Wood shades are also called woven wood shades because of the manner in which they are manufactured. They are a solution to your window shading and are available in many colors, have different operating options, are a sustainable and energy-efficient covering product and add a beautiful glow to your windows when they are closed and the sun is shining behind them. Any interior designer will tell you that wood accents add natural warmth to any room and make it very inviting. For this reason, many homeowners and designers are leaning to bamboo and woven wood shades for texture. This also means that the rise in popularity makes them less expensive and they are more affordable than ever, but still give you the showroom feel. Read on to find out if wood shades are right for your home and its style.
Wood Shades Benefits and Properties
When someone says shades in reference to window shading products, many homeowners and business owners alike may think of fabric shades in different styles, such as Roman shades or roller shades. Wood shades are quite different from fabric shades in many manners and they also provide you with some great benefits.
What are Wood Shades?
Wood shades add texture and natural beauty to update your windows from the old style of slatted blinds. They are made from bamboo, all natural grasses, jute and rattan. These textured fibers are woven into shades with rich texture and natural variation so you can choose from a multitude of different colors and shades of colors as well as combinations. Sometimes, woven wood shades are also called matchstick shades. They are all suitable for a variety of decor styles and perfect for layering as well.Wood shades are made from many different all natural fibers without the use of any harmful chemicals, such as polyvinyl chloride or PVC which is toxic or treatments for fabric and vinyl shades that use chemicals to repel water, sun-bleaching, mold and stains. Wood shades are made from natural bamboo, grasses and reeds with all the qualities you seek being natural and no chemicals added to them.
What are the Different Types of Wood Shades?
Wood shades can be classified as different types in the manner that they raise and lower. They may be in the Roman style, which makes stacks of folds when they are raised and appears as a solid sheet when they are closed entirely. The roller style appears as a flat sheet also when they are closed and when you open them the extra wood sheet rolls around a mechanism that mounts at the top of the window. Either of the two types can be opened fully, closed fully or opened partially to any position you wish to give your excellent control of your lighting and heat gain in your home.
What are The Different Styles of Roman Wood Shades?
Within the two main types of wood shades, you can also choose a variety of styles that affect what they look like to match your decor whether it is relaxed or highly decorative. The waterfall style has a clean and simple look with a very neat stack of fibers when it is raised. Standard Roman wood shades are also a clean appearance for a window treatment, but you can also add a beautiful custom valance to the top to accent your style and décor. The standard style also allows you to make other customization to it, such as a decorative border on the sides and bottom with a colorful tape. The cascade Roman shade has aluminum hand-sewn dowels that are placed abut every 5 inches to 7 inches apart to make a beautiful horizontal pattern.
What are The Different Styles of Roller Wood Shades?
Wood shades in the roller style are considered a minimalist approach to your window coverings. Instead of forming a stack at the top of the window when opened, as a Roman shade does, they roll up into a neat cassette that hides the extra shade. Since these take up less room at the top of your windows, it makes them especially wonderful for windows that you have a beautiful scenic view out of, so it doesn't' cover part of your view at the tops of your windows. When wood roller shades are shut, it will still provide your room with and ambience of natural light that may let tiny specks of light play on your walls, depending on the weave, or it may appear as if the shades are glowing. You can choose from several different decorative brackets in the wood roller shades and you can also add an upholstered valance in the same material as your roller shade.
How are Wood Shades Operated?
You also have several options in the operation style of wood shades from which to choose. You may choose the standard cord lock operation with a string, a wand control or a continuous cord loop. You can even choose to add your wood blinds to your smart home system and have them automated into your security system. This allows you to program them individually, or in banks to open and close on a set schedule. You can override the schedule by the press of a button on a wall control, remote control, or via an app on any smart device. Now, this is the ultimate in convenience.
A Few Questions about Wood Shades
When you choose to have custom-made wood shades, you get to control all aspects as to what they look like and how they operate too.
Are Wood Shades Easy to Install?
Wood shades are very easy to install. All you need in the line of tools is a pencil and a screwdriver. You merely decide if you want to mount them inside or outside of the windowsill, hold the brackets up to the wall or frame and mark the screw holes. Then you screw the screws into the brackets and line up the top of your wood shades with the brackets and then simply give it a test run to make certain it operates properly.
How do You Clean Wood Shades?
Cleaning wood shades is so very simple. You lower the shades entirely and attach your brush attachment to a vacuum cleaner and simply pass the brush over the shades. If you happen to have any stubborn stains, which are quite rare, you can dampen a micro fiber cloth and lightly dab on the stain. Don't spray shades directly with any type of liquid though, as it can expose them to excess moisture and it could cause warping.
Can I See Through Wood Shades?
The tightness of the weave you choose for your wood shades dictates how much you can see through it. A thicker bamboo reed lets less light through than a thinner grass weave, which lets more light through it. In areas where privacy is an issue, you can add a liner to the rear of your wood shades to solve this issue. If you have a weave that would let in ample light and you add a privacy liner to it, a person outside could still see shadows or silhouettes inside your home when it is dark and you have lights on inside. You can instead add a blackout liner so you can't see through the shade at all. Liners are available in many colors including the natural hues of taupe, dark brown and white. When you choose your liner, you need to consider your weave style. If you have a more open weave, you may be able to see the liner color through it and it can make your shade a darker color if you choose a dark colored liner. A light colored liner is best for a light colored fabric, as it seems to disappear. Another important consideration of liners and colors is to make certain if there is a specific color that is required on the rear of your wood shade and facing the street. HOA's and rental associations may have distinct rules on this aspect in your window treatments and the choice of liners could make you decide on a different darkness of the actual wood shade.
Why Should You Choose Wooden Shades?
There are actually several benefits that can help you to choose wooden shades for all of your home's window treatments, such as:
As you can now see, wood shades are a beautiful manner in which to update your window treatments in your home and refresh it entirely. There are so many options that you can choose from and they may be custom made in any size or shape to fit any window--even if you have specialty windows.