Pages

Faux Wooden Blinds - A Good Substitute for the Real Thing?

In the past decade the machinery used in the mass production of furniture and soft furnishings has improved massively. Machines formerly only capable of crudely replicating the nuances of, for example, a wood like walnut, can now produce a close match. These finishes are so closely matched that it's hard for those with untrained eyes to tell them apart.

Faux wooden blinds are just one of the furnishings that have benefited from these technological advancements. They're typically produced from composite PVC as opposed to real wood. An incredibly flexible material, it's also very durable, which makes them a sound choice for those with small children. Unlike wooden blinds, their faux relations are incredibly cheap. You can get a set from your average blind retailer for around £25. In comparison real wooden blinds can cost significantly more.
Whilst faux wooden blinds certainly have their advantages, are they really good enough to replace the real thing?

A lot depends on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers are renowned for producing fantastic finishes; finishes that successfully replicate the intricacies of a real wood finish. Others try nobly, but ultimately fail miserably. If you're going to install a set of blinds made from faux wood in your own living room, you should ideally aim for a set that look the part. Some blinds can become discoloured under intense sunlight - this automatically impedes the quality of the finish.

They're also slightly heavier than their real counterparts. So, if you're attempting to cover a large bay window, it might be worth have separate blinds for each section. One large blind could weigh down too heavily on the head rail, eventually causing it to break, leaving your faux wooden blinds in a large heap on the floor.

It's not all bad, though. If you're going for a specific look, there are plenty of options to choose from. For example, you could choose your blinds by wood, colour or stain. This is great for those homeowners looking for blinds to complement the existing look of their, say, living room.

If you have the cash at hand it's certainly worth investing in a set of real wooden blinds. There's nothing wrong with a faux set; for the large part they successfully mimic the finish, but they lack the character and charm. With a good set of wooden blinds you don't have the issue of them weighing the head bar rail down, as they're much lighter. This also means that you can have just one large blind covering a large window - rather than multiple blinds split into sections.

Providing you look after them correctly, a set of wooden blinds can last for several years - making them a sound investment.

There's an old adage, which you've probably heard many times before; it states that 'you get what you pay for.' In this case may pay more for a good set of wooden blinds, but that extra amount gets you an added amount of quality - which you aren't going to get if you go for the cheaper option.
Faux wooden blinds have become a popular alternative to their real wood counterparts over the past decade or so. This article discusses whether faux wood blinds could be considered a good substitute for a set of real wood blinds.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eva_Noble

Blinds 4 Less
Quality Blinds, Shutters, & Shades
Proudly Serving Southern California since 1994
Free In-Home Shopping
(951) 924-9435