Window Covering Questions & Answers

Health Canada updated their Corded Window Covering Regulations on May 1, 2022 and the result was that the popular top-down bottom-up feature was no longer compliant with the regulations and therefore banned in Canada. Top-down bottom-up was available on many types of products including cellular (honeycomb) shades and roman shades. It was very popular because it allowed the user to bring the shade down from the top of the window allowing light in, and views out from the top of the window, but provided privacy and light or heat control to the bottom portion of the window.

But not to worry, there are still solutions available! We carry several lines of cellular (honeycomb) shades that offer a ‘duo’ solution so there are 2 opacities of fabric on the window covering – on above the other. The bottom portion can be light filtering or room darkening, and the top section can be sheer or semi-sheer. The middle rail that separates the two fabrics can operate up and down the full height of the window so you can have full privacy/light control, full view, or anywhere in between.

Another popular solution to this challenge are shutters. You can choose to “split tilt” the vanes on your shutters at any height, so the top portion can remain open and the bottom portion can be closed for more privacy or insulation.

Learn more about the changes by reading our blog post - Child Safety & Window Coverings

Health Canada changed their Corded Window Covering Regulations on May 1, 2022 and eliminated any exposed cords which affected the internal ladders that allow horizontal blinds to tilt and raise. Many companies have had to greatly re-design their horizontal blinds and many of them are available as tilt-only now (cannot be raised and lowered).

However, Relish still carries a fully operational horizontal wood or faux wood blind that can be titled as well as raised and lowered, and can even be motorized.

Patio doors, especially sliding doors, offer a challenge for treating them. If the doors are in high traffic areas a vertical solution is usually the ideal option. This allows the door and treatment to be opened just enough to pass through or let air in, which the rest of the glass remains covered to provide heat and light control. Cellular (honeycomb) shades can be made in a vertical application and are our favourite solution for patio doors. Other vertical products include standard 3 ½” vertical blinds in fabric or vinyl, vertical blinds with curved vanes that resemble the look of draperies, gliding panels in 11” – 18” that slide side to side and come in varying opacities, sheer shades that are a hybrid of sheers and drapes offering the best of both worlds with 2 opacities and the ability to direct the view and daylight, or custom drapes and sheers in endless colours and patterns.

Many people opt to stick with a horizontal solution and may choose to go with 1 or 2 shades on a patio door depending on how often the door is used, and how much light control they require.

Check out this blog post for great ideas on how to treat a sliding glass door.

When it comes to window coverings there are room darkening and there are black-out options. Room darkening means that most of the light is blocked from the window, but you will still experience some “light leakage”.

Full black-out options are available that offer 100% light blocking. There are a number of ways that full black-out can be achieved and typically include adding a light channel to the window liner and sill. Drapes can be made nearly black-out by extending floor to ceiling and wall to wall, or by adding a valance to block light leakage. If you need 100% black-out, you’ll need to speak with an expert who can show you the ways this can be achieved.

Yes and no. A single opacity shade cannot do both. It is a big misconception. If you can see out during the day, that means people can see in at night if you have the lights on.

A sheer or semi-sheer product will provide you with dome daytime privacy (depending on the opacity) but will not provide you with privacy in the evening and night when it is darker outside than inside. In order to accomplish that, you need a product with 2 opacities. That can be accomplished in many ways and is very effective at allowing you to have your cake and eat it too!

Due to the high humidity and sometimes direct water in bathrooms, some products are better than others. Most products can be used in bathrooms where they aren’t exposed to water or splashing and humidity is controlled, although some have fabrics designed for this application to be anti-microbial. Vinyl shutters are completely impervious to moisture and can be used in showers, making them a great option for areas that see a lot of moisture.

Drapes and sheers have always been a great choice for homes, and are seeing greater popularity. They provide great energy efficiency, functionality and finish a room off beautifully.

We offer drapes and sheers in hundreds of fabrics from simple texture to ornate patterns. A variety of heading styles, trims and available accents allow you to get the exact look that is right for you. They are then paired with the right decorative or architectural hardware to suit the look and functionality.

We offer custom bending of many tracks to allow your drapes to traverse around corners or bay windows. Drapes can be motorized for additional convenience, energy efficiency and security. We can even motorize bent or curved tracks for the ultimate in functionality!

Looking for more info about drapes? Check out our blog post - Drapes vs Curtains.

Most products can work in a bay window, but each situation is unique. Products with larger headrails will produce a larger gap between shades where the window meet when shades are lowered. It is important to understand how they will look and function both when they are raised and lowered. Cellular (honeycomb) shades offer a minimal gap between shades in the corners, and roller shades with reverse roll can sometimes address this issue as well.

For total coverage of a bay window, shutters are great option as the frames and moldings are made specifically to fit your window. Drapes and sheers are also another great option since we can bend the track to follow the shape of the bay.

Many vertically operated products are also used as room dividers. They can be mounted to the ceiling and made to stack one way or split and stack in both directions. Professional installation is very important for these applications to ensure the track is securely mounted. In the case of a vaulted ceiling, we can provide cubicle drapes with suspended track.

Skylights are a great way to bring more light into a space, and with that comes a great deal of heat in the summer. There is also a lot of heat lost through skylights in the winter. Skylights can be treated from either the inside or outside of your home depending on your installation type and roof.

Exterior applications utilize a roller shade that blocks the heat and glare before it can enter the home. Interior applications are available in cellular (honeycomb) shades and offer different opacities to block more or less light and heat.

Shutters are another very popular option for skylights. They provide energy efficiency year round, and with motorized vanes you can tilt them at any angle to direct the light or block it completely.

Tilt and turn window and doors offer a unique challenge for window coverings. Because they both tilt and swing in to the window opening, there is not enough clearance for an “inside mount” window covering. We offer a few solutions that won’t affect the operation of your windows.

BetterFit – A colour coordinated frame mounts directly to your window or door with either brackets or double sided tape and magnets. This low-profile option comes with roller shades, dual (banded) shades or cellular shades. Roller & dual (banded) shades can be motorized, and cellular shades can come in bottom up, top-down bottom-up or duo opacity.

TrackGlide – Cellular (honeycomb) shades attach to the door or window above the glass, and a sleek track mounts next to the glass to guide the bottom rail down. Available with motorization.

Shades can be mounted “outside mount” above the window header so that they do not obstruct the operation of tilt and turn door or window. Shades cannot be down when window or door is swung open.

We carry many products that will cover arched-top windows. Some options are fixed, while others can be made operable. Book a consultation to find out which option is right for your unique windows.

Architecturally interesting windows can be a challenge when it comes to controlling the weather or providing privacy. There are many different shaped windows and we have a solution for each and every one of them. Since they are so unique, there is no once-size-fits-all solution, but starting with a free consultation to review yours is a great place to begin.

Depending o the direction they are facing, transom windows are often left un covered as they don’t allow solar heat gain, or require privacy control. However, in our climate you could be losing a lot of heat through those windows in the winter. Since transom window can often be hard to reach, consider motorized shades so that you can easily operate them and also schedule them so that they are working for you to help control the heat and cold at different times of the year.

Vertical products that operate side to side such as vertical blinds, sheer shades, vertical cellular and drapes are a great option to cover the transom and windows or doors below them with one solution.

The short answer is that there is no such thing. There are so many different types of window treatments these days, and each of them varies in price. Operating systems, fabrics, opacity levels, size, construction and quality all play a part in determining the cost of a window covering. That is why we offer a free consultation to determine what is the best product for your needs, and then we can price out all the different options that are available. We are happy to take the time to go through as many options as you’d like and there is never any obligation.

Just to give a rough idea, a simple roller shade for a 36” x 36” window could range anywhere from $150 to $1,300 depending on manufacturer, operating system, fabric, headrail design etc. And on a larger window at 72” x 72” that range would be $400 – $2,200.

In comparison a cellular (honeycomb) shade at 36” x 36” will range from $200 to $1,800 while a shade that measures 72” x 72” will range from $650 to $3,400 depending on all of the variables.

To get a better idea of interiro window treatment pricing. Download our free price guide here.

Solar heat gain is the transfer of heat into your home through your windows and will be higher in those areas with South and West facing windows. In the summer you want to reduce the amount of solar heat gain to keep the home more comfortable and reduce energy costs associated with air conditioning. In the winter months, you may want to increase the solar heat gain for the same reasons.

The best product for reducing solar heat gain is one that is mounted on the exterior of the home as it can block or reduce the heat from entering the home at all. However, there are many products for the interior that can greatly reduce solar heat gain. Any product that is both fully opaque and white on the streetside will reduce the amount of heat that enters the home. Any product that has air pockets, such as cellular or honeycomb shades will also provide insulation at the window which controls the transfer of heat (either in or out of the home). Drapes with a thermal liner will also reduce solar heat gain and provide insulation at the window.

Automated products take the control one step further by allowing you to easily control when the shades are open to allow solar heat gain, and when they are closed to reduce heat gain.

Heat transfer through the window occurs year round. We want to reduce the amount of heat that enters the home in the summer, and the amount that escapes in the winter. An insulating product will reduce the heat transfer whether it is hot or cold outside, but in our climate they are most often used to keep the cold out. Cellular or honeycomb shades with double cell construction are the best product for reducing heat loss in the winter. Other great products for adding insulating value to your windows are most shutters and any drapes or other soft treatments with thermal or room darkening liners.