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The Best Commercial Blinds That Schools Actually Need

Blinds are a must-have in any school. They help create a private, focused, and safe environment in which students can learn, create and explore. There are many factors to consider when it comes to installing blinds in schools. Academe-significant features include light control, fire retardant material, ease of use, and durability, style, child-safety features, to mention a few. Flame retardant curtains for schools are an exceptional feature that helps add a layer of protection for the class, especially when the occasional accidents arise.

Here at direct Fabric, we analyze market demands comprehensively to provide the most up-to-date commercial blinds solutions for our customers. Below is a curated list of well-suited blinds for schools:

Vertical Louvre Blinds

Vertical louvre blinds are functional, durable, and easy to operate. Offering a traditional and professional look, vertical blinds come in a wide variety of colors. In addition, vertical blind slats offer excellent light and privacy control. The shape of the blinds also helps keep the room at a cool temperature, a handy feature to have during warmer summer months. They’re also child-friendly, with a wand mechanism that’s easy for children to adjust. Lastly, these blinds don’t take much to install, making them an excellent choice for large schools.

Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds are another great option for schools, offering the same optimal privacy and light control as louvre blinds. Two popular materials are Metal and faux wood. In addition, Venetian blinds offer a relatively more modern or contemporary look than their vertical siblings, adding an instant charm and style to any classroom. Venetians blinds are easy to clean, install, and are perfectly safe for children. Their incredible durability and versatility for any setting make them a go-to for classroom settings, where they’re expected to function all day long.

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds come with a unique mechanism that utilizes the least moving parts, making them less susceptible to damage, a great feature to have in the hands of an excitable child. They require minimal maintenance and are one of the most durable on this list, plus they’re also wholly child safe. The light control and privacy are extensive, screening out most of the sunlight and allowing students the environment they need to focus on and concentrate on classes.

Blackout Blinds

Blackout blinds give schools the option to entirely block out any sun glare from their classrooms, ensuring that only the room’s artificial lighting is available to the students. This functional and durable blind, like the rest on this list, is entirely child-safe while adding a touch of class and glamour to the class. Since they won’t be getting any pesky sun glare inside the room, schools can use the wide range of available colors to inject some personality into their space. These blind types are perfect for class theatres, ensuring that the stage lights have the maximum effect and the school can have a fantastic program when the school stage curtains are drawn apart.

Blackout blinds also vary in style, including vertical and roller blinds. However, they’re usually relatively straightforward to use, install, and maintain, making them an effortless blind to have around.

Conclusion

Here at Direct Fabrics, we understand the market needs so we can provide solutions that make sense. School blinds may seem trivial, but they have a significant effect on the class environment. With the help of our seasoned commercial blinds veterans, we can help gear your business for success. For more information, please feel free to contact us.

What You Need to Know as a First-Time Buyer of Blinds

When people think of window treatments, they have a tendency to think of curtains. It's easy enough to see why. They're classy and classic, convenient to get a hold of, and most people's natural window treatment option. However, times are changing. Now, more and more commercial window treatments also use shades and blinds. 

Others have gone on to use office blinds, which is all thanks to the blinds’ functionality and adaptability. Of course, something new isn't necessarily something that's automatically accepted. Many establishments that are looking to buy blinds for the first time have hesitations, questions and full-on doubts.

Blinds vs. Shades

The key difference between blinds and shades are in the material they are made out of. Blinds can come made of aluminium, fabric, faux wood, PVC or wood. Shades are generally made of fabric, with options such as blackout or light filtering ones. 

Windows get a lot of benefits from shades and blinds. It's because the sun's rays, both UV and the harsher, 'white-heat' beams, are cut considerably. Instead, the room or space gets lit through wonderfully diffused light. Where necessary, light will be kept out in full, aiding in both the security and privacy of a property. 

Aside from helping block unwelcome outside views, it helps to upgrade the look and feel of your space. The styles are endless in terms of prints, textures and colours!

Before You Buy

Wonderful, you've decided to use blinds for your windows! Now you need to pick one, and it has to be just right. If you pick something that looks nice but doesn't function the way you need it to, it's not worth it. If you pick something functional which helps you out but isn't necessarily pretty or within your aesthetic, in the long run, it'll bring you unpleasant feelings instead. 

That's because blinds allow for a full-on transformation of the vibe of the space. It can bring energy, lighten a mood and even breathe new life into a space entirely. As previously mentioned, however, it's key to pick the blinds which are just right. There are safety considerations regarding motorised operations and/or cords if you have child guests.

Ask yourself the following questions and make your blinds choice based on that:

• How much are you willing to spend on the blinds?
• How much are you willing to spend on the maintenance of your blinds?
• How much effort and time can you actually put into selecting window treatments?
• What fabric or material are you looking to use?
• What kind of light do you want (diffused, vibrant, none at all)?
• What kind of decor style does your property have (contemporary, medieval, minimalist, something else)?

Conclusion

Blinds and shades are quickly becoming the new preference over the traditional curtains. The likes of fire-resistant roller blinds have certainly helped in shifting the perspective of people. Before you make a purchase, figure out which fabric or material you're looking to use, what kind of light you want and how much you're willing to spend in the first place.

Looking for flame retardant blinds, office roller blinds and contract blinds? Order from Direct Fabrics today! We are a supplier of fabrics for hotels, care homes, schools and more.

Fire Protection 101: Choosing Flame-Retardant Fabric

Whether you are looking for fabrics for your offices, your first consideration might solely be about the aesthetics or ease of maintenance of your purchase. You might not even consider fire safety, which is true with most buyers out there, whether they were buying for private or commercial use.

However, the RRFSO, the 2005 Fire Safety Order, requires adherence to certain regulations for the safety of everyone involved. Flame-retardant fabrics can stem the spread of flames should such an incident occur.

That said, there are various types of flame retardant fabrics, some safer than others. In this article, we will talk about these various fabrics to help you pick the right solution for commercial needs:

What are the different types of flame retardant fabrics?

Generally, you will find two main types of flame retardant fabrics.

The first type is inherent fabrics. These fabrics are created using a material that has been artificially modified to be flame-retardant. Because this property is woven right into the material itself, it will stay this way its entire lifespan. The most significant advantage of the material is that you will not have to invest in any more fabrics after this. It will always meet legal requirements, keeping your business out of hot water.

The second and only other type of flame-retardant fabric out there is coated fabrics. As you may have guessed, this type of fabric is treated to reduce flammability. Although there are a lot of coated fabrics to pick from, the coating will wear out over time. These types of fabrics should not be washed either, as the property might diminish even faster.

Which flame retardant fabrics are safer?

Regardless of which type of flame retardant fabrics you purchase for your offices and the likes, knowing which ones are safe for use is vital to your and your employees’ wellbeing.

To know which fabrics to avoid, you must know what kind of flame-retarding chemicals were used. For instance, chemicals that contain Bromine are a cause for concern because, if used in areas where there are children, the chemical can hinder proper neurological development. You may also want to avoid Chlorinated Tris because it is known to be cancer-causing. Finally, Phosphorus flame retardants are known to cause various allergic reactions, especially when the dust has settled on the fabric for long periods.

The right type of fabric should minimise danger to your employees while meeting the required levels of fire safety imposed on businesses by FIRA.

Conclusion

Fire is a serious hazard in restaurants, hotels, and so on. It is not much of a hazard in other places that do not work with fire. Regardless, safety must always be a priority, no matter the case.

In terms of fire safety, the knowledge in this article can help you purchase not only fabrics but essentially any furniture. That said when purchasing flame retardant fabrics and more, do work with the supplier closely. Let them know of your needs, and they will help you understand which options you can pick to meet your goals.

Direct fabrics is a fabric supplier in the UK for hotels, schools, and many other businesses. We offer quality products to meet great demands. If you are looking for flame retardant fabrics for your commercial needs, check out what we have to offer.