Blinds & Shutters near you

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.