School Blinds: How to Select the Right Blinds

Posted on 16th January 2014 by Gemini Blinds

With so much choice available, ensuring that you get the right window dressing for any room takes a certain amount of time and consideration. For example, aluminium blinds are a better choice than fabric ones for bathrooms or kitchens where humidity is high, and plush pleated blinds create a cosy atmosphere in the bedroom or living room.

Blinds for classrooms and schools also require deliberation when it comes to blind selection, for a number of reasons…

 

Safety

Perhaps the most obvious and most important consideration to make when choosing blinds, or any furnishings for an environment that potentially contains young children, is safety. This means, first and foremost, ensuring that cords used for operation are well and truly kept out of reach of inquisitive young hands. This can be done quite easily by attaching a hook to wrap the cord around high off the ground, and some blind types, such as roller blinds and Roman blinds, can be operated using a shorter cord.
Any blinds that contain small parts that can be broken off also present a hazard with young children around. For example, the linking chains in some vertical blinds are often formed from small beads that can become detached, while any plastic attachments at the end of cords or slats can easily break off and present a choking danger.

 

Easy Maintenance

Blinds that are in regular contact with children have to withstand a lot more than the average home blind, with all manner of paint, mud, food and drink stains a constant threat to their appearance. Easy to clean blind types, such as slatted Venetian or vertical models, are perhaps the best answer here. A simple wipe along the slats using a damp cloth and some disinfectant should be enough to keep them in an acceptable state, while easy-to-remove roller blinds can even be taken home and washed if they become too dirty.

 

Practicality and Durability

As well as being easy to maintain, classroom blinds must be robust to deal with the demands of excitable kids. With this in mind, durable fabrics or aluminium models might be the answer, as they can tolerate rougher handling than wood-effect or plush pleated designs.

For schools with older students, different practical uses might be required. For example, colleges and universities where a lot of work takes place on computer screens or is presented on overhead projectors may need to be able to block out rays from the sun filtering through the window. This is where blackout blinds come in, providing shade from the light.

 

Gemini Blinds

Whatever blind type you deem more appropriate for your school or classroom environment, the experts at Gemini Blinds are on hand to provide you with advice and assistance, helping you to select from our wide range. Whether you opt for a Venetian, roller or vertical blind, our prices are highly competitive, and we can even offer cordless and chainless models for those working with younger children.

For more information, or to request a free survey and quotation, get in touch with the team at Gemini Blinds today.