Besides the obvious distinction, you may not know the difference between vertical and horizontal blinds. Both types of blinds offer their own sets of decorative and functional advantages and disadvantages. Knowing the pros and cons of each type of blinds will help you choose the best option for your home.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical blinds are, of course, vertical with large slats hanging from a track at the top of a window or doorway. Vertical blinds are often opened or closed using a wand or pull chain system, allowing them to slide from side to side.
Horizontal Blinds
Blinds offering horizontal slats tend to be more common, especially when considering taller and narrower windows. Horizontal blinds are often made of a thin woven ladder system that suspends slats, enabling them to stack when a lift cord is pulled.
What’s Best For My Window or Door?
The first consideration when choosing new blinds is what kind of window you are outfitting. The greatest benefit of vertical blinds is that they are made for covering bigger windows and sliding glass doors. Because of their design, they can easily cover large areas and stack on the sides of doorways allowing easy entrances.
It is certainly possible to get custom horizontal blinds for wide windows and doors, but the horizontal design is not the best option as they can either sag or reduce clearance in doorways.
Which Blinds Offer Greater Privacy?
Blinds are most often used for the safety and privacy of one’s family. Horizontal blinds win this one as they are the best option where coverage is concerned. When completely closed, horizontal blinds create an impenetrable window covering that has no risk of separating or blowing open. If you combine these along with additional window coverings or drapes, they can offer complete privacy.
While vertical blinds offer many great benefits, they are not secured at the bottom, allowing them to easily open with the slightest amount of movement.
How Can I Best Keep Light Out?
If you are looking to keep the sun out, it is often best to choose your preferred blinds based on which direction the window is facing. The light blocking properties of vertical and horizontal blinds are dictated by the angles in which they can be adjusted. On windows with minimal sunlight, usually those that face north or south, vertical blinds are a fine option.
On east or west-facing windows, where the sun rises and falls, horizontal blinds are your best bet as they offer a closer seal keeping the light and heat at bay.
Will My Blinds Be Hard to Maintain?
It is good to know the material of your blinds when considering maintenance and cleaning. Both vertical and horizontal blinds can be made from wood, vinyl, aluminum, and fabric. Choose the appropriate cleaning products when maintaining new blinds.
Vertical blinds are often the easiest to clean as they collect less dust, although many are made of fabric and can pick up debris off the floor. The solution to this is to choose vertical blinds made out of aluminum or vinyl. Because of their horizontal surfaces, other blinds easily accumulate dust and require time spent wiping down each slat.
Contact The Blinds Side if you still have questions or are ready to pick out some new blinds for your home or office.