on that stock!

I’m guessing you have a retail brand you know well, trust and buy from each time? It may be Hillarys, Web-Blinds, Blinds Supermarket or one I haven’t even heard of. But the key to finding the most discounted blinds is to not stick with one retailer but to compare the market, which is relatively easy with a simple Google search.

Another thing to look out for is promotions like ‘price beater’ or ‘price match’ where companies guarantee to beat the quote you’ve been given. This is always worth going for, you have nothing to lose after all!

One last thing to remember is that nearly all sites have discount codes, if you do a google search that looks something like “Web Blinds Discount Code” you may be surprised with what you find

Good luck finding those discounts!

Before we go any further it is important to understand that the phrase blackout roller blind actually means a roller blind using a blackout fabric. Not a blind specifically designed for blocking out light.

A common mis conception is that a blackout fabric must be a dark colour, as they are less likely to let light through. In reality blinds are slightly more sophisticated than that, and thanks to special fabric formulations you can get blackout blinds in any colour, even white.

In terms of price blackout roller blinds can be found for a pretty affordable price. Usually they will cost just slightly more than a standard roller blind. Unless you choose an intricate fabric, which you will pay a premium price for.

If you are looking for 100% light blackout then roller blinds are not for you. Blackout roller blinds work well at blocking most of the light out, which is often all that is required, but they will not block 100% of the light out. For more demanding situations like that you will need to look into heavy duty cassette blinds.

Chances are if you are looking at blackout roller blinds you already have a pretty good idea of where you want to use them, but just in case, here are some more ideas:

• Conference Rooms – If you are running a powerpoint presentation the last thing you want is you guests not being able to see the screen because of the light reflecting offf of it.
• Bedrooms – If you have to sleep during the day for some reason or another, maybe you work a night shift, you will appreciate having a blackout blind in your bedroom. We all know how bothersome it is to try and get to sleep with day light shining in your eyes.
• Home Cinemas – Although this situation may require a 100% blackout, you may just about get away with a blackout roller blind.

In conclusion blackout roller blinds are great for rooms where you want to blackout most of the light. The reason they let light in is because the fabric is not secured at the sides or the bottom.

Blackout blinds are exactly the same as regular blinds except the fabrics used are much better at blocking out light, similar to the effect of thick curtains. Ironically regular blackout blinds suffer the same fate as curtains, they let the light in round the sides and bottom. Although the more heavy duty blackout blinds are available in 100% complete light blackout.

A common misconception is that blackout blinds are made by using dark fabrics, maybe that was true ten years ago, but nowadays fabric manufactures have the ability to create fabrics in any colour or pattern with the blackout effect.

Roller blinds with a blackout fabric are the most common type of blackout blinds, although there are quite a few others available too. Blackout blinds can be split into two categories, blinds with blackout fabrics and complete blackout blind systems.

Blinds with Blackout Fabrics

Although with a roller blind and a good blackout fabric you can get a good percentage of light exclusion, you will never be able to get 100% as there is nothing restricting the light coming around the sides and bottom of the blind.

• Roller Blinds

As I said before, blackout roller blinds are the most popular type, they are relatively cheap, there is a good range of fabrics, and they do the job. Unless you are in an area which requires 100% blackout then roller blinds should satisfy your needs.

• Roman Blinds

Blackout roman blinds are becoming an increasingly popular option in terms of blackout blinds. Roman blinds are well known for their contemporary look which compliments most décor. Most suppliers now offer blackout lining and stitching on all there roman blinds which is a great addition to an already fantastic product.

• Vertical Blinds

I’ve left these to last for a reason, they’re crap. If you are seriously looking for a blackout blind just ignore verticals completely. Yes, you can get blackout fabrics for use in vertical blinds, or blackout louvres to be more technically correct. But vertical blinds were not made to block out light, louvres blow around with even the slightest breeze rendering them completely useless in most applications.

Complete Blackout Blind Systems

Unlike blinds with blackout fabrics, complete blackout blind systems are designed specifically with light exclusion in mind. These are usually a much more heavy duty product, made specifically for areas such as theatres or home cinemas where 100% blackout is required.

• Cassette Blinds

Cassette blinds are similar to blackout blinds except a lot more heavy duty, they are often used large contract projects, although light weight versions are also available for domestic use. Cassette blinds feature side channels made out of aluminium which allow up to 100% light exclusion depending on the model.

Roundup

If you are looking for a functional blind that blocks out enough light for you to lay in bed all day then a roller or roman with a blackout fabric will do fine, however if you are looking to start your own secret laboratory at home you may need to go the extra distance and purchase cassette blinds.