June 1st, 2011
There are several features that should be accounted for when buying an awning; the type, angle of projection and colour.
Types of awning include:
Cassette and Semi- Cassette
Cassette awnings are ideal as a long-lasting canopy, when retracted they provide all-round protection in a small concealed case for the fabric and mechanism. The awning stays protected, preventing weather damage and maintaining the quality of the components. Semi-Cassette awnings provide similar protection, at a slightly cheaper cost.
Open Awnings
Open awnings don’t have a protective case for the fabric or mechanism, meaning they provide less protection to the awning itself. These are most suited for sites under overhanging roofs, balcony ceilings or wall projections which will shield the awning from the worst of the elements. Despite this, these awnings are the cheapest.
Free Standing
Free standing awnings are suited to catering events, as they can be assembled and disassembled virtually anywhere. They can also double up as an advertising opportunity for businesses.
The angle of projection depends on which direction the windows/area you want to shade are facing. For windows facing east or west, the drop should be 65-75%, for best coverage. Whereas for a window facing south the drop can be just 45-60%, since the sun is at a higher angle from this direction.
There is now a wide range of colours and patterns, which makes choosing the perfect shade or design a lot easier. Obviously darker colours do provide slightly stronger shading.
Where there is restricted width to accommodate an awning it is possible to install a type of awning that has overlapping arms and is thus able to have a longer projection than width. For example, it is possible to have a 3metre projection with a width of only 2.5metres. For obvious reasons these are commonly known as Little and Large awnings.
Awnings can be just right for conservatories, patios or just keeping an outdoor area cool. It protects furniture and window panes from sun damage and are great for hosting outside social gatherings.
Tags: awnings, blackout, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, Bromley EBP Competition, cassetted blinds, Cordless blind, Cordless blinds, Cordless Roman Blinds, Cordless Romans, Curtains, curtains duett blinds, duett blinds, hall curtains, insulating blinds, intu blinds, Kent, Kent Awnings, motorised blinds, motorized blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden venetians
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January 15th, 2011
Following the subject of our previous blog on Child safety, we are excited to announce the upcoming release of a Roller blind, specifically designed to prevent strangulation to young children and toddlers.
Whilst Roman blind sales increase, the manufacturers at Premierchoice have become increasingly determined to eliminate the danger associated with the loose hanging cords. They have been steadily designing and finally finishing a product we are sure will take the market by storm as it revolutionises child safety in the home.
The product looks identical to a normal self-stacking Roman blind with the exception of loose white chains hanging by the sides. These cords are instead secured discreetly behind the blind, with no loops or hanging ends, and are fitted with a safety tassel that causes the chain to break apart under pressure. This tassel is designed to split when tested with the weight of a child under five and can easily be reattached by an adult using no extra parts.
Another great plus with the product is the price. Premierchoice estimate that the blind should cost no more than a standard Roman blind, which means you can remain confident that your young child is safe playing by blinds at no extra cost.
County Blinds hope to be stocking these new Roman blinds this spring and are happy to provide more information on the product in person!
Tags: awnings, blackout, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, Bromley EBP Competition, cassetted blinds, Cordless blind, Cordless blinds, Cordless Roman Blinds, Cordless Romans, Curtains, curtains duett blinds, duett blinds, hall curtains, insulating blinds, intu blinds, Kent, Kent Awnings, motorised blinds, motorized blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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October 24th, 2010
Most blinds, if built to the correct size and are installed properly, provide a layer of still air between the blind and the window pane. This layer of air provides a small amount of insulation to the room. A little air does flow through this area, but more slowly than that of an uncovered window, so there is reduced heat loss. The closer the window insulating blind edges are to the window edges, the less air flows and the less heat passes between the window and the room. (This also helps give you more heat efficient blinds both in summer, when there is more heat, and winter when it’s cooler and there is less heat.)
However apart from that, many blinds don’t do much on the insulating side. They do help direct heat absorption in the summer by reflecting sunlight back outside, before it can heat up the room.
Insulating window blinds add an extra layer of insulation inside the blind itself. Mostly, these blinds are simply roman blinds made with several layers of fabric rather than one, so that heat has to pass through each layer of fabric and is therefore slowed down.
Using a combination of window blinds and curtains gives you a choice of light income and insulating properties. Window blinds are translucent, allowing some light to pass through, even when closed. This means you can block out the summer heat or keep it inside in winter, but still get enough natural light into a room to see. If you want to completely block out the light (so, for example, you can block out the city lights at night) both the blinds and curtains can be closed. In effect there will be two layers of insulation: a thin layer between the blinds and the windows, and a much thicker (but less effective) layer between the blinds and the curtains.
Tags: awnings, blackout, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, Bromley EBP Competition, cassetted blinds, curtains duett blinds, hall curtains, insulating blinds, intu blinds, Kent, Kent Awnings, motorized blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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July 19th, 2010
On Tuesday 6th of July, County Blinds were invited to the Bromley Education Partnership prize giving, to award Farnborough Primary School with £1000 worth of blinds for their spectacular blind leaflets and mood board.
The aim of the competition was to design a leaflet advertising County Blinds and Awnings open to all primary schools in the London Borough of Bromley. Farnborough Primary presented the EBP with an impressive array of leaflets, complete with a blinds themed mood board. Such an inspiring entry made sure the school won the £1000 worth of blinds prize!
Directors of County Blinds Michael O’Malley and Kevin Hale represented County Blinds at the Prize giving to award a (literally) large cheque to pupils from Farnborough Primary. They were delighted to be there; being so impressed with all the work the pupils had obviously put into their entry.
Overall, County Blinds has had a wonderful experience working with the EBP and would happily participate in future projects!
Tags: awnings, blackout, blackout blinds, Blinds, Bromley EBP Competition, cassetted blinds, Curtains, duett blinds, hall curtains, intu blinds, Kent, motorised blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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June 22nd, 2010
Here are some things to think about when buying a roller blind, it’s important to remember that when buying a roller blind, you need to look a bit further than the colour of the fabric.
The roller should be made of aluminuim. The cheaper ranges are made of cardboard and these sagg over time (especially in bathrooms.) The side action mechanism in the roller wears the cardboard out so it can’t grip onto the inside of the roller and the blind won’t roll.
You can have a smooth cord contol mechanism but this becomes flat over time and doesn’t grip inside the mechanism, therefore the blind will not roll up.
Is the bottom pocket stitched or is the fabric wrapped around the stick? If you are having a scallop blind and the fabric is wrapped around the bottom stick the scallop will be slid into a groove into the bottom stick. The pattern on the blind will not match as the scallop is a separate bit of fabric.
Will it be braided, on one side or both? Remember a scallop will hang down in you window and from the outside the blind will look unfinished.
County Blinds and Awnings use the Louvolite roller system (aluminuim roller), we offer a 5 year parts and labour guarantee on roller blinds. The bottom pocket is stitched, the scallops are part of the blind so the fabric pattern will always match. We braid the front and back of all scallops as standard.
Tags: awnings, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, cassetted blinds, Curtains, duett blinds, hall curtains, intu blinds, Kent Awnings, motorised blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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June 3rd, 2010
Here are our top things to consider about blinds before you purchase them. Before buying a blind, think about what you want it to do;
- If a blind is needed to block out all the light then a blackout blind with blackout fabric would work best however light will be able to filter through the sides. A fully cassetted blackout blind will have side channels and a rubber strip along the bottom to stop any light coming through at all.
- A Roller blind with Blackout fabric or a Roman blind with blackout lining would block out most of the light. A Roman blind lies closer to the edges of the window because it doesn’t have to allow room for the mechanism.
- Wood Venetions are available without laddering in the slats, this would help reduce the light income but a little will come in through the sides.
- If you want to control the amount of light that enters the room, venetian, vertical, facette, night and day and silhoutte blinds are good option, as are shutters.
- In a room that gets very hot such as a conservatory, blinds with solar reflective backing help to reduce the heat can insulate a room in the winter. This backing is available on vertical, pleated, roller and pinaleum blinds.
- Roller blinds can be made of a whole range of fabrics from viole to blackout. Viole roller blinds are a main contemporary look rather than nets.
- Facette, night and day and silhouette blinds are all viole blinds but have the ability to change in to a totally opaque blind.
- When closed, pleated blinds pull up to very small and neat are an excellent option for doors as the projection is only 25mm. Perfect fit blinds are fitted to UPVC without the need to drill holes into the door frame.
Tags: awnings, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, cassetted blinds, Curtains, duett blinds, hall curtains, intu blinds, Kent Awnings, motorised blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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May 24th, 2010
The latest trends for windows are plantation shutters; these are extremely versatile, suiting most styles of room from modern loft apartments to Georgian town houses. Chosen for their classical yet contempory look and simplistic styling, shutters are the must have trend on the market.
Benefits:
Light control – Each shutter can be tilted individually to moderate the light income. “Cafe style” shutters provide privacy yet allow light to filter into the room by enabling the bottom shutter to be closed whilst to the top one remains open.
Variation in material – Shutters are readily available in MDF or hardwoods (such as cedar or bass.) Optional wood staining and colour matching allows you to have shutters in just about any colour!
Adapted to window shape – Shutters can be made to suit any window shape, whether it be an arch or a more conventional window shape.
Optional slat width – Slat widths can come in four different measurements of 47mm, 63mm, 89mm and 114mm.
A lasting long term investment – Shutters are easy to maintain and hardwearing thus making them durable and an excellent investment which will last for years to come.
Despite the rumours, almost all shutters are manufactured in China therefore take 6-8 weeks delivery time. Don’t be fooled by false offers and huge discounts! County Blinds MDF shutters are measured, supplied and fitted for £247 per sq metre.
As you can see, shutters are a worthy long-term investment for any home. They provide various degrees of light control and privacy as well as being stylish and adaptable.
Tags: awnings, blackout blinds, blackout roman blinds, Blinds, cassetted blinds, Curtains, duett blinds, hall curtains, intu blinds, Kent Awnings, motorised blinds, panel drape blinds, perfect fit, pleated blinds, plisse blinds, Roller blinds, Roman blinds, shutters, stage curtains, Venetion blinds, verticle blinds, wooden ventions
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May 8th, 2010
Welcome to our new website! We have specially designed this site to provide up-to-date relevant content for all our new and existing clients.
You will also notice our new blog section where as a team we will be regularly updating the site with informative articles and top tip guides. We would really be interested in your thoughts and opinions on these articles and guides; do let us know if there is anything us you would like us to post.
Make sure you come and visit our site on a regular basis as we will constantly be updating the site. We’ve also had a discussion as a team and you’ll even be seeing us on video!
Stay tuned and we look forward to hearing your comments
Tags: awnings, Blinds, shutters
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