Custom vs online store blinds
Have you ever wondered why faux wood blinds are available on the internet for $20, but when you ask for a quote from a custom window treatment store, they cost $200 or more?
There are a number of reasons, but generally, it all comes to not doing an apple-to-apple comparison.
1. Quality
To start, the product quality is likely not the same. I have recently tried to install some faux wood blinds from Hope Depot. It looked fine in a box - a faux wood blind measuring 34" x 70" cost around $30. I could install it, it works. But by the time I was done, my hands were white with paint rubbing off the vanes. I tried to make it fit, but the side return and front valance cover didn't match up. There were big holes down the middle of the vane where the string was threaded, and that hole allowed quite a bit of light to come through. I would not choose it because it only does a half-baked job of blocking light coming into the room.
The Norman faux wood blinds I sell for $200 have no holes through the vane, and when I touch them, it has a satisfying texture that is akin to real wood. When they tilt, even the bottom rail turns, making the close a very tight fit. I think it's the best faux wood blind in the world.
2. Tightness of fit
And why do custom blinds fit tighter in your room? Because we measure down to 1/8" to make sure there is a minimal gap between the window frame and the blinds. Because each blind is measured and manufactured to that precision for each individual window of your home, it costs people time to measure and manufacture.
You pay for the craftsmanship.
3. Risk
When you measure for your own blinds, if you make a mistake and the blinds do not fit, the likelihood is that the store will not take back the shades you have already tried to install - which were probably cut for your window. You pay out of your own pocket for a replacement. Multiply that by the number of windows you have in your home, and you are putting a great deal of your own money and time at risk. Unless you live next to Lowe's or Home Depot, you pay for gas, need to load that long object on your car again, and hope it works the next time.
Even for Pros, the probability of shades being manufactured and installed correctly is around 65%. So if this was not done by pros, what is the likelihood that they will not fit?
Custom window treatment providers like Budget Blinds gladly accept all this risk for you. We will take the risk for any wrong measurements or incorrectly manufactured shades, saving you time, hassle, and likely, in the end, money.
Please review our Google Review comments, and you might just find that one customer who was so frustrated with blinds.com that they came to us and was a much happier customer!