Index

Which benefits can I expect from blinds?
How long will it take till I get my blinds?
How should I choose my blinds?
How do I operate my blinds correctly?
How long will my blinds last?
Which suppliers do you use?
How do I clean my blinds?
Can you come to my house to measure or install?
Can blinds be motorised?

Q:	Which benefits can I expect from blinds?
A:	Blinds offer many benefits: They can help you create a specific style and atmosphere for your home or office - elegant, modern, traditional, natural, colourful, retro, cosmopolitan, dynamic - you name it, you can do it with blinds. They can help you darken a room just as much as necessary, be it for working on a computer, to watch television, or to just reduce the sun's glare. They can help you control temperature; for instance, honeycomb blinds trap a pocket of air in each of the honeycombs. This acts as a good insulator, helping you keep the warmth inside the house in winter and outside the house in summer. In addition, all blinds act as a direct barrier to the sun's heat, helping to keep the interior of the house cool during the daytime. They can help add privacy to your home: For instance, if you want to stop people from looking in through your kitchen window, just add a venetian blind. It will allow you to control light and privacy by raising and lowering it, or by changing the tilt angle of the slats. You can use them to brand your professional environment, for example by printing your company logo on sliding panel blinds. They help protect the interior of your house from harmful UV rays. This prolongs the life of your books, furniture, and equipment.
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Q:	How long will it take till I get my blinds?
A:	Production times vary from product to product, from supplier to supplier, and even depending on the amount of work the factory is doing at any given moment. As a rule of thumb, your blinds should be ready for delivery within 7-10 working days after you place your order. This period may be as short as 5 or as long as 15 working days in exceptional cases.
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Q:	How should I choose my blinds?
A:	Some of the factors to take into consideration when choosing your blinds are: Aesthetics (the look and feel) Function (how much light should they block, how much privacy should they ensure) Cost When thinking about the aesthetics of your blinds, consider what sort of impression you want to create with the blinds. Are you looking for a modern, cosmopolitan look? Then Sheerweave roller blinds or sliding panels are good choices. Do you want to create a natural, earthy look? Then consider bamboo or wood venetian blinds. Office blinds? Consider aluminium venetian, vertical or roman panel blinds. From a functional perspective, most blinds can be identified by their ability to control light and to provide privacy. There is a whole spectrum of light control capabilities: Some blinds block 100% of light (suitable for a TV room or a boardroom where presentations are held using a projector), others let some light through and yet others (venetian blinds and vertical blinds) can be tilted to alter the amount of light they allow to pass. On the issue of privacy, a blockout blind would of course guarantee your privacy -- but it would also make your room dark and you would not be able to look outside. Therefore, consider using a blind such as Sheerweave, perforated aluminium or bamboo: these materials allow one-way vision. During the daytime, you will be able to look out through the blinds, but people on the outside will not be able to look in. (At night, when the inside of the house is brightly lit and the outside is dark, the situation is reversed -- you might want to complement your one-way blinds with another product to ensure privacy at night.) Finally, cost - vertical blinds and aluminium venetians are generally the most economical, with the other types of blinds being somewhat more expensive. The key is to find the right balance between cost and benefit; if you need help in deciding, feel free to contact our advisers. Contact Us
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Q:	How do I operate my blinds correctly?
A:	Most blinds are straightforward to operate. Usually, there is a cord or a ball chain that you pull on to raise or lower your blinds. On venetian blinds and vertical blinds, there is a second cord (or, sometimes, a wand) that allows you to control the tilt angle of the blinds. Venetian blinds have a cord lock mechanism. This mechanism allows you to "park" your blinds at any height between fully up and fully down. To operate the cord lock smoothly, pull the cord at an angle of 45° to the vertical -- to the left to release, to the right to lock. Remember to pull both parts of the double cord at the same time; if you pull one cord more strongly than the other, the blind will pull up skew.
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Q:	How long will my blinds last?
A:	Blinds manufacturers grow very attached to their product, and may be tempted to instruct customers to store the blinds in a cool, dark place for an optimum lifespan. This is, of course, not very realistic - blinds are made to be exposed to harsh sunlight and aggressive UV rays, thereby protecting precious books and furniture from damage. In the course of their duty, blinds do suffer some wear and tear, with colours fading over time and plastic components becoming brittle. Nonetheless, and depending on the type of blind, most blinds should easily last for 5-15 years before needing to be changed. Our manufacturers are constantly working on ways to make their product last longer. For example, our Blind Designs wood venetian blinds are made with a Duracoat finish - in scientific tests, this coating showed itself to be far more fade resistant than other products.
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Q:	Which suppliers do you use?
A:	Blinds Express works closely with South Africa's leading manufacturers, such as Blind Designs, Luxaflex products, Sun Stop, Blinds Mart, Aluvert, and Alplas. Our manufacturers keep a close eye on international trends and manufacturing technology to help ensure that you, the customer, receives the best product at the best price.
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Q:	How do I clean my blinds?
A:	Blinds are generally easy to keep clean. All it takes is removing the dust from time to time. Use a dry dusting cloth (e.g. microfiber) for blinds with soft surfaces (such as vertical and roller blinds), and either a dry or a wet cloth for blinds with hard surfaces (such as wood or aluminium venetian blinds). We supply our wood venetian blind with a handy pronged brush that makes cleaning the blinds a snap.
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Q:	Can you come to my house to measure or install?
A:	Blinds Express offers a measuring and installation service in Johannesburg and environs. For more information, or to inquire about measuring and installation outside of Gauteng, please contact us. Contact Us
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Q:	Can blinds be motorised?
A:	Yes, we do supply motorised blinds that can be raised or lowered at the push of a button. Motorisation is currently available for the following types of blinds: Roller blinds Venetian blinds Roman panel blinds Compared with non-motorised blinds, the only additional requirement is that there is a power outlet available within 1 metre of the blind's motor. Please contact us if you would like to know more about motorised blinds. Contact Us
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