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How to Pick Commercial Window Shades
Did you know that studies have shown that there’s an ideal temperature and brightness for office environments (68-70 degrees F. and natural lighting, respectively). The way you decorate your office or commercial environment can have a big impact on productivity and employee happiness, so it’s well worth your while to put in the effort to pick the right finishes. Selecting commercial window coverings is one way you can help tailor your workspace to the perfect temperature, brightness and style for happy, productive employees. If you run a customer-facing business, the right window treatments also enhance the environment for guests and visitors.
When shopping for window treatments for your business, you need to be conscious of various factors you probably wouldn’t consider when shopping for your home, such as durability and flame resistance. Depending on what kind of business you have, you’ll also want to consider functionality—do you need privacy, temperature regulation or resistance to moisture? All of these things should be addressed when choosing commercial window shades. Here are some more important considerations.
1. Know the Purpose of the Shades—Before you dive into any window treatment buying endeavor, it helps if you make a list of needs and wants. As previously mentioned, natural lighting is best for offices, so you want to provide that while still achieving privacy, light control, temperature regulation and other factors. What are the primary and secondary purposes of your window treatments? Privacy may be needed in executive offices, while light filtration or tempering may be key in sun-drenched spaces. It may be important to you to keep light out or in to help reduce your company’s energy consumption or to maintain a certain temperature for your inventory. You may want to achieve multiple goals with your shades, and that’s just fine!
2. Consider Special Features—Unsurprisingly, your commercial window treatments may need features that wouldn’t matter much in your home. For example, you may be bound by your building code or local laws to meet certain safety standards with walls, flooring and window coverings. You may need to meet California’s laws regarding flame-resistant materials. The environment will also determine which features you should seek. If it’s a relatively damp environment or somewhere where liquids are used, then it may be smart to go with faux wood blinds that are less likely to warp or swell when exposed to moisture.
3. Consider Durability and Maintenance—As a general rule, products labeled “commercial” tend to be stronger, tougher and longer-lasting. There’s no real secret as to why—busy workspaces see a ton of action and may be exposed to more harsh products than homes. The type of workspace you’re outfitting, such as a warehouse, office or studio, will help determine whether or not you need extremely durable shades. Luckily, there are options available for even the most demanding spaces.
4. Determine if You Need Custom Sizing—Typically, our commercial customers need custom window coverings due to the fact that their windows are not a standard size and there may be a lot of variation from one window, room or floor to the next. With that being said, it’s possible that your space can be outfitted with standard sizes. Every space is different, so it helps if you know your sizing requirements before you go into the commercial shade shopping process. Having a rough idea of size will help you nail down whether you can buy “off the rack” or not.
5. Find a Good Partner—The last thing you need to do before placing your order is to seek out a good partner for your commercial window job. Factory Direct Blinds is a great commercial window coverings supplier for a wide range of institutions and businesses, and we always do our best to ensure that you get the perfect solution for the best possible price! We’ve worked with offices, hotels, retail stores, restaurants and so much more, and there’s virtually no commercial space we can’t outfit with top-notch, commercial-grade shades or blinds.
Ready to talk to an expert? The team at Factory Direct Blinds is ready to get started on your big job. We’d be happy to provide you with a bid on commercial treatments so you can gauge how our prices work in your budget. To begin, simply send us a message or give us a call at 1-800-355-2546.
When shopping for window treatments for your business, you need to be conscious of various factors you probably wouldn’t consider when shopping for your home, such as durability and flame resistance. Depending on what kind of business you have, you’ll also want to consider functionality—do you need privacy, temperature regulation or resistance to moisture? All of these things should be addressed when choosing commercial window shades. Here are some more important considerations.
1. Know the Purpose of the Shades—Before you dive into any window treatment buying endeavor, it helps if you make a list of needs and wants. As previously mentioned, natural lighting is best for offices, so you want to provide that while still achieving privacy, light control, temperature regulation and other factors. What are the primary and secondary purposes of your window treatments? Privacy may be needed in executive offices, while light filtration or tempering may be key in sun-drenched spaces. It may be important to you to keep light out or in to help reduce your company’s energy consumption or to maintain a certain temperature for your inventory. You may want to achieve multiple goals with your shades, and that’s just fine!
2. Consider Special Features—Unsurprisingly, your commercial window treatments may need features that wouldn’t matter much in your home. For example, you may be bound by your building code or local laws to meet certain safety standards with walls, flooring and window coverings. You may need to meet California’s laws regarding flame-resistant materials. The environment will also determine which features you should seek. If it’s a relatively damp environment or somewhere where liquids are used, then it may be smart to go with faux wood blinds that are less likely to warp or swell when exposed to moisture.
3. Consider Durability and Maintenance—As a general rule, products labeled “commercial” tend to be stronger, tougher and longer-lasting. There’s no real secret as to why—busy workspaces see a ton of action and may be exposed to more harsh products than homes. The type of workspace you’re outfitting, such as a warehouse, office or studio, will help determine whether or not you need extremely durable shades. Luckily, there are options available for even the most demanding spaces.
4. Determine if You Need Custom Sizing—Typically, our commercial customers need custom window coverings due to the fact that their windows are not a standard size and there may be a lot of variation from one window, room or floor to the next. With that being said, it’s possible that your space can be outfitted with standard sizes. Every space is different, so it helps if you know your sizing requirements before you go into the commercial shade shopping process. Having a rough idea of size will help you nail down whether you can buy “off the rack” or not.
5. Find a Good Partner—The last thing you need to do before placing your order is to seek out a good partner for your commercial window job. Factory Direct Blinds is a great commercial window coverings supplier for a wide range of institutions and businesses, and we always do our best to ensure that you get the perfect solution for the best possible price! We’ve worked with offices, hotels, retail stores, restaurants and so much more, and there’s virtually no commercial space we can’t outfit with top-notch, commercial-grade shades or blinds.
Let Us Help
Ready to talk to an expert? The team at Factory Direct Blinds is ready to get started on your big job. We’d be happy to provide you with a bid on commercial treatments so you can gauge how our prices work in your budget. To begin, simply send us a message or give us a call at 1-800-355-2546.
