Buying Bamboo Blinds

There are a wide variety of window treatments available today. You can choose from curtains, shades, or various types of blinds. Your current decor will influence your decision, but in many cases bamboo blinds are a perfect way to enhance your room.  You are not just limited to using bamboo blinds inside, you also have plenty of options for using outdoor bamboo blinds to help you manage light in your outdoor rooms.

Bamboo Roman Blinds

Bamboo blinds are actually a type of roll-up or Roman window shade. They cannot be opened and closed like regular blinds. You will either roll them up like a standard window shade, or raise and lower them in an accordian fashion like Roman shades, indeed they are sometimes referred to as bamboo Roman blinds.

True bamboo blinds are made of flattened pieces of actual bamboo which are then put together as the shade. Often, other natural materials such as grasses are woven together with the bamboo pieces as well. Various colors are available, but natural shades are quite popular, since the blinds themselves are made from natural materials.

Bamboo blinds can add beauty to Asian-themed rooms or enclosed patio rooms, as the natural look works well for both. True bamboo blinds can be quite expensive, however. You can expect to pay upwards of $700 for a set of bamboo vertical blinds that are patio door-sized, for example. Even a set for a 30" x 36" window can set you back over $150. If this is out of your budget, but you'd still like to enhance your home with the look of bamboo roll up blinds, you may consider using faux blinds. But while faux bamboo blinds are much cheaper, they often look much cheaper as well. Generally, they are made of plastic and don't look or feel anywhere near as nice as the real thing.

A better option is to save up for the real thing as cheap bamboo blinds are simply not as convincing. If you want to add bamboo blinds in several rooms over time, due to budget issues, you can. Just make sure to buy all the blinds for each room at one time. There will be color variations, since bamboo is a natural product, but buying at the same time increases your chances of the blinds in one room being similar. You will never match two sets of natural bamboo blinds exactly, though.

Keep in mind that bamboo blinds will allow light into the room you use them in. You can buy liners for the shades to block the majority of this light. Also, since light can come in without a liner, people may be able to see through the blinds into your room, especially at night when you have your lights on inside. Tailor your activities in a room with bamboo shades without liners appropriately.

You may want to invest in professional measuring for bamboo blinds. Even if you install them yourself, professional measuring will ensure you order the correct size of bamboo blinds for each window, saving you a lot of money and time in the long run. Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning and care instructions for the blinds exactly. These two little steps will help to make sure your bamboo blinds look great and will stay in excellent condition for years to come.