Which Roller Blinds are Right for Your Home?

Looking for quality window coverings but looking for something that offers a bit more than conventional window coverings? Roller blinds are fast becoming a more popular window covering due to the different types and installation options available, allowing a level of versatility that other window coverings aren’t able to offer.

In this roller blind buying guide, we’ll explore a number of materials for you to choose from, exploring their benefits, and then cover installation options, such as the size of the blind, as well as the methods of operation.

What material are you looking for? What room are you installing them in?

Once you’ve decided that roller blinds are the ideal window covering for your home, you’ll need to figure out what material you want them to be made out of. Roller blinds are available in a variety of materials, with each one serving a different purpose, so it’s important to understand what each material does to find the right ones for your home.

Blockout Roller Blinds

Firstly, there are blockout roller blinds, which are made out of a completely opaque fabric that doesn’t let any light through, hence the name. Because they prevent light from entering a room, and the opaque material that they’re made from also works great as a thermal insulator, blockout roller blinds are great for rooms that you either want to be dark, but also cool in summer and warm in winter, making blockout roller blinds the ideal option for rooms such as bedrooms and home theatres.

Sheer Roller Blinds

If you’re looking for the exact opposite effect that blockout roller blinds provide, then sheer roller blinds are the way to go. Made from a near transparent material similar to what we use for our sheer curtains, these roller blinds allow for a lot of natural light to enter a space. 

However, being made of a transparent material, although sheer roller blinds let a lot of light in, they aren’t as ideal for insulating rooms or providing privacy as other window coverings such as our blockout roller blinds. However, that makes these blinds an ideal option for those rooms where you’d both like a lot of light in and you don’t have to worry about passers by peering in, such as kitchens or large, upstairs living/rumpus rooms.

Day/Night Roller Blinds

After reading about our blockout roller blinds and our sheer roller blinds, if you’re after the best of both worlds, our day/night roller blinds may be the option for you. Our day/night roller blinds consist of two independently controlled window coverings, with one being a fully opaque blockout curtain and the other being made of a transparent, sheer fabric, allowing you to have complete control over your privacy, insulation, and the amount of light being let into your room. 

Because of the amount of control that you have with these roller blinds, they’re ideal for master bedrooms or spaces that people frequent quite often, such as living rooms and dining rooms.

Lumen Blinds

If you’re looking for after both natural light and privacy that you get with day/night roller blinds, but you don’t feel that you need the amount of control, then our lumen blinds are a great choice. Also known as zebra blinds, these consist of an alternating pattern of sheer fabric and opaque blockout fabric, allowing light to filter into a room without you having to sacrifice all of your privacy, making these blinds great for spaces such as bedrooms and home offices.

How big is the window you’re wanting to cover?

Once you’ve decided what material you want to use for your roller blinds, you’ll then need to figure out which windows you’re going to have coverings for. As every home is different, this often means that you’ll need custom-sized window coverings.

Although the process of measuring every window with a tape measure yourself and doing the calculations to figure out much space and fabric you’ll need for each individual window covering might seem very daunting, you don’t need to worry. As both the Blind Guys with Vision and one of Sydney’s leading window covering installers, we’ll do the whole installation process for you, including the measurements and determining what you’ll need to make sure that your brand new roller blinds are a perfect fit for your home.

Are you looking for chain-driven or motorised blinds?

Finally, with all of the above sorted out, the last thing you’ll often need to figure out is how you want to operate them. With our selection of roller blinds, there are two options for you to choose from: either having them being manually operated (otherwise known as chain-driven) or motorised.

Firstly, there are chain-driven roller blinds. These are far more cost-effective than motorised blinds, both initially and in the long run, as using motorised blinds is going to make up part of your electricity bill, especially during summer and winter, where you may spend more time adjusting the blinds to get that ideal amount of both light and insulation. However, because of the nature of how these blinds operate, and the chains presenting a potential choking hazard, they may not be an ideal option for families with young children.

If you’re looking for a bit more convenience with your window coverings, then our other option, motorised blinds, are the choice for you. Although these may be slightly more expensive to both own and operate than manually operated blinds, they give you the benefit of being able to control your blinds at the push of a button. 

As well as this, you’re also able to integrate them into your existing smart home systems, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, letting you control them through either your phone or by voice command.

Talk to Vision About Roller Blinds for Your Home Today

With all of the options associated with roller blinds, it’s no wonder that they’ve become such a popular choice for window coverings. Regardless if you’re looking to let more light in, reduce your power consumption throughout the year, or just give you and your family a bit more privacy, the team at Vision Blinds & Shutters are here to help you with the selection and installation process.

With over 200 5-star Google reviews, and over 20 years of experience, our team is committed to making sure that your home and lifestyle are improved with the installation of our quality window coverings. Give us a call on 1300 658 465 or fill out our online form today for a free measure and quote.