Wood Blinds vs. Faux Wood Blinds: Is There A Battle Going On?

Wood blinds have been the most sought-after blind for some time now. People love the look and feel of natural wood blinds complimenting their home decor. With wood shutters, wood blinds are the choice of a consumer who is looking for simple, warm and natural choices for window coverings.

One key point about real wood products for window treatments is that their cost is moderately high. This fact usually puts a red light somewhere on the way of deciding on how much we want to spend to get them.

So, what can you do if you want the look and feel of real wood, but the price stops you before you can make a good decision? You’ve guessed it – look into more economical faux wood blinds.

In a short period of time, faux wood blinds have created some serious competition for the classic wood blinds “in the raw”. “Faux” wood means “imitation” wood.

Different manufacturers call the same faux (imitation) wood blinds by different names like … Everwoods ®, NuWoods ® or Woodmates ®. Regardless of the name, the slats and bottom rails on these blinds are made of vinyl alone, or composite materials, which are wood and vinyl.

The use of vinyl in these products, be it a portion or 100%, makes them moisture-resistant, more durable and they cost much less to produce. The advantages can help you while deciding which blinds to get. First, the price is better. Second, you can use faux wood blinds in the areas of high humidity and traffic (where real wood blinds would suffer with visible damages on them).

As it is with every product, there are pros and cons about faux wood blinds.

The Pros …

Cost much less to produce

-Resist moisture

-Slats don’t warp

-Slats are easily changeable

-Resist abuse in high-traffic areas

-Give the look and feel of real wood products for less

The Cons …

-Faux wood materials are heavier than wood

(large sizes of individual blinds are limited by the material weight)

-Faux wood slats are less rigid than wood ones and need more support ladders

(support strings that run from top to bottom and space out individual slats from each other)

-Cheaper, 100% vinyl products may “yellow” over time

-Still limited in color and finish choices

(the technologies for the finished-look choices have improved dramatically and are catching up fast)

After all of this “blind battle”, what’s our suggestion for the best choice you can make?

For the real wood blinds, if you still prefer them over faux woods, you can’t go wrong with your investment because they do add value and natural feel to your home décor. Manufacturers use Basswood, Poplar, Maple, Cherry and even Knotted Pine wood to bring you ample finish and stain color choices to match your furniture, flooring or window frames more accurately.

On the other hand, if you can compromise, alloy or composite (wood and vinyl mix) faux wood blinds over deliver for a modest investment.

The battle between real wood blinds and faux wood blinds is silently going on. And the way it’s going, it’s looking good in your favor – the customer. It simply gives you new, more economical choices while buying wood or faux wood blinds. Now, without having to sacrifice that natural look at a premium price, you can have a look-alike for less, no matter which room in your home or cabin.

After more than a decade of working with Wood Blinds and Faux Wood Blinds, Lu Smith gives you a money-saving shortcut guide about blinds and shades at http://myhomewindowblinds.com