How do you prefer your blind: slatted or fabric? Both Venetian blinds and interior blackout blinds have the function of blocking out light. Find out their advantages and fixing instructions below.
The Venetian blind
The Venetian blind is the ideal tool to modulate the brightness in a room, whether it is placed on a window, a bay window, or a veranda. It exists in many formats, in different materials (wood, plastic, aluminum). Practical day and night, inexpensive and aesthetic, the Venetian blind is the new curtain! Here is some advice for choosing your blind, knowing how to install it, and maintaining it.
Which Venetian blind should you choose?
- In wood: chic, resistant, and well-insulated
- PVC: economical, easy to maintain, and perfect for wet rooms
- In aluminum: modern, resistant, easy to maintain, and ideal for bay windows
What tools for installation?
- One meter
- A screwdriver
- A spirit level
- An electric drill-screwdriver
- Dowels & screws
- A pencil
How to install a Venetian blind?
First, take the measurements of your woodwork and the door frame. Take the tape measure and pencil and then mark the fixing points on the wall (make sure to check that it is still possible to open the window once the blind is folded). If the slats are too long, cut them respecting the rounded shape.
If the blades are adjusted, you can now start the fixing phase. Mark the location to have concerning the window, then drill the wall and fix the first fixing bracket with the screws and dowels. To install the 2nd fixing bracket, use the spirit level and screw it. You can then clip the bar into the rail of the brackets (or open the tab of the brackets, insert the bar, and close the tab.)
How to maintain a Venetian blind?
With the slats closed, we recommend dusting your Venetian blind using a feather duster or soft cloth. If it is neither porous nor greasy (which may be the case in a kitchen, for example), a simple blow from a hair dryer may be enough to remove the accumulated dust! If you prefer to use household detergent soaked in a slightly damp cloth, you will then need to dry the slats one after the other.
The blackout blind (or roller blind)
It is possible to attach an interior blind to the upper crosspiece (moving part of a window opening), to the lintel, or to the frame (also known as the frame).
Good to know: be careful, to fix a blind it is strongly recommended not to use glue, adhesive paste, or double-sided tape.
Fixing without drilling
If your blind is fixed without drilling, then its brackets will clip or screw. It is practical and simple, it avoids drilling (especially in the case of a rental.) On the other hand, this system is not very viable.
With drilling
If you opt for a blind that requires drilling to be fixed, you will drill directly into the embrasure, the lintel, or under the shutter box. More solid, this method of fixing is used by all blind makers. Drilling a wall is less problematic than drilling directly into the woodwork because we fear insulation problems and damage to the window. This does not pose any particular danger if you remember to pre-drill beforehand if you do not drill too close to the glazing and if you use small screws.*
To fix a blind by drilling, you will need: a drill and screws, that’s all!
- For PVC and aluminum, use stainless steel screws with a domed cylindrical head measuring 3.5 mm in diameter and 13 mm in length.
- For wood, purchase VBA self-drilling wood screws with a domed pan head in 4 mm diameter and 17 or 20 mm length.
For the pilot hole step in the window, use a 3 mm drill bit and drill to a depth of 1 cm. This will prevent problems with wood splitting or excess thickness in the PVC. The drilling area is located between the window glazing beads (the strip holding the glazing in the rebates of a frame) and the opening, i.e. in the upper jamb.
