Hi all,
I’m new to the forum. We’re having a new house built and my wife likes the idea of windows with blinds or shades in between the glass. Since I’m the one who cleans blinds, I sorta like the idea too. What is your experience with these. Are they worth the extra cost? Do they hold up? What brands do you like? (I know Pella makes these, but have seen negative comments on Pella and their warranty responses.) Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Replies
This is the first place I've heard of issues with Pella. They have a long reputation in New England for quality and reliability.
You don't say where you're building, but I would suggest their true thermopane windows with the extra removable glazing panel to contain the shades. Otherwise you're likely to get condensation between the panes.
Whether they're worth the extra cost is a purely subjective decision. You don't get any extra quality over their lower priced ProLine, just extra features. I've always used the Proline aluminum-clad wood window, LowE argon double glazed.
Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Of all things - we bought a cheap steel door at HD for our back door to the yard and it had the blinds between the glass. It's about 6 years old and the blinds still work great.
We are building a new house and looked in to all the brands of windows. I would stay away from Pella. They aren't what they use to be. We went with Marvin Integrity but I don't know if they offer the blinds or not.
Many thanks to each of you who took the time to reply. We may just go with good quality windows and not worry about built in blinds.
You are most welcome.
wal..... i know a couple dealers.. and lot's of installers..
no one has been able to tell me of any blinds-between-glass that last... they all fail
nice concept... just bad application...
the "grills-between-glass" is a proven technology with a long track record
but the blinds have never proven to be reliable
If you find a good carpenter maybe he could design/build a custom enclosed set up to windows you choose.
My brother put in a Pella french door with the built-in blinds probably ten years or more ago, it still looks good and works fine.
Eventually the motion of the blinds causes fraying. The dust settles on the inside of the panes. It takes a while to build up.
Types of window shutters which can be useful to you :
Full height shutters
Full height shutters are a type of shutter that meets the needs of all kinds of window styles. It covers the entire window pane and prevents the incoming light, adverse weather conditions and provides optimum insulation conditions as well. Moreover, the privacy protection is also guaranteed when you install the full height shutters on the windows of your house.
Plantation shutters
Plantation shutters are shutters are so much more than just levying a beautiful outlook of the window design. They are a blend of modernization and traditional approach when it comes to window shutter installation. The shutter shields protect us from the scorching heat of the sun, wintry weather conditions, stormy rains, annoying noise from the neighbours and also from any other disturbing elements outside. As because these shutters are solid and strong enough to keep these things at bay and this is a better option for the private people to install in their windows.
Tier-on-tier shutters
As is evident by the name, this type of shutter is made up of two-tier shutter panels that fit in a way that one shutter sits over the other. This kind of fittings of the window shutters helps in regulating the control of the shutters in a way you want it to regulate. You can either open it from the top or from the bottom; you can also open them together as is required in certain conditions.
Solid shutters
The solid shutters are made of wood panels which are entirely solid, which means they are free from any kind of slats or louvres. The benefits of this type of shutter are that it helps in preventing the excess light from coming inside the house, which, in turn, provides a better insulation to the house on cold days.
Café style shutters
Best suited for protecting the privacy of the house which is overlooked by strangers outside, the café style shutter is built in a way that it only covers the bottom part of the window. The upper part does not contain shutter panels, instead, they are made of a different kind of material other than the shutters, like glass, wood or anything for that matter. Though the privacy is maintained well through this type of shutter, the outlook of the window design also enhances a bit more in this shutter design.
Bay window shutters
The bay window shutters fit the house of every kind, whether period or modern! If you are in fond of letting the natural light get into your house then this is the ideal option to choose from. Also, it shells out a better visual outlook of the window and has a better sense of the use of the window space. They are easy to install and so, the installation expenses are also cut down to lower levels.
Wooden shutters
The most traditional and aesthetic form of shutters amongst all the types is the wooden shutter. It carries with it an aesthetically driven value that cannot be compelled with the modern shutter types. The materials used in making window shutters are diverse and is not only limited to fine wood only. For example, redwood, pine, cedar are some of the materials that are used in making the wooden shutters. Mainly used in the exterior designing of the window, they do not have to purposely be of the wooden shaped and coloured; they can be moulded into any shape and painted according to the liking of the clients.
There are different types of window shutters which can help you:
Full height shutters
Full height shutters are a type of shutter that meets the needs of all kinds of window styles. It covers the entire window pane and prevents the incoming light, adverse weather conditions and provides optimum insulation conditions as well. Moreover, the privacy protection is also guaranteed when you install the full height shutters on the windows of your house.
Plantation shutters
Plantation shutters are shutters are so much more than just levying a beautiful outlook of the window design. They are a blend of modernization and traditional approach when it comes to window shutter installation. The shutter shields protect us from the scorching heat of the sun, wintry weather conditions, stormy rains, annoying noise from the neighbours and also from any other disturbing elements outside. As because these shutters are solid and strong enough to keep these things at bay and this is a better option for the private people to install in their windows.
Tier-on-tier shutters
As is evident by the name, this type of shutter is made up of two-tier shutter panels that fit in a way that one shutter sits over the other. This kind of fittings of the window shutters helps in regulating the control of the shutters in a way you want it to regulate. You can either open it from the top or from the bottom; you can also open them together as is required in certain conditions.
Solid shutters
The solid shutters are made of wood panels which are entirely solid, which means they are free from any kind of slats or louvres. The benefits of this type of shutter are that it helps in preventing the excess light from coming inside the house, which, in turn, provides a better insulation to the house on cold days.
Café style shutters
Best suited for protecting the privacy of the house which is overlooked by strangers outside, the café style shutter is built in a way that it only covers the bottom part of the window. The upper part does not contain shutter panels, instead, they are made of a different kind of material other than the shutters, like glass, wood or anything for that matter. Though the privacy is maintained well through this type of shutter, the outlook of the window design also enhances a bit more in this shutter design.
Bay window shutters
The bay window shutters fit the house of every kind, whether period or modern! If you are in fond of letting the natural light get into your house then this is the ideal option to choose from. Also, it shells out a better visual outlook of the window and has a better sense of the use of the window space. They are easy to install and so, the installation expenses are also cut down to lower levels.
Wooden shutters
The most traditional and aesthetic form of shutters amongst all the types is the wooden shutter. It carries with it an aesthetically driven value that cannot be compelled with the modern shutter types. The materials used in making window shutters are diverse and is not only limited to fine wood only. For example, redwood, pine, cedar are some of the materials that are used in making the wooden shutters. Mainly used in the exterior designing of the window, they do not have to purposely be of the wooden shaped and coloured; they can be moulded into any shape and painted according to the liking of the clients.
Window shutters are installed for serving us so many purposes and helping us in increasing the protection of our houses. If we don’t choose the window shutters properly then it can cause us more harm than benefits.