How to choose and install blinds on plastic windows: practical advice
Blinds are an invention of seven hundred years ago. Of course, their design is not at all the same as it was seven centuries ago in medieval castles, but the basic principle of their construction is the same: these are strips of fabric or other material that can move apart and close the windows from bright sunlight. The homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/ editors have collected for you all the most useful information that will help you choose the right blinds for plastic windows. Practical installation recommendations and a detailed description of the design options are waiting for you.
The content of the article
- 1 Blinds advantages and disadvantages
- 2 Types of blinds for plastic windows - classification by design
- 2.1 Horizontal blinds for plastic windows: application features
- 2.2 Vertical blinds for plastic windows
- 2.3 Roller blinds on plastic windows and where they are installed
- 2.4 Cassette blinds for plastic windows and their design
- 2.5 Temporary and easy installation: pleated blinds on plastic windows
- 2.6 Other types of blinds
- 3 Features of materials for the manufacture of blinds and methods of care
- 4 How to choose blinds for plastic windows - recommendations of our editorial staff
- 5 How to install blinds on plastic windows with your own hands
- 6 Prices for blinds for plastic windows
Blinds advantages and disadvantages
You have not yet decided what to give preference to, traditional curtains or blinds? Indeed, the choice is not easy. Let's consider what you will gain and what you will lose by choosing this type of window decoration.
Advantages:
- Sun protection. This design not only protects the room from direct sunlight, but also allows you to adjust the intensity of natural light.
- Light airing. Fresh air access with a similar design at the window is free. Blinds do not become an obstacle like curtains. So you don't even need to move them for airing. You just need to open a window.
- Easy to care for. Unlike heavy curtains and tulles, slats do not absorb dust and do not need to be washed periodically. They are impregnated with a special coating. For cleaning, you just need to vacuum them without removing them from the window.
- Ease of management. The opening / closing of the blinds and the rotation of the slats are very easy to adjust. Some models even have electric motors that can be manipulated at the touch of a button.
Disadvantages:
- Extraneous sounds when opening and closing. In fact, this is a controversial issue - if you pull back the curtains, rings or clothespins also move silently along the cornice.
- The need for regular replacement. Since the blinds are not washed and few decide to change them depending on the season, the material fades and soon becomes unsightly. You will have to change the design at least once every three years, or even more often if the windows are on the sunny side.
- The possibility of breakage. The design of the lamellas has many parts, including plastic ones. Rough handling can break the mechanism.
Types of blinds for plastic windows - classification by design
Blinds have different design features. Which of the options to choose depends on the specifics of the location of your windows and the interior features. The most common models:
- vertical;
- horizontal;
- roll;
- cassette.
Consider the features of each of the above designs.
Horizontal blinds for plastic windows: application features
Horizontal blinds are the progenitors of all other types. Most often they can be found in official buildings, since such structures look very presentable. Housewives also appreciated the practicality of such systems. Horizontal slats are the best choice for a kitchen or bedroom. Such blinds are often placed on balcony windows.
Horizontal slats make it possible to regulate the illumination of the room, they hide your home from prying eyes and are easy to operate. Horizontal structures can have stripes of different widths, from one and a half to five centimeters. They are installed between frames or in a window opening and are manually or electrically operated.
Helpful information! The width of the strips should be selected taking into account the dimensions of the room: the smaller the dimensions, the narrower the stripes.
Related article:
Roman blinds for plastic windows. Photos of interesting ideas, classification, average prices, material for making canvases, how to properly attach to plastic windows and useful tips are in our publication.
Vertical blinds for plastic windows
Designs with vertical lamellas fit well into any interior. They are distinguished by their practicality and long service life. The vertical fabric blinds slide completely to the side, leaving the window open. The stripes can be 9 or 12 centimeters wide.
The system allows you to rotate the slats around the axis, move them to the side completely or to a part of the window. How vertical blinds look in the interior of the house - in the photo below.
Roller blinds on plastic windows and where they are installed
The peculiarity of the roller blinds mechanism is that when they are opened, they do not move, like all other models, but roll up into a roll. The mechanism is located at the top of the structure. Such systems are made from impregnated fabric or woven bamboo. As well as vertical and horizontal systems, roller blinds can be equipped with an electric drive. Such designs are very convenient for small windows. They can even be installed on one leaf.
Cassette blinds for plastic windows and their design
Cassette systems, in fact, are also roll-to-roll, with the only difference that they are mounted in a separate case - a cassette. Installation of such structures does not require drilling, which is important if you have modern PVC windows with a complex hermetic system. Such cassette blind mechanisms are made to order according to the size of the window opening.
Temporary and easy installation: pleated blinds on plastic windows
Pleated blinds are the most primitive type of blinds that can be made with your own hands in just a matter of minutes, and not only from fabric, but also from paper or wallpaper. If the product is made of fabric, it can be washed, it is very convenient if you close the windows in the kitchen or balcony... Such devices open from the bottom up, which means that they can be installed on high windows and openings of non-standard shapes and sizes. Such curtains will fit comfortably on the windows attic... Fastening the structure - in the upper part of the window, under cornice... If you like to frequently update the decoration on the windows, pleated fabric blinds will suit you like no other options.
Other types of blinds
We have given you examples of traditional designs that are in constant demand. In addition to them, you can use original novelties for your windows:
- Photo blinds. These designs are based on ordinary vertical slats, but an image of your choice is applied to them. Such devices can be made of fabric or plastic.
- Interframe structures. These systems are used in double timber framed windows. The blinds are inserted between the glasses, and the control handle is brought out into the room.
- Arch systems fixed to the ceiling or walls. They can be based on a roll, horizontal or vertical slats.
- Multi-texture blinds consist of several layers and form original drawings. Here fabric and plastic can be used at the same time.
Which of the listed designs to choose for your home depends only on your taste.
Features of materials for the manufacture of blinds and methods of care
An important nuance in choosing a window design is material. The most practical are plastic structures. Indeed, they are easy to wash, they can be in harmony with fabric curtains and are not electrified. In addition, you can order lamellas made of fabric, bamboo, aluminum, fiberglass. How to make a choice in such a variety?
Aluminum and plastic
Lightweight and durable aluminum is an excellent choice for kitchen decoration. He is not afraid of high temperatures, he can wash, including using abrasive detergents. Manufacturers cover the lamellas with paint or photo printing. Aluminum structures can be horizontal or vertical.
Plastic does not lag behind its aluminum counterpart. It is also distinguished by its durability and variety of colors. Lamella care is simple and allows the use of soap solutions. There is only one claim to this window design - a rumble during airing.
Wood and bamboo
Wood in the construction of blinds looks unusual and original. They can be performed solo or complete with heavy fabric curtains. For the manufacture of lamellas, they take expensive wood, so such window decoration will not be cheap. The advantages of wood are its environmental friendliness, hypoallergenicity and long service life.
Bamboo cannot be called a very dense coating, but it is not afraid of moisture, like wood. It does not swell or deform, so that bamboo curtains can even be placed in bathroom.
Fabric blinds for plastic windows
When choosing fabric for lamellas, keep in mind that too thin material will quickly burn out and lose its shape. The denser the fabric, the better it will cover the sun. Polyester has proven itself best. This inexpensive material is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, does not wrinkle and lasts long enough. Linen and cotton sheets look presentable, but over time they shrink and wrinkle.
Before being used in such structures, any fabric is subjected to special treatment with antistatic and water-repellent compounds. The fabric slats can be washed if necessary. They are not wrung out and dried in a flattened form.
How to choose blinds for plastic windows - recommendations of our editorial staff
Blinds, like curtains, are matched to the interior. They should be in harmony with the main furnishings and decoration of the room. If you have plastic windows, skip models that require frame drilling. To make your choice, answer a few questions:
- what size of blinds is right for you;
- what width of the panels corresponds to the dimensions of the room;
- what do you prefer: vertical or horizontal slats;
- what color and texture are suitable for the interior.
Only after you have found the most suitable option, start looking for a workshop. If you need to solve two problems at once, to protect the room from the sun during the day and prying eyes at night, install blinds made of dense material on the plastic windows, as in the photo below.
How to install blinds on plastic windows with your own hands
Even in a typical apartment, you are unlikely to see exactly the same windows. Small deviation in sizes of window openings very likely, therefore, plastic windows are made only after careful measurements. For the same reason, blinds are made according to individual dimensions for each window opening.
Before ordering blinds, it is important to decide where the structure will be located: inside or outside the window. If you choose an internal location, the lamellas should be ordered one centimeter narrower and shorter than the opening, if the outer one is a couple of centimeters wider and higher.
How blinds are attached to plastic windows with drilling
If the design provides for fasteners with drilling, in no case mount the curtains directly to the frame. You will break the tightness the windows will fog up... In this case, the base is attached to the walls or ceiling of the window opening, bypassing the frames. As a result, the lamellas will be at a slight deviation from the window. If you have narrow window sills and there are indoor flowers on them, this is not very convenient.
If you still need to install the slats directly on the frame, buy blinds for plastic windows with fasteners without drilling.
How to hang plastic blinds on plastic windows without drilling
Without drilling, you can hang small lightweight structures on each leaf separately. This method is convenient in that there are no problems with airing the room. There is no need to open or move anything, the sashes of the window swing open together with the curtains on them. Without drilling, you can mount pleated designs, Roman and roller blinds and horizontal blinds.
Note! Modern manufacturers of plastic windows can offer you frames with provided fasteners for blinds, this is very convenient.
There are several options for solving the issue of how to fix the blinds on plastic windows. You can use plastic or metal clips or double-sided tape.
For fabric, plastic and aluminum structures, it is best to use metal clips.
Related article:
Roller blinds for plastic windows without drilling: selection and installation. In the article we will consider the advantages of products, types, how to choose the right one, the secrets of proper installation and operation.
Video: how to install horizontal blinds on plastic windows
The nuances of installing vertical and horizontal blinds on plastic windows
Vertical blinds have a small peculiarity: the number of brackets should correspond not only to the number, but also to the width of the lamellas. If you are installing wide curtains more than 1.6 meters, increase the number of brackets by a third. But horizontal structures can be called universal, they are suitable for both ordinary and special windows with a fancy shape or non-standard size.
Prices for blinds for plastic windows
The cost of window decoration depends on the size of the structure, materials and control mechanism.
As for the prices for different types of materials, they are as follows:
View | Average price per m² (as of June 2018), rubles |
---|---|
Fabric vertical | 458 |
Paper pleats | 120 |
Plastic horizontal | 290 |
Plastic vertical | 1150 |
Bamboo | 789 |
Aluminum horizontal | 369 |
There are cases when blinds categorically do not fit into the chosen design. Most often this happens if the chosen interior style is Rococo or Baroque. Beautiful curtains with a complex design are important here, but even in this case, you can get out of the situation by hiding the shading structure behind the curtains.
In all other interiors, you can easily use slats. If you have already done this and you have tips for installing on plastic windows, share with us in the comments!