WINDOW FASHIONS WEDNESDAY: HOW TO MAKE YOUR WINDOWS SAFE
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Hi there. Now that my last blog series on the A-Z Home Decor Trends has concluded, it's time to start something new. If you haven't heard the news, I recently joined the Custom Window Fashions Company, Smith and Noble, as an In-Home Designer. Just consider me your personal tour guide into the world of custom window treatments. This new series will be called Window Fashions Wednesdays. Each week I will feature a different type of window covering or address how to cover certain types of windows or highlight a feature that I think you should know about. Sound good? Well, to kick start this series, I wanted to talk with you about How to Make Your Windows Safe. I don't want to get into the gruesome details, but far too many children die annually from accidental cord strangulation on window treatments that have dangling cords or cords that don't meet the current safety standards. It's tragic really and something that is not often taken into consideration while "child proofing" a home. Well, I'm going to shed some light on this and show you some great options that eliminate the risks altogether, when possible.
Take a look around your home...do you have blinds or shades that have long dangling cords? I see this quite often with off-the-shelf blinds purchased at home improvement stores. You probably have a huge stack of extra vanes sitting on the sill too which is not needed, but that was the closest size blind to your window size. Know that you can remove all the extra pieces. It's not hard, it just take some time. The long dangling cords are not only unsightly, but is oh so dangerous. An easy way to tame those cords is to install a cord cleat on the side of the window where you can wrap the cord when it's not in use. They can be purchased at your local home improvement or hardware store very inexpensively. Here's one at Home Depot for $2.89. Just remember that they're only good if you use them. I know people don't like them because they find it to be a nuisance, an extra step, but there's a reason why they exist. It's especially important if your household has young children or pets
Another thing to consider with your existing cords is, do the tassels "break away" when pressure is placed on them? To meet safety codes, the wooden or plastic piece that holds your cords together should break in half when pressure is placed on it in order to reduce the risk of strangulation. If yours doesn't, I would highly recommend replacing your shade or blinds. Something that you may not consider a hazard because it's usually hidden are lift cords for roman style shades. Take a look at this picture...do yours have large gaps between each fold like this? If so, that's an accident waiting to happen. This is a picture of a recalled roman shade sold at Restoration Hardware. A young child or small pet can easily get tangled in there.
Here is a quick recap of 5 tips for making your windows safer
Install safety cord cleats on the side of your windows to tame your cords (and USE THEM!)
Make sure your cords have break away tassels...if not, replace them immediately!
Make sure any roman style shade or any shade you have does not have cords that have large gaps between them that can potentially put children and pets at risk. If so, replace them immediately!
Move all furniture and climbable surfaces away from windows.
Install CORDLESS window coverings whenever possible!
Let's talk a minute about #5. Cordless window coverings are by far the safest way to eliminate the risk altogether. Plus, not having cords is much more aesthetically pleasing because there's nothing distracting you from the beautiful window covering. Cordless is just so simple. When you want to lift the shade, you just apply some pressure underneath the shade and it lifts up easily. when you want to close the shade, you just grab the bottom rail and it pulls down. It's fantastic! The only restriction is usually size...the width of your window would determine whether or not cordless is an option.
Here's a quick overview of the cordless window coverings offered by Smith and Noble...there's a nice selection including sheer shadings, honeycomb shades, pleated shades, fabric shades, roller shades, solar shades, wood and durawood blinds.
I'll be discussing these various shades in future blog posts, but if this is something that you are interested in learning more about, contact me. If you're in my local area, I'd love to help you choose the right option for you with an in-home consultation. If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave me a comment below.
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