Darkening and privacy options

Blind fabrics can be selected by their darkening and privacy properties. Transparent blinds are perfect to enhance and decorate rooms with minimal reduction of light and views. Semi-Transparent and Translucent blinds are ideal for living spaces in which a balance between privacy and comfortable light conditions is sought. Dim Out blinds are optimal for workspaces with sun-oriented aspects in which significant glare reduction is required but natural lighting remains sufficient to work without artificial lighting. Black Out blinds are particularly suited to bedrooms and other spaces where room darkening and privacy are essential.

Transparent

Transparent blinds are made from a sheer fabric that typically has no coating or lamination. Ideally used to enhance and decorate rooms, they allow for natural light to filter through and for an unobstructed view outside, while offering subtle privacy during daylight hours.

Semi-Transparent

Semi-transparent blinds are made from a translucent fabric that allows plenty of natural light to filter through. They offer effective privacy during daylight hours, with visibility limited to shading and vague shapes in both directions. Fabrics with a pearl coating also provide heat protection.

Translucent

Translucent blinds offer an ideal balance between privacy at all hours and making the most of natural daylight by allowing filtered light through. At night-time, visibility is limited to shading and vague shapes when a room is lit from within. Fabrics with a coating also provide heat protection.

Dim out

Dim out blinds offer room-darkening properties and provide excellent privacy. Interior light intensity is significantly reduced to dusk or dawn conditions. In pleated blinds, tiny holes for the tension cords allow some light to enter through, while these holes are internal in honeycomb blinds and do not allow light through. Some light may enter through lateral gaps between the blind and window or wall, depending on the chosen mounting system.

Black out

Black out blinds are completely opaque and ideally suited to room-darkening purposes. Most fabrics are laminated with a reflective coating on the exterior side for superior heat protection. The only light to enter is through tiny tension cord holes (in pleated blinds only; tension cords are internally guided in honeycomb blinds), and possibly through lateral gaps between the blind and window or wall, depending on the chosen mounting system.

Duo blinds for day and night

Duo blinds incorporate two different fabrics in one blind. Each of the two fabrics can be independently adjusted, with the sections linked by a middle rail. One fabric can be completely hidden so that the window area is covered by the other fabric only, both fabrics can be hidden away, or a combination of both fabrics can be visible.

A combination of one transparent/translucent and one dim-out/black-out fabric allows for optimal variability of use, with control over light ingress, heat transfer and privacy.

Duo blinds are suited to rectangular windows (models P1620, P1720 and P1725) and slanted roof windows (models P2620 and P2621). Click here for more information.

Pleated vs Honeycomb blinds

Pleated and honeycomb blinds are both available in various darkening and privacy options. Optically, they are very similar once installed. However, while the range of fabrics for pleated blinds is more extensive, honeycomb blinds have offer two advantages over simple pleated blinds:

• Better room darkening properties, as tension cords are internally guided.
• Better insulation properties, as they are constructed of two pleated fabric layers with insulating air spaces in between. Fabrics with a reflective coating on the reverse side also reflect sunlight, providing protection against heat.

More information is available here