How Vertical Blinds Work
Vertical blinds are aptly named for their wide slats that hang vertically from the headrail at the top of your window. They are no longer the ugly, one-color-fits-all version from the past; they now come in a wide variety of colors, fabrics, and styles to fit any décor.
Verticals are some of the most durable blinds you can furnish your windows with, so they are perfect for doors or windows that see a lot of traffic. While the mechanisms that operate these blinds may seem complicated, they're actually relatively simple to understand.
Vertical blinds' mechanisms perform two basic functions, they either completely slide the blinds out of the way, stacking them in the corner, or they simply tilt the slats, or louvers, to allow more light to come through.
The first function is operated with a blind wand. The blind wand is typically a long, thin plastic or metal piece that is attached to the last louver on the blind. Each louver is attached to a sliding plastic piece that is inserted into the track that runs along the headrail.
By pulling on the blind wand to the right or left, you can move all the louvers at the same time to either open or close the blinds. The tilting mechanisms are either operated by turning the blind wand or by pulling on a separate cord that is attached to the headrail. The blind wand or cord is connected to a mechanism that causes the axle that runs along the headrail to turn. This axle is also attached to small gears that connect to each louver and as the axle turns, it twists the gears and opens or closes the louvers to allow in more or less light.
Ready to shop for new vertical blinds? Blindster has a wide selection of styles and colors, all in customizable sizes so you get a blind that perfectly fits your window.
