User Glossary - Blinds, Shades, Shutters

Aluminum Blinds: Commonly known as “mini blinds”, these curved metal slats are put together for some of the most affordable horizontal blinds available.

Basswood: Used in most blinds today, basswood is considered the best wood for blinds because of its light weight and attractive stain colors.

Blackout Liner: A polyester liner attached to the back of blinds and shades to provide privacy and 100% light block.

Blackout Shades: Cellular shades that are made to block all light. Perfect for bedrooms and media rooms.

Bottom Rail: A thick, heavy part of the blind, found at the bottom of the window covering.

Cellular Shades: Also known as “honeycomb” or “accordion shades”. These fabric shades offer a wide range in light control as well as visual looks.

Cloth Tape: Decorative cloth tapes that run vertically up and down a blind. Offered by many manufacturers, they come in a variety of colors.

Common Valance: A single valance that is built to cover 2 or more blinds.

Continuous Cord Loop Lift Cord: Typically used on cellular shades, this loop and clutch system allows for blind control without long, messy strings.

Control Location: This refers to where you want the tilting and lifting controls. Left or right.

Controls: The mechanisms that allow you to open/close or lift/lower your blinds.

Cut-Out: When a blind needs to be cut smaller on any side to make room for door handles or tile that may interfere with normal blind function.

Cordless: Some blinds can be made to lift/lower without external cords. Great for child safety and stylish looks.

Factory Deductions: Inside mount blinds are automatically trimmed .25” on each side to ensure a good fit and proper function.

Faux Wood Blinds: A great alternative to wood blinds. Faux wood is cheaper, more durable, and will not peel or warp.

Head rail: The metal part of the blind that is at the top and extends the width of the blind.

Honeycomb Shades: See Cellular Shades

Horizontal Blind: A blind that is built so that the slats run horizontally. Also known as a Venetian blind.

Inside Mount: When a blind is mounted to fit inside a window box.

Ladder: The vertical cord that horizontal slats sit on.

Lift Cord: The string that is pulled and thus raises the blind.

Light Filtering: A cellular shade that creates privacy but allows natural light to come thru.

Louver: A vertical slat on a vertical blind, or a slat in a shutter.

Motorized Lift: Some cellular shades can be motorized to lift using a remote and internal battery pack. Very good for high windows.

Motorized Tilt: Most horizontal blinds can be motorized to tilt using a remote and internal battery pack. Also very good for high windows.

Mount Type: Refers to the way a blind will be hung on a window. Understand the difference between the two is very important. Inside mount refers to a blind that fits in a window box. Outside mount refers to a blind that is mounted out of a window box or on a flat surface such as a door or on a wall over molding.

One-Way Stack: Vertical blinds that move to one side or the other when opened.

Outside Mount: A blind that is installed out of a window box, usually on a wall or door.

Pleated Shade: Similar to a cellular shade but there is no honeycomb fabric. These shades can still be made in light filtering or blackout.

Reverse Roll: An option on roller shades that sends the fabric off the front of the roller. Standard shades will have the fabric come off the roll closest to the window.

Roller Shade: Flat panel fabric or sun screening vinyl attached to a rolling dowel. Lift operation can vary from spring operation to continuous cord loop.

Roman Shade: Fabric shade that operates similarly to cellular shades. Roman shades are popular as a alternative to curtains.

Route Holes: The small holes in a standard blind where a lift string will run thru.

Routeless Blind: Lift strings are on the outside of the slats to eliminate even more light from the blind.

Slat: The individual boards on a horizontal blind.

Split Stack: Vertical blinds that collect evenly on the outer edges of a head rail.

Tape Edges: Fabric tapes that are sewn into the edges of selected shades. Commonly found on roman shades and woven wood shades.

Top-Down/ Bottom-Up: Cellular and Roman shades that are able to be lifted from the bottom as well as allowing the top of the shade to lower as well.

Valance: A decorative cover used to hide the head rail.

Valance Returns: Outside mount blinds have to side pieces on a valance that hide the brackets, these are valance returns.

Vane: A single vertical slat in a vertical blind.

Vertical Blind: A blind that has vertical slats that can be rotated open and closed, as well as expanded or contracted.

Wand Tilter: Used to open and close the angle of a blind, a wand tilter uses a stick and a twisting motion to tilt your blinds. This style of mechanism has been surpassed by the cord tilter.

Wood Blinds: The standard and classic window covering. Wood blinds are great insulators and look great in the window.

Woven Wood Shades: Shades made from natural materials such as grasses, bamboo, or other wood products. Usually more for decoration than light control, blackout liners can be added to control light.