Blinds.com Glossary

A curved window that is at the top of a rectangular/square window, or can be standalone.

Available on LEVOLOR Vertical Blinds, the Backstacker feature allows vertical vanes to be pulled from the back when opening, instead of pushed from the front. This stacks vanes neatly at the outside edge of the window instead of bunching the center to help give you an open view to the outdoors. It also helps reduce vane swaying.

Will block out most or all of the light from penetrating a shade. Used for extreme light control, it is found in cellular shades, draperies, roman shades, woven wood shades and roller shades. Some light may still leak through the sides, so light blockers are an upgrade feature.

Some fabric vertical blinds include bottom weights which are inserted into the bottom of each vertical vane to keep them hanging neat and tidy. For particularly active areas, some customers prefer to add bottom chains that hang from one chain to the other connecting them together. Bottom chains prevent large motions among the vanes. Bottom chains for fabric blinds come with clips to fasten the chain to the side of the vanes. There is no additional charge when requested at the time the blinds are ordered. Not available for all vertical blinds.

This is the bottom most piece of a blind or shade. If your blinds have hold down brackets, the brackets are attached to the ends of the bottom rail.

These 2" high weights are inserted into the bottoms of all free hanging fabric vertical blinds. The weights help keep the vanes in place and maintain a crisp, straight look.

The two outside strings that hold a horizontal blind together is called the braided ladder. The middle string running through the slat is the lift cord. The braided ladder attaches at the headrail, goes down the front and back sides of the slats, and finishes at the bottom rail. If you choose decorative cloth tapes, they will cover the braided ladder.

Standard roller shades come with a visible roll at the top of the shade where you see the fabric or material along with the mounting hardware. Some manufacturers offer a cassette valance or fascia valance upgrade to hide this roll. By adding the cassette valance, the shade has a more "finished" look. Fascia valances are available in either a color coordinated painted aluminum or a fabric wrapped option. With a fabric wrapped fascia, an aluminum fascia valance is wrapped in the same fabric as the shades.

An advanced version of cordless top-down/bottom-up, ClearFit cellular shades are designed to be easy to use and simple to install. This innovative system eliminates unsightly cords in the center of the shade and moves them inconspicuously to the side. The slim rail and cordless lifting system eliminate bulky headrails and dangling cords. The shades are mounted with tight-fitting 4 corner brackets to minimize light leakage and maximize privacy. This option is perfect for windows with narrow depths.

Most wood, faux wood, and aluminum 2" slat horizontal blinds can be ordered with optional cloth tapes. These cloth tapes hold and tilt the slats and replace the braided ladder. Cloth tapes of various colors and textures help to control the light that leaks through the rout holes.

Allows your blind to be raised and lowered while the cord tensioner remains in place. This option makes raising and lowering extra-large blinds effortless. It also allows the shade to be stopped evenly and precisely at any height.

There are two kinds of controls: lift control and tilt control.

• Lift Cord - Made of nylon, this is the mechanism that raises and lowers your blind or shade.
• Tilt Wand - Rotating this opens or closes the slats of your mini, wood, or faux wood blind. Generally made of durable plastic, some wood blinds have wands made of wood doweling.
• Tilt Cord - Available on some blinds, this option can be chosen instead of a tilt wand. Tilt cords look just like lift cords. Consisting of two cords, pulling one tilts the slats open while pulling the other tilts the slats closed. Tilt cords are good for large, heavy blinds.
• Pull Cord - This is essentially the same thing as a lift cord. The term "lift cord" is generally used for horizontal blinds, while pull cord is used for other blinds and shades. It controls the vertical position of the window treatment.
• Beaded Cord -The beaded cord forms a continuous loop which is used to raise and lower a blind. They are also used on vertical blinds for tilt control. A beaded cord generally has two connectors. One connector attaches the two ends of the cord. Each connector serves as a stop for the travel or tilt limits of the blind.
• No Cord Lift (Tilt Only) - Blind slats can be tilted from the center only. They cannot be raised or lowered. This option applies to very narrow blinds.

You can usually select where your blind control will be placed. Face your window, and decide if you would like them on the left or right side. Take into consideration how often you are going to use the controls and how easily accessible they are (i.e. is there any furniture blocking one side of the window that may make it difficult to get to the controls). With some horizontal blinds you can have both lift cords and tilt wands (or tilt cords) on the same side if your blind has a width of at least 17". Between 10" and 17" (depending on the manufacturer), your controls have to be on opposite sides.

You have the choice of which direction you would like your blinds to open (or traverse). When facing your window, decide if you want your blinds to open to the "left" (left stack), open to the "right" (right stack), or "split" open (the blind will open in the middle with half of the blinds going to each side).

You also need to decide the position of the cord which opens the blinds. It can be located on the right or the left side. Options may also include Stack Left or Stack Right with Reverse Draw, which means the cord that opens the blinds will be on the opposite side that the blinds will stack.

A cord cleat attaches to the wall so the cord wraps around the cleat and doesn't hang freely.

Located on or inside the headrail, a cord lock lets you lock your blind in the desired position. While the designs of cord locks vary between manufacturers, they function the same. When the cord is pulled to the outside of the blind or shade, the blind rises and locks into place via a small wheel or spring latch when you stop pulling the cord. When the cord is pulled to the center, the wheel is moved aside, allowing gravity to lower the blind. Returning the cord to a vertical position sets the wheel in a locking position.

Required on shades, traversing panels, or any window treatment with a drive cord or chain loop. The cord tensioner must be mounted to the window frame or wall for the blind to operate.  This is an important safety feature that prevents children and pets from getting tangled in excess, dangling cord.

The Cordless option allows you to raise and lower your shades and blinds by lifting gently on the bottom rail. Your window treatment will open and close evenly every time, and can be stopped at any position along the way. This design is considered to be safer for children and pets because there are no pull cords to present a choking hazard – but cordless does not equal child safe for all products. Cordless horizontal blinds will still have a tilt wand to adjust the angle of the slats.

The cordless lift and lock system is available on some cellular shades. A special button locks the shade firmly at your desired height, which eliminates the "creep" often associated with tight, springy fabrics that gradually draws the shade up, such as double cell blackout.

Once you push the button, the mechanism unlocks and allows you to raise or lower your shade. This option allows you to raise heavy shades on wide windows without having to physically lift the shade. Lift and lock is a bit like a self-propelled vacuum – it gives you control, but does most of the work for you. This is a great solution for those who aren’t as strong as they used to be or suffer from arthritis.

Add style to your window treatments with a decorative cornice. Made of wood, these decorative accents will cap the top of your window treatment with a designer touch. These are available as an add-on option when ordering some manufacturer's horizontal and vertical blinds.

A day/night shade provides excellent light control and unique decorating opportunities. A combination of two shades, each having different light blocking properties. Both shades share a common floating rail in the middle of the shade. The fabrics are mounted on top of the other. When the top shade covers the window, the bottom shade is lowered and out of sight. When the bottom shade is open, the top shade is fully compressed at the top of the window.

Dual Shades (or Zebra Shades) function similarly to a roller shade – what makes it different is the way you control the light. This contemporary window treatment consists of two fabrics on the shade that alternate opaque and sheer. The fabrics form a loop, with the front layer slightly in front of the rear layer. These bands can be aligned to control the amount of light that is allowed through the shade. A dual shade can be lifted to fully expose the window below. A Dual Shade is also called a Zebra Shade due to the "zebra-like" pattern of alternating stripes of the two fabrics.

This special valance makes cleaning your vertical blinds even easier while protecting your blind hardware. This valance has an additional piece that keeps dust from settling in the tracks by covering the top of the headrail.

Edge binding is available on both woven wood and roman shades. This 1"-2" thick band comes in both solid colors and patterns and can make a beautiful design statement in the home. Edge binding is very beneficial when added to woven wood shades. Over time, woven wood shades stretch out, puddling at the bottom of the window opening. The natural material's unfinished edges can fray over time as well. Edge binding will prevent both issues from occurring, increasing the durability of the shade. The cloth wraps around the front and back of the shade, completely securing the material between the fabric.

Extension brackets are used with blinds or shades mounted on the outside of the window, providing clearance to accommodate any obstacles such as wood trim or crank handles.

Adding a custom fabric valance or cornice is a great finishing touch for your window. Fabric cornices are covered in drapery fabric and coordinate well with existing blinds and shades. There are several different styles of silhouettes to fit any décor. A fabric cornice is a stylish way to conceal unsightly hardware, make a window appear larger than it really is, or create uniformity in a room where windows are different heights.

This is an upgrade for roller blinds, where the roll is contained in a box-style valance to hide the mounting brackets and cover the roll. Fascia valances are available in color coordinated painted aluminum. The aluminum valance is wrapped in the same shade fabric, eliminating the exposed metal surfaces. A cassette-style valance has the shade pre-mounted in the fascia, making it a one-step installation. A coordinating fabric insert ties the look together.

This is an upgrade for roller blinds that adds a finishing touch to a modern industrial décor style. The roll is contained in a box-style valance to hide the mounting brackets and cover the roll. Fascia valances are available in color coordinated painted aluminum.

Roman shades have different styles of folds that will change the appearance of the shade. Flat roman shades can be smooth and seamless, or they can have the classic seams. The flat seamless style is perfect for a clean streamlined look or large patterned fabric. The plain fold with seams adds a visual interest to a plain shade fabric that does not have a pattern. A hobbled fold has a series of soft looped overlapping folds when fully extended – perfect for formal rooms. A European-style fold, otherwise known as a relaxed fold, features a curved bottom. The fabric gathers in random folds, softening the look of the entire look of the shade. In a front slat roman shade, the stays, which are in the form of slats, are sewn into pockets on the face of the fabric. This creates a more structured look on the face of the shade when it is down. When raised, each slat disappears under the fold above it. The front slats work best with solid colors and striped fabrics.

Gauge describes the thickness of an aluminum slat. Mini blinds come in a 6 gauge thickness (.006") and 8 gauge thickness (.008".) Thicker blinds are generally more durable.

This is used to raise and lower larger size roller shades. Operation is smooth and promotes a longer life operation of the shade.

Grommet draperies are a simple panel with a metal grommet at the top. The grommet style has a relaxed shape and defined folds. This modern-look solution is great for drapery rods that don't require a center support bracket.

Most fabric vertical vanes are available free-hanging or inserted into a clear edge groover with your choice of either an ivory or white vinyl backing. Some manufacturers offer other colors for particular styles. The groover is a vinyl louver, or type of sheath, with clear channels that hold the fabric in place. The vertical fabric vane slides into the channels on the groover so the fabric faces the inside of the room, while the neutral or coordinating back of the groover faces the outside for a uniform, neutral look from the street. The groover also provides additional light control, privacy, and energy efficiency.

Free-hanging vanes are not inserted into groovers. Vinyl vanes only come free-hanging.

The uppermost part of your blind or shade, it contains the control mechanism and attaches to the wall or ceiling. On a vertical blind, it is generally referred to as a track.

Hembars are used to finish the bottom of roller shades  

• Internal sealed bar - has a piece of aluminum that is in a pocket created by folding over the fabric at the bottom of the shade. The ends are pinched closed and heat sealed.  
• External hembar - an exposed, hollow aluminum bar that is secured to the bottom of the roller shade fabric. The ends are covered in plastic color coordinated caps. The external hembar coordinates well with the aluminum fascia.  
• Fabric wrapped hembar - an exposed, hollow aluminum bar that is secured to the bottom of the roller shade fabric and is wrapped in the same fabric as the shade. The ends are covered in plastic color coordinated caps. The external hembar coordinates well with the fabric wrapped fascia or cassette valances.

These brackets attach to the window frame or door and hold down the bottom rail of the blind. Often used to hold the bottom of the blind to a moving surface, such as a door, they prevent the blind from swinging when the door opens or closes.

The new Cordless Lift and Lock system locks the shade firmly in place when the button is released. When lifting the shade, depress the button and a spring loaded mechanism unlocks and allows you to raise or lower your shade.

Allows light to filter through the fabric shade while maintaining privacy and not darkening the room.

Inside mounted shades have a slight gap of light that seeps through between the edge of the fabric and the inside wall of the window opening. Light gap blockers are installed to the window frame and will fit around the shade to better control the light.

Mini blind designed by Bali to block more light than a typical mini blind. There is a "no-valance" headrail that gives a smoother appearance and modern look. A light blocking lip eliminates the light gap between the headrail and the top slat. More slats per foot create a greater light-blocking ability, and the 8 gauge makes them more durable. Hidden headrail brackets reduce light gap as well.

This option is available with custom draperies, pleated shades, woven wood and roman shades. A liner is a piece of fabric that extends over the back of the shade, providing a uniform exterior appearance with a neutral white color. Liners also add additional privacy by increasing opacity and improving energy efficiency. They come in light filtering, thermal, room darkening, and blackout styles. On some woven wood shades, the liner can move separately from the shade, allowing a greater control of light.

A set of angled slats or flat strips fixed or hung at regular intervals on a plantation shutter to allow air or light to pass through. Vertical vanes are also referred to as louvers.

An inside mount is a product that is mounted within the window frame. An outside mount is when the window treatment is in front of the window and secured to the trim around the window or mounted to the wall.

This is a wood shelf that is installed in a window, typically arched. The window treatment requires top mount brackets or center support brackets and no installation point exists due to the arched opening.

This contemporary alternative to vertical blinds is ideal for patio doors, sliding doors, or large windows. The track is mounted on either the wall or the ceiling with large fabric panels that slide back and forth.

A narrow short pleat usually used in groups in the heading of draperies for controlling fullness, usually seen in traditional décor styles.

Offers the convenience of never losing your remote and it is operated by a rechargeable lithium ion battery, so it still works when power is lost. It’s as easy as pulling once on the decorative pull tassel to bring it up, and once more to bring it down. A favorite location can be programmed on site in less than 5 minutes.

Also known as tailored or pole top drapery, rod pocket drapery is the most basic drapery style with a sewn-in rod pocket at the top of each drapery panel. Rod pocket drapery works well when layered under a valance, or with a sheer or shade underneath. Opening and closing this style of drapery can sometimes be difficult with a standard rod because the fabric may "catch" in the center where the rod comes together.

These options are available for roller shades. There is no additional charge for either roll type.

• Regular Roll - Roll is visible to someone facing the shade. This is normally chosen when the roller shade will be paired with some sort of top treatment to hide the roller.
• Reverse Roll - Roll is invisible to someone facing the shade. This is also known as "waterfall style." This style is commonly used when trying to conceal the reverse side of the shade in a different color than the front side of the shade.

• For mini, wood and faux wood blinds: These blinds don't have visible rout holes when the blind is closed. A routless slat has no center opening and lift cord securing each slat to the blind. Instead, each slat is free hanging and easily removable. The blind is held in place by a braided ladder that cradles the front, back, and bottom of the slat. Since there is no lift cord going through the slat, they can be removed for easy cleaning. They are generally referred to as ‘routless.’ Each manufacturer has its own trademark for this feature – also called privacy slats.
• For shades: This term is generally applied to the heaviest materials and to liners which keep a shade opaque, offering optimal privacy as well as shielding a room from outside light.

Available on wood blinds, the slats are cut on a slight taper so it creates a softer look than a standard blind slat with a sharp corner.

Route holes refer to the center hole where the lift cord goes through the slats.

An elegant solution combining a fabric blind and a shade. The soft fabric vane tilts open and closed, and is surrounded by delicate sheer fabric. The sheer shade can be lifted, giving two ways to control the light.

Mini blind colors labeled as sheerview are perforated with many tiny holes, providing privacy without completely darkening a room. Please note - there is no expectation of privacy with Sheerview blinds in the evening.  You will need to layer with an additional window treatment.

These are the individual pieces of a horizontal blind that cover the window and are held together by the braided ladder.

This feature is only available on select Bali shades and uses a retractable cord mechanism to raise and lower the shade. When the cords are moved to a slight angle, the shade gently and effortlessly lowers itself. This movement of the cord releases spring tension in a slow, controlled manner and the bottom rail floats down. Constant cord length means there are never any long, dangling cord to detract from the appearance of the shade.

Cord loop design that with a gentle pull will lower your shade automatically to its full height. To raise your shade, pull the cord until it is at your desired height or all the way up.

Solar shades are made from a perforated fabric that block UV rays, but do not block the view. Please note – there is no expectation of privacy with solar shades in the evening. You will need to layer with an additional window treatment.

These are used when you have trim or molding around the window and you are mounting to the wall as an outside mount. This brings you mounting brackets in line with the trim at the top of the window, so the product doesn't get caught on the top of the window opening and they can hang straight down.

Most wood, faux wood, and aluminum 2" slat horizontal blinds can be ordered with optional cloth tapes. These cloth tapes hold and tilt the slats and replace the braided ladder. Cloth tapes of various colors and textures help to control the light that leaks through the rout holes.

The small piece at the end of the pull cord or tilt cord.

This light filtering liner provides the additional function of blocking cold drafts in the winter and extreme heat in the summer.

This option is available on several shade types. The top down/bottom up with cords feature has cords on each side of the blind. One cord allows the shade to be raised from the bottom up and the other cord allows the shade to be lowered from the top. This feature is also available in cordless for a clean, streamlined look. This is ideal for bathrooms and rooms on the main level of your home where you like to let sunlight come into the room (lower the blind 1/4 of the way down from the top) but still maintain privacy from anyone walking or driving by your home. Some products also offer a "top down only" cord loop feature, in which the shade can only be adjusted from the top while the bottom remains fixed at the window sill.

• Standard Track - All of our vertical blinds include a standard track at no additional charge. This track allows for easy rotation and traversing of your vertical vanes. It is durable and made of strong aluminum alloy.
• Duralite Track - Available on Bali vertical blinds. This durable steel headrail comes with an even ivory finish. It has a nylon carrier linkage system which provides a smooth traversing of the vanes. Clear nylon vane stems are nearly invisible yet strong, and will last over time.
• Magnum Track - Available on Bali vertical blinds. This rust-resistant anodized aluminum headrail is a great choice for high humidity climates. It has a stainless steel carrier linkage system with a narrow carrier width which reduces the vane stack and gives you a better exterior view. Self-aligning carriers give a trouble-free operation.

A transformation shade provides excellent light control and unique decorating opportunities. It’s a combination of two shades, each having different light blocking properties. Both shades share a common floating rail in the middle of the shade. The fabrics are mounted on top of the other. When the top shade covers the window, the bottom shade is lowered and out of sight. When the bottom shade is open, the top shade is fully compressed at the top of the window.

A trilight shade provides excellent light control. A combination of two shades, each has different light blocking properties: a pleated sheer shade on top and a solid light filtering or blackout shade on the bottom. Both shades share a common floating rail in the middle of the shade. The fabrics are mounted on top of the other. When the top shade covers the window, the bottom shade is lowered and out of sight. When the bottom shade is open, the top shade is fully compressed at the top of the window.

This upgraded trapezoid shaped bottom rail closes the gap between the bottom of the blind and the window sill for improved privacy and light control. Available on some wood and faux wood blinds.

A standard feature with most blinds, the valance attaches to the top of the blind, covers the headrail, and matches the color and material of the rest of the blind. Valance options are different depending on the type of blind.

The slats of a vertical blind are called vanes or louvers. They hang vertically from the track. They can be made from fabric, aluminum, or vinyl (also called PVC). Most fabric vanes can be inserted into groovers for additional privacy and light blocking.

This is a vertical cellular shade that opens and closes upon a horizontal track. They are most often used on sliding glass doors.

PVC vinyl vertical blind colors labeled as vinyl screen are perforated with many tiny holes, providing privacy without completely darkening a room.

Zebra Shades (or Dual Shades or Flat Sheer shades) function similarly to a roller shade – what makes it different is the way you control the light. This contemporary window treatment consists of two fabrics on the shade that alternate opaque and sheer. The fabrics form a loop, with the front layer slightly in front of the rear layer. These bands can be aligned to control the amount of light that is allowed through the shade. A dual shade can be lifted to fully expose the window below. A Dual Shade is also called a Zebra Shade due to the "zebra-like" pattern of alternating stripes of the two fabrics.