Vinyl mini blinds are simplest, easiest to install and cheapest blinds you will find. They are also easy to clean, easy to maintain and with the right color your window will look very nice. You can say they are the ‘you can’t go wrong type of blinds. You might think, well what’s the catch. Why are they so cheap and other kinds of blinds are so expensive. There really isn’t a catch, they are manufactured from polyvinyl chloride which happens to be one of the most cheapest types of plastics available. You shouldn’t worry about that because although the material is inexpensive the construction is actually very durable.
Vinyl Mini Blinds
The first thing you’ll notice when you shop for vinyl blinds is that almost all of them are white and it’s hard to tell them apart. What you should focus on is the width of the louvers that come in three different sizes, .5 inch, 1.0 inch and 1 3/8 inches and even 2 inches. Anything wider than that is technically not a mini blind but rather venetian. You can say that vinyl mini blinds are the perfect choice for people who don’t want to spend too much money and people who want blinds but are not exactly sure of what they want and how much they want to spend. They can be regarded as stater blinds because customized blinds will cost a bundle. How does it sound if you heard you can install vinyl mini blinds on all your windows for under 90 dollars? Well it’s possible although that wouldn’t be the classiest of choices unless you have an office, which happens to be one of the best places for them. You can find the cheapest ones at either Kmart or Amazon. Better quality ones can be found online at Walmart and Target, these would be brands such as Bali which makes a nice 2 inch wide woodgrain vinyl mini blind for under $18. Living Accents also makes some decent ones as well. ACE sells vinyl mini blinds that are 35×72 for under $9 and includes all the hardware. I’m not sure if you can find a better deal than that but it is possible to find something for under $5 but the length might be only 64 inches and the width might be only 30 inches or shorter. Many people are satisfied with them although others at one point or another eventually replace the cheap ones with better quality mini blinds.
The only thing you’ll need is a few tools for the installation. There really anything more than that, and if you’re looking for shade, some light filtering without having to break the bank then vinyl mini blinds will do nicely.
Black mini blinds are everything to like when it comes to window treatment. The color is very appealing especially if you manage to make it bring out the best in a room. Black also comes off as being rich in terms of style and price. This isn’t the case however because despite being black these kinds of blinds are priced similarly to other colors such as white. This is certainly a good thing as you are getting a premium color but without having to pay a premium price. You might feel concerned that dust is easily visible on black but this shouldn’t be a concern because most blinds are actually dust proof but of course you should read into that or inquire beforehand just to make sure.
Some considerations would be the tone of black you want a metal like aluminum will differ from a plastic material like vinyl. Are you more interested in low gloss black mini blinds that have the metal style, maybe pleated mini blinds or perhaps you prefer a vinyl style, or something with matte colored louvers. The way they look won’t be the only difference as aluminum is considered a premium material while vinyl is the cheaper alternative. The difference in price can be quite significant even if the company makes identical black blinds using the different materials. Kirsch is one of the better brands that you will find, it’s apparent in their designs and also their price. Blindsgalore has an impressive collection but you should certainly check out other retailers to find the best possible price. Justblinds is another retailer that offers scratch resistant black mini blinds slats. The lower spectrum price wise you will find retailers like Sears, Amazon and Kmart seller premium brands as well as brands that won’t hurt you too much in the pockets. These brand would be Living Accents, Battalion and even some generic brands. You should however be wary of no name brands for the simple fact that their reputation is relatively unknown. But with 5 to 10 dollar blinds this shouldn’t be too much of worry. A smart move would be to buy on set of black mini blinds first and if you are satisfied then you can order more on-line.
You can certainly improve the design of any room in your home by adding a beautiful and stylish color. Black mini blinds are more than just about color, some are designed to help block out the sun better than others. Some brands specifically design their products to provide better insulation. The type of blinds you buy should be more than just about a nice color and with black mini blinds they can look great and also be useful.
Plastic mini blinds are essentially made from PVC or simply vinyl for short. They louvers come as small as half an inch and as wide as 1 3/8 inches. Material wise it is one of the most durable materials and is almost ideal for mini blinds. The plastic is relativity inexpensive which makes mini blinds that are made from plastic very affordable. The benefits don’t stop there because the plastic material is flexible and is also able to withstand high sun exposure. This makes it perfect for reflect strong sun light. The texture is also quite attractive when installed fitted properly on windows. Another major benefit is ease of maintenance, which makes cleaning them a cinch.
It’s really difficult with what plastic mini blinds have to offer especially for the price they are sold. Another impressive factor is the numerous quality brands that sell this product. Online you will notice that retailers such as Amazon, Overstock and Walmart sell various brands. These include and are not limited to blue mountain, the very cheap Doitbest Imp Blnd Y blinds and other brands that specialize in manufacturing plastic blinds. This should reassure any consumer because it does feel good that you buy a brand name product for under 10 dollars. The doitbest might possibly be the cheapest option but you should definitely explore other brands because for just a little bit more you may find something much better. ACE trading seems like a good brand with their carefree vinyl which also happens to be ‘lead free’. This is a good thing especially if you have young ones in the home that love to play with things including plastic mini blinds. Another option which I personally like is Bali, they cost about fifteen dollars on average per mini blind but with them you know exactly what you are getting. Sure this brand could cost 3 times more than the cheapest plastic mini blinds but the quality is noticeable from a mile away.
Regardless of what brand you choose it is wise to read some feedback by people who have brought similar mini blinds. They are very different and simply because one brand makes something good does not necessarily mean that everything they make is good, plastic mini blinds included.
Mini blinds are the economical alternative to venetian blinds. The main similarity is that both of them have horizontal louvers. That however is where the similarities end, unfortunately many people can’t tell the difference. That is until they look at the price tag, mini blinds are priced much cheaper and there is good reason for that. First the designs, colors, material of louvers and styles are pretty limited. The cheapest are micro mini blinds and the major characteristic is their small ½ inch wide louvers. One limitations of these economical blinds is that they are not made to measure. This is one of the reasons why they are cost effective.
The general consensus is that these window blinds are are primarily used in offices and not in residential. This is however a matter of opinion because with the right color you can make it work is certain rooms in the home. Don’t expect a large variety of colors because red, black, white, yellow and gray. Your choice of materials will either be aluminum, pvc or vinyl. Some consumers might mistake wood as one of the materials they can have for louvers. This is attributed to false marketing because faux wood mini blinds are erroneously advertised as such. Any louver that is wider than 1 3/8 inches should not be categorized as mini-blinds.
The above information should help distinguish one style from other. Irregardless of the length and width of your window you should have no problem fitting your window(s) with the type of mini blind that you want. Some ideal rooms in the home that you can install them would be a home office, bathroom and studio apartments. Fitting many windows with mini blinds might not result in an aesthetically pleasing design. The spacing between the louvers including the way they angle when opened and even closed is not something you want to see in each room.
You might be tempted to buy higher end brands such as hunter dougls, levolor or bali and this would be a good choice. But if you are contemplating window blinds for an entire home then think carefully about more than just the costs because even though venetian blinds will cost more. Maybe by as much as 50% but what you are getting would be more appropriate than mini blinds. This is for an entire home because for an individual room there is no problem with putting up a 1 inch mini blind in such instances.
There’s a reason why mini blinds are so popular. They look great and don’t cost as much as most people assume. This also applies to wood mini blinds although ones that are made from natural wood will cost more than faux wood. The only problem is that they only fit on small windows but if you have such a window and I’m sure you do then take a real close look these horizontal blinds. The cheapest type you will find will be the all white variety and probably something that is made by Living Accents. Standard sizes are usually 24″ to 36″ width and 64″ height but you can certainly order them custom sized and that would be the smart choice if you are getting wood mini blinds. If you find out that the price is a little steep, despair not because for half the price you can find faux wood mini blinds and only the keenest eyes will know the difference.
And often times faux isn’t just as good but even better, hopefully you won’t learn this the hard way by installing natural wood in a room with high humidity such as a patio room which is prone to more moisture than rooms that in the house. The slat sizes for most mini blinds are between 1″ to 2″ but they are also available in 2.5″ as well and the sizes available will depend on the brand you buy. Finding authentic wood might be a little harder than you think as faux wood mini blinds are what are being sold more online and in stores. The costs for real wood are just too high for most consumers but you can and will find real wood but your search might be a little harder. The wood finishes are also very extensive with white and natural wood color selling the most. Companies such as Levolor have as much as 65 custom finishes, the more unique the color the longer you will have to wait for your order. It is not uncommon for people to wait 2-3 weeks before they receive their shipment.
Installing wood mini blinds is also simpler than than larger blinds as it is easier for one person to hold them, unlike large window blinds that might require a helping hand. If you want an estimation of how much it would cost for a complete package of wood mini blinds including the headrail, well expect to pay $50 and more for a 34″ x 72″ for faux wood material. These will mostly likely be made from PVC and will be all white. Custom colors will cost more and if we are talking about real wood then the price will be much more than that.