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Wood Or Faux Wood Blinds? 3 Observations Before Making Your Final Buying Evaluation

15 April 2016 by Felecia Banks

If you're in the market to buy blinds for your home, then wood or faux wood blinds are ideal because of their ability to match any decorative style in your home. While deciding between faux wood and wood is a matter of personal taste, certain external factors may influence your decision. This guide is designed to help you with certain considerations before making your final buying evaluation between wood and faux wood blinds.

Humidity Level Around Your Home 

If you live in a coastal part of Australia with high levels of humidity, then this factor will play an important role in your buying decision. Natural wood responds to humidity by swelling as it absorbs moisture and shrinking as it releases this moisture, causing the wood slats to expand and contract at different periods. Faux wood blinds look like natural wood, but are made from materials like vinyl or PVC. These materials do not react to moisture and humidity in the same way as natural wood, so generally remain unaffected in high humidity conditions. This makes them ideal for your home when humidity is an influential factor.

Maintenance Needs Based On Your Comfort

Many homeowners like the idea of maintenance free solutions, while others don't mind doing a little extra maintenance work when it comes to blinds. If you fall in the former category, then faux wood blinds are ideal because you can use any type of cleaning product without worrying about damaging the natural grain of wood. If you don't mind making the added effort, then you will need to carefully clean wood blinds with damp cloths and special timber cleaners to avoid warping real wood. This takes more effort, but the results are well worth it when you achieve the natural warmth brought forth by real wood in your home.

Aesthetic Value

If your biggest concern is appearance, then nothing compares to real wood blinds because of their natural, warm and inviting appeal. Many homeowners like the idea of real wood because of the refinement and sophistication they bring to windows with their gorgeous texture and unique grain detailing. But modern faux wood blinds are made from high-quality materials today, which are built to perfectly simulate the look of real good without the added maintenance involved. While these may be slightly more expensive, they are able to replicate the natural wood appearance flawlessly, making them an ideal choice for homeowners who want the aesthetic value of real blinds without the maintenance.

Make sure you take these observations into account when evaluating between wood and faux wood blinds for your home.

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