WHAT QUALITIES SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A VERTICAL BLIND FABRIC??? The quality of fabric required depends on where you will locate your blind. If your blinds are to be placed in a working area such as a laundry, kitchen or bathroom or over a sliding door you should consider a heavier weight fabric. Blinds in bedrooms, lounge rooms and family rooms usually only need a light to medium weight Fabric. Blinds in working areas tend to be cleaned more often because of a quicker build up of dirt, grime etc. Heavier weight fabrics tend to be more robust than lighter weight fabrics.

DO I NEED 100% BLOCKOUT FABRICS???
No, you do not need 100% blockout fabrics. A 100% blockout fabric will not insulate your rooms any better, will not reduce fading any better nor offer more privacy compared to a high capacity fabric.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLOCKOUT AND HIGH OPACITY???
There are three main light filtering ratings, blockout, high opacity or room darkening and translucent or light filtering. The rating indicates the amount of light able to be transmitted through the fabric and is not an indicator of the insulation or UV properties of the fabric.

To make a fabric blockout the first coat of paint placed on the basecloth is black. High opacity fabrics usually have either a grey or a beige colour as the undercoat instead of black. Translucent or light filtering fabrics have no undercoat at all, only top coats.
when the undercoat is black and the topcoat is a light colour the finished look of the fabric has a "bleed through" effect, i.e. the black shows through the topcoat and the finished appearance of the fabric always has a "dirty look".

As high opacity fabrics do not have a black undercoat there is no bleed through effect and the finished colour always appears crisp and clean. High opacity fabrics generally have a light transmission rating of approximately 85% in the lighter colours and up to 98% in the darker colours.

Translucent or light filtering fabrics have no room darkening properties whatsoever and area great options of room dividers as an alternative to lace or sheers or in entertaining areas where the filtered light is the preferred option.

The overall number of coats of paint on a fabric is mostly a good indicator of price and quality of that particular fabric.

CAN I TOTALLY BLOCKOUT THE LIGHT WITH THE VERTICAL BLINDS???
No. When your finished vertical blind is installed you will find, regardless of which type of fabric you select, you will have light transmission around all four sides of the blind where a clearance allowance has been made so as the blind can rotate freely.

WHAT IS THE BEST BLADE WIDTH THAT I SHOULD USE FOR MY BLINDS???
Selection of blade width is determined by the physical restraints of the the actual window, definite preference by the customer or by the purse strings. We at Factory Blinds work on the "best fit" principal. The rule of thumb is that a 127mm wide blade is cheaper than a 100mm blade and that in turn is cheaper than an 89mm blade.

HOW MUCH CLEARANCE DO I NEED SO MY BLIND WILL FIT IN THE REVEAL???
The minimum clearance for a blind to operate efficiently in a reveal fit situation with a 127mm width blade is 70mm. The minimum clearance required for a 100mm blade width to work effectively is 55mm and the minimum clearance required for an 89mm blade width to work effectively is 50mm.

SHOULD I HAVE CHAINS ON THE BOTTOM OF MY BLINDS OR NOT???
There are arguments for and against having bottom weight chains. The benefits for chains are that the chains hold the blades together collectively and reduce the amount of movement of the blind in a breeze. The negative is that you may need to re-clip the bottom chain occasionally if children and pets pull at them. The chains will not fall of the blind of their own free will, they must be pulled off.

The benefit of not having a bottom chain is that children and pets do not get tangled up in them and pull them off. The downside is that the leading edge blades tend to fly around in a breeze as they do not have the combined drag of the other blades holding them down.

To have chains or not have chains is a personal choice.

DO VERTICAL BLINDS OFFER PRIVACY???
The vertical blind blades can be rotated a full 180 degrees so as to enable you to put the blades in the best position for your privacy yet still allow light into the room.

WILL MY VERTICAL BLINDS ROT AND FALL APART AT THE SEAMS???
Your blinds will not rot if the basecloth is woven with a high blend of polyester thread as most modern blinds are. Polyester takes a very long time to break down in the sun. To save money some fabricators of blinds use a clear nylon thread to sew their blinds. Nylon begins to break down from the time it is first placed in the window and is deteriorated fully within a few years requiring the blinds to be re-stitched.

The most common coating on the blind fabric is acrylic paint, similar to house pain, but with a formula that has been modified so as to allow the paint to be stable yet flexible for use in blinds.

Factory Blinds only use colour co-ordinated polyester thread to sew their blinds. Polyester thread to sew their blinds. Polyester thread will last the lifetime of the blind and should never need re-stitching.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY BLINDS???
Generally a light dusting with a cloth or the correct vacuum cleaner attachments will do the trick. With the Faber tracking system quite often a quick flick of the blades is all you need. For more difficult marks areas use a soft damp cloth with a diluted dishwashing detergent mix. Do not scrub, scour or use harsh chemicals. Always spot test cleaning agents on an unobtrusive part of the fabric before starting a full clean.

WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF THE FABER TRACKING SYSTEM???
The faber vertical blind track is a modern and compact designed track suited for use in a commercial and heavy duty domestic applications. It has a highly geared tilt rod for ease of use and an automatic blade tilt mechanism so that when the blind is drawn the blades will rotate and draw into the correct resting position without need for any further adjustment. The track itself is available in seven decorative colours so as to best suit your fabric selection. The blades sit at 5mm below the base line of the track so as to reduce the amount of light entering the room.

WHICH IS THE BEST WAY TO OPEN MY BLINDS???
The best way to open your blinds is to draw them all to one side. This way if you open your window in the summer so as a cooling breeze can vent your home the blind can be partially drawn to one side and the blades do not flap around.

I HAVE SLOPING WINDOWS.
Not a problem at all. The Faber vertical tracking system is designed to allow for even spacing of the blades with windows that have either a sloping headrail or a sloping bottom rail.

MY SLIDING DOOR OPENS IN THE MIDDLE.
We would usually recommend a 1/3rd - 2/3rd style of blind. The 1/3rd section stays fixed while the 2/3rd section draws in the same direction as the door enabling the best possible window coverage at all times.

HOW DO I CHOOSE A BLIND RETAILER???
Ask friends for a referral, look in the Yellow Pages or check the newspaper then make a list of three to five businesses. A specialist business will more often have a higher level of product knowledge in this specialised field than will a department store, chain sotre or similar. Word of mouth is the best reference for any business but it also does not hurt to make your own enquiries.

SPECIAL OFFERS 50% OFF. BUY ONE GET ONE FREE. TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE.
Do not be duped by these false offers. Not all, but most businesses who advertise these outlandish offers have loaded the starting price so as to be able to then offer their blinds at discounted prices. They very rarely, if ever, sell any of their goods at the listed or recommended starting price.

WHAT COLOUR AND WHAT STYLE OF BLIND SHOULD I CHOOSE???
Get the retailer to come to your home with their sample range. It is a lot easier for them to help you discuss options and select colours in your own home rather than in an office or showroom.

I HAVE ALL MY QUOTES IN, NOW WHAT???
Take into account all aspects of the quoting process, not just the price. How helpful and obliging was the sales person? did you feel comfortable with them? are the products offered comparable? have you been pressured into a descision?

If you are comfortable with your final descision then advise your selected sales representative to proceed with the order. Before signing any documentation make certain that what is on the order sheet is what you want not what you think you are going to get.

It is always an appreciated gesture to let the quoting businesses know how they fared and why they were unsuccessful.

THE COMPANY I WOULD PREFER TO DEAL WITH IS TOO EXPENSIVE???
Call the business and explain the situation to the sales representative. If it is within their means most businesses will meet their competitor's prices if given the opportunity but they will want to sight the other quote as sometimes there iss a genuine reason for a variation in the quotes such as a window missed or a miscalculation in addition or similar.

CAN I INSTALL THE BLINDS MYSELF???
Certainly you can but we strongly recommend that you should have your blind retailer measure the windows for you so as to eliminate or highlight any unforseen problems at the beginning. It is quite expensive to make alterations and adjustments after the blinds have been made.

WHY SHOULD I BUY MY BLINDS FROM FACTORY BLINDS???
Factory Blinds is an independently owned and operated business that has no allegiance to any franchise, buying group or other controlling interest. When selecting our product ranges we do exactly the same as any regular shopper, we seek the best value for money products available.