Glossary

Allowance – The amount of the blind or shade that is taken off in order to be installed as an inside mount.

Aluminum Blinds – Commonly referred to as micro blinds, mini blinds or macro blinds.  Created from 0.6 to 0.9 gauge aluminum, these horizontal blinds can be raised and lowered.  The sturdiest gauge is 0.9, price varies with the quality of materials used.

Bamboo Shades – Also known as Woven Shades or woven woods, these blinds are made of bamboo, jutes or reeds.  These window coverings usually can be lined as an option to provide greater privacy.

Basswood – A common type of wood for horizontal blinds because of its lightweight and fine grain.

Blackout – Ideal for bedrooms, media rooms or children’s rooms, blackout blinds and shades block out the majority of outside light.  Fabric that is blackout rated can block outside light up to 99%.

Blackout Liner â€“ A polyester backing that is optional on pleated shades and woven shades.  This backing on shades can provide increased privacy and block 100% of outside light.

Bottom-up/Top-down – A standard shade that lowers from the top down combined with a shade that rises from the bottom up.  Two sets of cords are used so that the shade can be lowered or raised either separately or at the same time.

Cafe Blind or Shutter – A blind or shutter that only covers the lower portion of the window.  These are often seen in kitchens.

Cellular Shades – Window shades that are made of two or more layers of fabric. The fabric is pleated and connected in a way to form air pockets.  These air pockets are ideal for providing insulation; these shades are available in single cell, double cell or triple cell.

Cloth Tapes – Used to replace braided ladders, these pieces of cloth run the length of the horizontal blind to keep the slats in place.  Commonly available for wood, aluminum and faux wood blinds these cloth tapes are usually available in a number of matching colors or patterns.

Continuous Cord Loop – A lift mechanism that has one continuous looped cord that raises and lowers blinds or shades.  This is recommended for large shades.

Cordless – A common option for horizontal blinds and shades; the blind is controlled by pulling or pushing the bottom rail tab, this provides the option of no exposed controls.

Cornice – Usually made from wood, this is a covering for the top of blinds, shades or drapes.

Day-Night Shade – One blind that consists of two different fabrics, commonly one is for filtering light and the other for room darkening.

Faux Wood – Perfect for humid rooms, this is a engineered material that has the appearance of wood.  Usually made of composite or polymer materials.

Opaque – Refers to the level of blocked outside light.  Opaque fabric blocks out a high percentage of light.

Outside Mount – A window shade or blind that is installed on the outside of the window or doorframe.

Pleated Shades – Shades made with sheets of fabric that have evenly spaced horizontal pleats.

Ramin Wood – Commonly used for value-priced wood blinds, this is a less expensive wood than basswood.

Reverse Roll – An option for roller shades where instead of the standard rolling on the side closest to the window, the shade rolls off the head rail.

Roller Shades – A shade made of a flat panel of vinyl or fabric attached to a spring-loaded roll.

Roman Fold – The style of fold that a shade creates when raised.  This can be flat, cascade or teardrop.

Roman Shades – A window shade that rises from the bottom, by folding.

Route Holes – Small holes on standard slats that the braided ladders run through.

Routeless – Blinds that have offset holes or small notches, providing increased privacy and light control.

Semi-Opaque – A light filtering style of material.  Doesn’t block as much light as Opaque material, still letting some light in.

Semi-Sheer – A woven fabric that filters in a small amount of light, providing soft lighting.

Sheer – A woven fabric that filters out harsh light without obstructing your view.

Slat – Individual lengths of material that make up horizontal blinds.

Split Stack – Vertical window blinds that split down the middle, opening evenly to the left and right.

Stack – When the blinds are open, this is the area or pile of slats.

Stack Height – This is the amount of space the the stack takes up when the blinds are opened.

Tapes – See cloth tapes.

Tilt – The control, usually a cord or wand that controls the slant of the blind’s slats when closed.

Top-Down – A window blind or shade that opens from the top down, differing from the standard ‘bottom-up’ opening.

Wall Mount – Mounts that are used when installing a window blind or shade onto the wall.

Wand Tilter – A long, thin mechanical device used to control the tilt or the slats and vanes with a twisting motion.

Width – The measurement of blinds and shades from the left to right side.

Wood Blinds – Made from various types of wood, these are popular horizontal blinds.

Woven Wood Shades – Also referred to bamboo or matchstick blinds, these are available in Porch roll-up or Roman shades. Wood materials such as bamboo and jute are woven together to create a rustic window covering.