Venetian Blinds
Venetian Blinds are probably one of the most common types of blinds found around us. Wonder why? Because venetian blinds have a unique charm. They have slim, flat horizontal slats made from wood or aluminium and suspended using ladder cords. The cords keep the slats spaced evenly down the length of the window. You can raise or lower venetian blinds easily, providing variable control on the amount of light and the desired privacy in the room.
Why are they called Venetian blinds?
Most people assume that the blinds have their origins in Venice and that’s how the name Venetian Blinds. However, that is not true. The history of venetian blinds is somewhat complicated. Some art historians and experts believe that Venetian blinds originated in Persia.
The first signs of Venetians blinds in Venice in fact show that these were from returning trade missions from the Middle East that first brought slatted blinds to Italy.
Businessmen from trade missions and Italian immigrants spread this design all across Europe. From France these travelled to England and Americas.
The fashion trends in the fabric/material and slat sizes have varied since then. Some of the earlier Venetian blinds had wide wooden slats painted in a wide range of colours that were the fad.
Changes in manufacturing technology saw the boom of the aluminium venetian blind. There was a time in New York when there wasn’t a single office that didn’t have venetian blinds installed.
Since that time, fashion trends have changed drastically, the material and slat sizes have varied but Venetian blinds remain ever popular across offices and homes.
What makes venetian blinds so popular?
There are obvious style and decor attributes that make venetian blinds stand out. However, the venetian blind is also extremely practical. For one, they offer you complete control over the lighting levels in your home and offer you optimum privacy.
If the day is bright and sunny, all you need to do is tilt the slats backwards to face the window to deflect and diffuse the harsh light. On a cloudy day, you can tilt the blinds forward and allow maximum light to enter the room without having to open the blind fully.
Venetian blinds also have the advantage of being all-weather friendly. They help with insulation and also in reducing drafts from old or poorly fitting windows in the winter months and heat protecting or sunlight in the summer.
Many people find cleaning Venetian blinds difficult but the benefits far outweigh this challenge, especially when you have services like The Home Repairer.
Key differences between wooden Venetian blinds and aluminium
The main difference between the two types is how thick and heavy the slats are. Aluminum slats are lighter and less than a millimeter in thickness. Wooden Venetian slats are approximately 2.5 mm in thickness and are also heavier. For the same window with the same number of slats, the aluminium one will be much lighter in weight.
However, both wooden and aluminium blinds are constructed and assembled in the same way, so there is no difference in the operation and effectiveness.