| When considering the interior design of your home, | | | | Blinds can be dust traps, especially horizontal ones. As |
| how you cover your windows is a very important | | | | more people are suffering from asthma and dust |
| decision, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. At | | | | allergies, curtains are a healthy choice, requiring little |
| Tracks-Direct we are taking a look at the top 10 | | | | care to keep them clean and presentable. The tracks |
| advantages of curtains over blinds. | | | | and poles need little servicing and the curtains need |
| 1) Curtains add visual elegance to a room | | | | only be vacuumed or dry cleaned on the odd |
| Where both vertical and horizontal blinds just cover | | | | occasion. |
| the window and add very little to the look and feel | | | | 7) Want a new look and feel? |
| of the room, curtains and their fittings add a certain | | | | Although white or cream blinds will fit in with most |
| style. Curtain poles come in a wide variety of styles, | | | | room styles and colours, they do nothing to enhance |
| from simple metal curtain poles to wood effect ones. | | | | it. Curtains can blend in with your room, or can be |
| Finials (the decorative ends of the curtain poles) also | | | | chosen to enhance or contrast with it. Redecorating? |
| come in all shapes and sizes, so you are sure to find | | | | No problem, just choose new curtains to match. |
| a style that suits your room. | | | | Curtains can also have trimmings and contrast edges |
| When open, curtains frame a window beautifully, | | | | to pick out other colours within the room. Buttons |
| creating a border which is lacking with blinds. Whether | | | | can be added to pleats, cord can be added to edges |
| pulled up or to the side, blinds cover only the | | | | or pleats as can a contrast trimming. Curtains offer a |
| window, whereas curtains can hang below and to the | | | | much wider scope for design. |
| side of the window. Tying curtains back adds a | | | | 8) Curtains can be controlled remotely |
| certain elegance which blinds cannot offer. | | | | As mentioned above, electric curtain tracks can be |
| 2) Curtains and curtain tracks or poles can be bent to | | | | fitted which allow you to control your curtains from |
| fit a bay window | | | | the comfort of your armchair. Although it may seem |
| Although some vertical blinds can be bent to the | | | | like the height of laziness, there is a practical aspect |
| shape of a bay window, a vertical blind will take | | | | to electric curtain tracks. When on holiday, people |
| away the lovely effect and leave the room looking | | | | typically use automated light-switching devices but |
| more like an office. A curtain track or curtain pole can | | | | have to leave curtains or blinds half open. Electric |
| be made to measure and bent to suit a bay window | | | | curtains can be set to open and close at set times |
| and the curtains will once again add elegance and | | | | each day, giving the impression that someone is |
| style. Curtain tracks are also more flexible and can be | | | | home. Alternatively a light sensor can be added to |
| made to fit a wider range of bay windows. | | | | open and close the curtains in conjunction with the |
| 3) Increased fitting flexibility | | | | daylight hours. |
| Some of today's more modern windows and patio | | | | 9) Curtains are easy to hang |
| doors open inwards leaving little space to fix. With | | | | Want to change your curtains? Simply unhook them |
| curtain tracks that can be as small as 5mm and some | | | | from your curtain pole, attach the hooks to your |
| that can even be recess fixed into a ceiling, this will | | | | new curtains and away you go. Replacing vertical |
| leave plenty of room for a window or door to open | | | | blinds can involve unhooking each blind from the next, |
| inwards. | | | | unclipping each one carefully (the plastic is easy to |
| 4) Curtains provide insulation | | | | snap), and then going through the whole rigmarole in |
| Typically blinds are thin and offer minimal heat | | | | reverse to put them back up. Other blinds must be |
| insulation to a room. Compare this with a lovely warm | | | | removed all in one, making it easy to damage them |
| set of curtains which not only keep the heat inside | | | | as they are taken down or put back up. |
| but also cut draughts as they can hang below the | | | | 10) Reliable and cost effective |
| window ledge, unlike blinds which stop just above the | | | | With so many working parts or fiddly clips, blinds |
| ledge. Curtains can also be interlined with a thick | | | | tend to be less reliable than curtains on a track or a |
| material to add extra heat insulation. | | | | pole. Combining curtains with a good, reliable curtain |
| 5) Hand, cord or electric operation | | | | track or pole can be a more cost effective option; |
| Curtain tracks and curtain poles can be hand | | | | especially as curtain prices have been greatly reduced |
| operated so that many different curtains can operate | | | | since the introduction of ready-made and express |
| on one window. This allows curtains of different | | | | curtain making services. And if your requirements |
| widths and drops to stack at different locations on | | | | change, you can simply hang new curtains on your |
| the window. In addition they can also be operated as | | | | existing track or pole. |
| a blind with a cord to avoid handling the curtains or | | | | We hope you have found our information about the |
| electrically for the extra security and a touch of | | | | advantages of curtains over blinds useful. Find out |
| luxury. | | | | about the wide range of curtain tracks and poles, |
| 6) Easy to keep clean | | | | fitting options and more at Tracks-Direct. |