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Window covering installers measure openings, suggest a product for each window, fasten brackets and headrails into solid framing, fit interior shutters to frames that are out of square and replace old corded blinds with cordless or motorized ones. Exterior shutters, whether decorative panels or working rolling shutters, are fastened to the outside of the house and are handled by the same companies or by siding and window contractors.
This page describes the main types of blinds and shutters, what Health Canada's rules on cords mean for the blinds already in your home, how coverings affect heating and cooling, how inside and outside mounts are measured, what motorized shades involve and which materials hold up in bathrooms.
Types of blinds, shades and shutters: roller, cellular, Venetian, vertical and Roman
Blinds have slats you tilt to control light, shades are a continuous piece of fabric that rolls, folds or stacks, and shutters are rigid panels hinged to a frame. Each family comes in versions that let light through, filter it or block it almost entirely, so the choice starts with what the room needs: a view, privacy, darkness or a bit of each.
- Roller shades: a single sheet of fabric that rolls onto a tube at the top, simple and discreet, in sheer, light-filtering or blackout fabrics.
- Cellular or honeycomb shades: pleated fabric formed into cells that trap a layer of air, which is why they are often chosen for their insulating value.
- Venetian blinds: horizontal slats in aluminum, wood or faux wood that tilt for fine control of light and privacy.
- Vertical blinds: hanging vanes that slide to the side, a common choice for wide sliding patio doors.
- Roman shades: fabric that folds into soft pleats as it rises, warmer looking but heavier to lift than a roller shade.
- Interior shutters: louvred wood or composite panels fitted in their own frame, very durable and easy to swing open for the view.
- Exterior shutters: mostly decorative panels fixed beside the window, or working rolling shutters that close over the glass for privacy, security and shade.
Corded blind safety: Health Canada's Corded Window Coverings Regulations and cordless blinds
Cords on blinds and shades can strangle young children, and Health Canada says children between 1 and 3 years old are most at risk. The Corded Window Coverings Regulations, in force since May 1, 2021, apply to all window coverings sold in Canada, custom-made and off the shelf. A cord that a person can reach must not be longer than 22 cm when pulled, a loop must not measure more than 44 cm around, and a strangulation warning must appear on the product, its packaging and its instructions.
Blinds bought before the rules took effect, or handed down from a relative, may not meet them. Health Canada encourages people to replace older corded coverings with cordless ones, starting with children's rooms and the places where children play, and says the safest coverings are those with no cords you can see or touch.
- Choose cordless or motorized blinds and shades for every room where a child sleeps or plays.
- Until old blinds are replaced, Health Canada advises installing a cleat or tie-down high on the wall and keeping the cords wrapped on it.
- Fasten the tension devices supplied with continuous-loop blinds securely to the wall, as Health Canada recommends.
- Keep cribs, beds, playpens and any furniture a child can climb away from windows with corded coverings.
Insulating window coverings: winter heat loss, summer heat gain and condensation
Natural Resources Canada notes that curtains and blinds can reduce radiant heat loss from windows during the heating season and cut solar gain in summer, and that shutters, shades and awnings also help keep the summer sun out. It adds that insulated drapes offer somewhat more benefit in winter than non-insulated drapes and blinds.
There is a catch in cold weather. Because curtains and blinds are not airtight, NRCan warns that they may cause condensation problems in winter: a covering that fits closely over the glass keeps warm room air away from it, the pane gets colder, and moisture that slips behind the covering condenses or frosts on the glass and sill.
- Winter days: open the coverings on sunny windows to let the sun warm the room, and close them after dark.
- Summer: keep the coverings on south- and west-facing windows closed through the hottest part of the day.
- Frost or water on the glass every morning: raise the covering for part of the day so the glass can dry, and keep indoor humidity in check.
- Exterior shutters and awnings stop the sun before it reaches the glass, so its heat never gets into the room.
Measuring for blinds and shutters: inside mount vs outside mount
An inside mount sits within the window recess for a clean, built-in look; an outside mount is fastened to the wall or trim above the opening and overlaps it on every side. Custom blinds are made to the measurements you supply and often can't be altered or returned, so many homeowners let the installer measure. If you measure yourself, use a steel tape, write every figure down and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the product you are ordering.
- Inside mount: measure the width of the recess at the top, middle and bottom and the height at the left, centre and right, since older frames are rarely square.
- Recess depth: check that it is deep enough for the headrail or shutter frame, and that the covering will clear window cranks and handles.
- Outside mount: measure the area you want covered, including the overlap past the opening, and make sure there is flat wall or trim to fasten into.
- Out-of-square or shallow windows: an outside mount, or a shutter with its own frame, hides the gaps that an inside mount would show.
Motorized blinds and shades: battery, plug-in and hardwired options
Motorized coverings remove the cord hazard entirely and make high or hard-to-reach windows easy to use. They can follow a schedule, answer to a remote or a wall switch, and be grouped so a single command closes every shade on the sunny side of the house.
- Battery or rechargeable motors: no wiring at all and the simplest choice for an existing home, but the batteries need recharging or replacing from time to time.
- Plug-in motors: powered through a transformer plugged into a nearby outlet, which leaves a wire to hide along the trim.
- Hardwired motors and wall controls: new wiring in walls or ceilings is electrical work for a licensed electrician, best planned while the walls are open during a renovation.
- Motorized exterior rolling shutters: the motor and controls face rain, ice and snow, so ask how the unit is protected and how it opens by hand during a power outage.
Blinds and shutters for bathrooms and kitchens: humidity, steam and mould
Steam from showers and cooking condenses on cold glass and runs down onto whatever covers it. Natural wood can warp or crack as it swells and dries, and fabric shades can stain or grow mould if they stay damp. The answer is a moisture-tolerant material plus good ventilation, since no covering stays clean in a room where the exhaust fan never runs.
- Faux wood, vinyl or composite blinds and shutters resist moisture far better than real wood.
- Aluminum Venetian blinds wipe clean and don't swell, which suits a window next to the shower.
- Vinyl or moisture-resistant roller shades give privacy without soaking up steam.
- Leave the covering open after a shower so the glass and sill can dry, and run the exhaust fan long enough to clear the steam.
Blinds & Shutters: frequently asked questions
Are corded blinds still sold in Canada?
Only if they meet the Corded Window Coverings Regulations, in force since May 1, 2021: no reachable cord longer than 22 cm when pulled and no loop more than 44 cm around. Older blinds in your home may not meet these rules, and Health Canada suggests replacing them, starting with children's rooms.
Do cellular shades really help with heating?
They help with comfort. NRCan notes that curtains and blinds reduce radiant heat loss from windows in the heating season, and the air trapped in a cellular shade adds to that effect. See it as a comfort upgrade, not a fix for leaky windows.
Inside mount or outside mount: which is better?
An inside mount looks cleaner and shows off the trim, but it needs a recess that is deep and square enough, and it leaves thin gaps of light at the sides. An outside mount covers those gaps, blocks more light, makes a small window look bigger and works where the recess is shallow or crowded by cranks.
Can I install motorized blinds myself?
Battery-powered and plug-in models mount much like ordinary blinds, following the manufacturer's instructions. Anything that involves new wiring, a new wall switch or a connection to a circuit is electrical work for a licensed electrician, not a do-it-yourself job.
Do interior shutters work with crank-out casement windows?
Often, but it takes planning. The louvres and panels need room to swing clear of the crank handle, so the shutter frame may have to sit forward of the window, or the handles may need to be swapped for folding ones. Have the installer check the depth and handle positions before ordering.
Sources
- Window covering safety — Health Canada
- Corded Window Coverings Regulations (SOR/2019-97) — Justice Laws Website
- Government of Canada implements new regulations to help stop strangulation deaths linked to corded window coverings — Health Canada
- Keeping the Heat In, Section 8: Upgrading windows and exterior doors — Natural Resources Canada
Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides