Roller Curtains vs. Roller Blinds: Which is better
26 Aug 2022
While complimenting your design, window coverings allow you to manage light, privacy, and interior temperature. While there are many solutions available, roller blinds with moveable slats and curtains or drapes made of fabric panels are among the most popular.

Roller blinds and roller curtains each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. We've pitted blinds against curtains and detailed six significant distinctions to help you determine which window treatment will be a winner in your house.

Light Control Options

Roller blind slats may be controlled in two ways for light control, either vertically or horizontally (known as Venetian blinds). Pulling the lift rope from the top allows you to raise and lower Venetian blinds as well as transfer vertical blinds from one side to the other.

You may also spin the slats using the tilt wand (a long, stick-like contraption) to change the angle at which light enters. While blinds provide additional options to manage light, their slatted construction allows light to penetrate even when the blinds are completely closed. When the drapes are closed, they essentially block all light.

Ease in Cleaning

Because blinds have a firm, smooth surface, dusting them with a microfiber cloth is simple. Close the slats and wipe with a duster from the top down or from one side to the other, then rotate the slats 180 degrees and continue in the other manner to remove dust from both sides of the blinds.

Cleaning curtains is a little more difficult. Vacuum top to bottom with a dust brush attachment to eliminate dust. To remove dirt and stains, spray the affected areas with a solution of 25% white vinegar and 75% water, a store-bought stain pre-treatment solution, or a solution of one part bleach to four parts water.

Long Lasting

It is not uncommon for well-maintained blinds to retain their appearance for 15 years or more. Blinds are resistant to discoloration and stains due to their synthetic composition, which might be plastic, vinyl, aluminum, or polymer-coated wood.

They're also more robust and tough than curtains, making them less prone to wear and tear. Fabric curtains, whether cotton, linen, velvet, or silk, are more prone to ripping, staining, and molding, and as a result, they often need to be replaced within a decade.

Insulation and Soundproofing

Curtains and blinds may both assist in boosting the overall insulation of your windows, resulting in cheaper energy expenses in cold times. Curtains, on the other hand, have been demonstrated to cut heat loss by up to 37 percent during cold months, compared to the roughly 14 percent heat loss reduction you may obtain from blinds.

Roller curtains and roller shades both help to block out noise from the neighborhood. However, curtains outperform blinds because they are thicker and lack slats through which sound penetrates.

Design Possibilities

Roller curtains are available in a broader range of fabrics, textures, designs, colors, patterns, and degrees of transparency, ranging from geometric-inspired cotton curtains to sheer silk curtains. They complement traditional home design trends such as French country, mid-century contemporary, and Hollywood glam.

Roller curtains are very easy to make if you know how to use a sewing machine. Blinds are often available in a limited number of materials and types, as well as solely in solid colors; their simplicity makes them more suitable for the contemporary aesthetic of Scandinavian, industrial, and coastal interior styles.

Wrapping It Up

Install both roller curtains and roller blinds to get the advantages of both. Curtains in low-moisture locations where mold isn't a concern, such as living rooms and bedrooms, may help you optimize your design choices, insulation, and soundproofing.

Install blinds in high-moisture areas, such as the kitchen or master bath, where mold development is a concern for a long-lasting, easy-to-clean window treatment with a high degree of illumination control. 

Installing blinds first, then hanging curtains on a rod, you may even stack the two treatments in a single room to increase seclusion and create a more intimate ambiance.