GLOSSARY

In order to make your decision and shopping experience as easy as possible, we want to share our knowledge and design expertise about window blinds and shades with you. Here we can help you select the perfect window blinds and shades, teach you how to measure for window shutters or mini blinds correctly, help you understand the differences in Blinds First's products, inform you about care and maintenance of your windows blinds and shades, and much more. Simply click on the area of interest below and we will tell you everything you need to know.

Allowance

The deduction taken by the manufacturer from the actual measurements of a window opening. For inside mounted blinds only.

Basswood

A fine grain, lightweight wood used for blinds and shutters.

Blackout

A shade which allows no light penetration.

Blackout Liner

A separate lining attached to a shade to block out light.

Blind

A window covering consisting of horizontal slats.

Blinds

General term for manufactured window coverings.

Bottom Rail

The bottom of any horizontal blind or shade, usually a rigid rod or slat.

Bottom sill

The lower horizontal side of the window opening.

Brackets

The hardware used to mount blinds.

Café Shutter

A shutter which covers the lower half of a window only.

Carriers

Holders for the vanes of Vertical Blinds.

Ceiling mount

A type of blind mounting whereby the brackets attach directly to the ceiling, or bottom of a soffit.

Cellular Shades

Same as honeycomb shades.

Center draw

Same as split draw: A vertical blind in which the vanes split in the middle and draw to both sides when open.

Center support bracket

For wide blinds, the bracket(s) provided which support the center of the blind.

Cloth tapes

Decorative and functional fabric for blinds that creates a vertical striped effect.

Contempo hem

A decorative hem for a roller shade that allows the fabric to be wrapped around an aluminum rail and enclosed with end caps for a clean and contemporary finish. The aluminum rail also adds weight which allows the shade to hang flatly.

Continuous cord loop

Also called Easy lift. A loop which operates the raising and lowering of a shade.

Control location

Where the control is located on a blind.

Controls

apparatus that operates blinds.

Cord cleat

a small holder that a cord may be wrapped around to keep the cord off the floor or out of the way.

Cord equalizer

A knob on the lift cord of some shades. The cord equalizer acts as a stop, keeping the shade at its correct length. As an adjustable apparatus, the cord equalizer also keeps multiple cords even.

Cordless

Manual lifting system for blinds that eliminate the hanging cord. The blind is operated by pushing up or pulling down by hand.

Cornice Board

A decorative window treatment that consists of fabric-covered, padded board that is installed at the top of a window.

Cornice

Wood or faux wood decorative molding mounted at the top of windows, doors, or cabinets.

Custom made

Manufactured one-at-a-time to specifications obtained through the ordering process.

Day Night shade

A two-in-one Honeycomb shade with two different fabrics, allowing the window to be completely covered with one or the other fabric, or half-and-half. The Day Night Shade provides privacy on the bottom half, and sheer on the top.

Depth

Distance between the front and the back of the window box.

Double cell

In Honeycomb Shades, this refers to a double layer of cells, or honeycomb-shaped spaces.

Duofold

A lifting system for shades in which the top and bottom rails both operate up and down.

Easylift

A lifting system which uses a continuous cord loop to operate the shade or blind.

Edge binding

Twill or grosgrain tape that is sewn around the edge of a blind.

End caps

Decorative color-coordinated end pieces for a headrail or bottom rail to present a finished look.

Extension brackets

Optional brackets which allow the blind to come out and away from the window, in order to clear obstructions, like handles and cranks.

Factory Deduction

The deduction taken by the manufacturer from the actual measurements of a window opening so that the blind fits well.

Faux Wood

Composite material for horizontal slatted blinds, made to look like wood.

First tier outside mount

Measuring for an outside mount on a framed window. The measurements are taken only out onto the first flat level on the framing.

Flat fold Roman Shade

Roman shade that when down, the fabric hangs completely flat.

Flush mount

For an inside mount, having enough depth in the window opening to accommodate the entire blind. Nothing sticks out past the opening.

Fully recessed

Or “Flush Mount.” For an inside mount, having enough depth in the window opening to accommodate the entire blind. Nothing sticks out past the opening.

Gap

Space between the window covering and the side of the window opening.

Gimp

A decorative woven ribbon or fringe used as a trim.

Glaze

A film or material applied to the glass to filter light and/or UV rays.

Grosgrain Tape

A solid fabric ribbon woven with a ribbed pattern.

Headrail

The top of a blind which houses the workings.

Heat transfer

The amount of heat that travels from the inside to the outside, or the reverse, through glass.

Hobbled

Also “Teardrop,” or “Waterfall.” On a Soft Roman Shade, the fabric is constructed into horizontal loops or folds for a decorative effect.

Hold-down bracket

Small bracket installed at the bottom of the blind, holding it there when the blind is down, and preventing the blind from flopping when, for instance, the door on which the blind is installed, opens and closes.

Honeycomb Shades

A solid shade consisting of fabric layers with a honeycomb-shaped space in between.

Inside mount

Mounting a blind inside, or back in, the window opening.

Jamb

The vertical sides of a window opening.

L-bracket

L-shaped metal piece for mounting blinds.

Ladders

The color-coordinated braided strings on a blind that serve as a spacing and tilting system.

Lift cord

The manual cord for raising and lowering a blind or shade.

Lift Strings

The internal working strings which pull blinds up.

Lifting System

The mechanical system for the purpose of raising and lowering blinds.

Light filtering

Shade fabric that lets light in, while providing privacy.

Looped control

A beaded chain control for Roller Shades.

Middle Rail

In a duofold shade, the top rail refers to the rail just below the headrail which operates up and down.

Mini blinds

Aluminum slatted blinds.

Miter

To angle two adjoining pieces of wood or faux wood to create a finished corner. Used on valances and cornices.

Motorized

Lifting system in which the battery-operated shade is controlled by a hand-held remote device.

Mullion

Decorative molding mounted to create a grid pattern on windows.

Natural Roman Shade

Roman shade constructed with bamboo, reed, grass, and matchstick fabrics.

One-Way Draw

A vertical blind in which all the vanes draw to one side when open.

Opaque

Shade fabric that lets little to no light into the room.

Openness factor

In open-weave fabric, the openness factor is the percentage of how open the weave is. A 15% Solar fabric’s weave is open 15%. The higher the percentage, the more light the fabric lets in.

Outside mount

Mounting a blind on the frame or wall outside the window opening.

Panel Track Blinds

Vertical blind that hangs in wide panels of textured or solar fabrics.

Pleated Shade

A single-layer, folded fabric horizontal window covering.

Plug

a small, usually round rubber or wood piece which fits into a hole for the purpose of holding lift strings or to conceal screws to create a more finished look.

Projection

Distance that blinds or drapery extends out and away from the wall.

Pull

Decorative ornament hanging from the bottom rail of a Roller shade.

R-value

A numbering system which indicates a product’s ability to prevent heat loss. The higher the number, the better insulation a product provides.

Remote control

Or “Motorized.” A battery-operated blind or shade.

Repeat

In reference to fabric, the repeat is the size of a repeating pattern. Can refer to the horizontal size or the vertical size of the repeating pattern.

Return

The side piece of a valance that “returns” to the wall, creating a finished look to the valance.

Reverse roll

In Roller Shades, “roll” refers to the direction the fabric falls off the roller. (Think toilet paper!) Standard roll is when the fabric falls off the back of the roll, and “reverse roll” is when the fabric falls over the front of the roll.

Roller Shade

A fabric shade which rolls up on a round headrail.

Roman Shade

A solid window covering that pulls up in horizontal folds.

Room darkening

A window covering’s ability to darken a room considerably. May not mean total darkness, (blackout), is achieved.

Routing holes

The holes in vanes for horizontal blinds through which the ladders run, giving the vanes stability, even spacing, and tilting ability.

Sash

A window with one or more moveable panels – sashes. Also called double hung.

Satellite eye

On a motorized shade, this is the point on the headrail that detects the remote signal.

Savannah Shadings

Flexible fabric vanes are suspended between two sheer layers. It looks and operates like a blind while being a roller shade.

Semi-opaque

Shade fabric that provides privacy while letting filtered light into the room.

Semi-sheer

Shade fabric which does not provide complete privacy, and diffuses light into the room.

Shade

A solid window covering.

Sheer

Translucent or transparent fabric.

Shutters

Here it refers to an indoor window covering consisting of slatted panels, or doors, that can open off the window.

Sidelights

The narrow window(s) off to the side of a front door.

Single cell

In Honeycomb Shades, this refers to a single layer of cells, or honeycomb-shaped spaces.

Slats

Also “Vanes.” The pieces of a blind that open and close.

Soft Roman Shade

A solid window covering that pulls up in folds, constructed with drapery-type or solar fabrics.

Solar Shade

A PVC and polyester open-weave fabric shade which cuts glare and heat from the sun, while still allowing view to the outdoors.

Solar fabrics

Open-weave PVC or polyester fabrics.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

SHGC is the measure of heat that comes in through windows. The lower the number, the more protection windows have.

Spacer blocks

Spacer blocks are used during installation to bring a blind out and away from the wall.

Split Draw

A vertical blind in which the vanes split in the middle and draw to both sides when open.

Spring roller lift

The standard lift device on roller shades. Shades are raised by pulling lightly on the bottom of the fabric, and lowered by simply pulling them down. No controls are needed.

Stacking Height

The height measurement that a blind or shade occupies in its open position.

Stacking Width

The width measurement that a blind or shade occupies in its open position.

Stationary Drapery Panels

Drapery panels at the side of a window for decorative purpose only and are non-functioning.

Swivel brackets

ptional metal brackets for window coverings that allow the blinds to be mounted in a very small depth.

Tapes

Decorative vertical cloth strips on a wood blind that replace the ladders.

Top Down Bottom Up

Same as duofold.

Teardrop Roman Shade

Roman shade that when down, hangs in decorative horizontal folds.

Three-on-one

A window covering in which three independently working blinds hang from one headrail.

Tilt wand

On a blind, the rod used to manually open or close the vanes, by twisting.

Top sill

The upper horizontal side of the window opening.

Twill tape

A solid fabric ribbon woven in a twill, or diagonal pattern.

Two-on-one

A window covering in which two independently working blinds hang from one headrail.

UV rays

Ultra-violet rays from the sun that fade fabrics, floor coverings and other possessions as a result of uncovered windows.

Valance

The top decorative covering mounted over a blind’s headrail.

Vanes

Also “Slats.” The pieces of a blind that open and close.

Vertical Blind

A blind in which tiltable vanes hang from a headrail. The vanes may also be pulled off the window.

Window opening

The indented wall area in which a window is installed.

Window Box

Also “window opening.” The indented wall area in which a window is installed.

Wood Blinds

Horizontal wood slats make up this blind.

Wood Essence

BlindsFirst brand name for faux wood blinds.