It is often said that life is a circle and that what goes around comes around and wood blinds are not different in their journey throughout history. From the times of America's early settlers to the days of moon exploration and including all historic eras in between, the need to fashionably cover windows has always been ever present. Even as we watch old fashioned movies where the atmosphere was filled with suspense, beautiful ladies and daring men, the wood blind seemed to always be just around the corner performing its ever welcome function of controlling the incoming exterior light while at the same time providing the desired privacy and adding a touch of specific decor to the ambience.
As the world's population grew and humans demanded technological advances in all fields, man saw an opportunity to not only create new demands for new products but also a way to increase their personal riches thus improving the quality of life for those with a little ingenuity. Those who decided that light control and privacy were issues which affected us all began to improve on the then available forms of window treatment in order to achieve success over others in the same field. There is strong evidence that this competitive process started early on dating back to the days pharaohs and perhaps much earlier.
The early horizontal wood blinds were relatively archaic whenever compared to their modern cousins, especially in the way they operate as they originally lacked the features and benefits found in the market today. Its present ability to raise, lower and tilt to a desired position in order to achieve a certain appearance or precisely control the amount of light and/or privacy is due to the development of unique components which were not incorporated until years of evolution.
Technological advances in all fields of human evolutionary process have also positively affected the functionality of wood blinds. The operational capabilities of wood blinds have superbly improved over time specially in the last twenty years with the use of components such as cord tilters instead of wands which allow the end user to simply pull on a cord and tilt the blind at a very specific angle to meet the needs of particular moments. The same can be said regarding the lifting mechanisms which are now an integral part of all wood blinds. The so called cord locks also allow for precise and effortless lowering and raising of blinds in addition to the selection of an exact height point.
As an example of the aforementioned, the modern cord locks now incorporated as an integral part in most wood blinds has completely eliminated the need to tie the cord to an unsightly cleat or any other type of tie down mechanism thus improving the decorative look wood blinds.
In addition to the previously mentioned technological advances in wood blind components, the evolutionary process continues on as competition within the window treatment industry marches on in search for the acceptance of one product over others. One recent development in the horizontal wood blind product line is the ability to perform all the functions of lifting, raising and tilting with a single continuous cord which in addition to adding to the aesthetics of the wood blind in a very pleasing and welcome way, it eases the manual operation of the product to a single pulling action on the part of the user. This is another example of a technological advance as part of the natural evolutionary process.
In addition to the advances in components that have modernized the wood blind over time, the availability of specially milled and treated wood deserves a special recognition as a major contributor to the popularity of the modern wood blind. The fabrication process of the wood slat for window treatment purposes is another fine demonstration of the advancement this industry has experience in the recent past. The precision methods used in the fabrication of the wood slat and the use of specially designed paints and stains which resist the tormenting effect of UV rays from the sun, have expanded the acceptance of the wood blind as a product of choice and its use in all types of weather and settings.
Part of the evolutionary process was the use of aluminum slats for horizontal blinds and the consideration of some of the benefits that the use of aluminum may offer such as lighter weight, resistance to discoloration, warpage, etc. However, it became obvious that the aluminum blind did not offer the aesthetic advantage so much desired by the consumer and aluminum also had the tendency to absorb the sun's radiant heat and transfer it into the room. Also aluminum slats can be easily bent or damaged. However, a certain demand does exist for the aluminum horizontal blind and therefore it is available.
In summary, the modern horizontal wood blind is a product packed with technological advances achieved over a long period of time that transcends of eras and adds a unique and complimentary look to almost any setting.
Autor: Judith Persit Judith Persit
Level: Platinum
Judith Persit has only been writing professionally for a few years. However, she is a real expert when it comes to home decor and the ... ...
Wood blinds are modern and attractive. To learn more about wood blinds, make a visit to the store on the web where Judith Persit is an qualified interior decorator. There, you can learn about many kinds of blinds available at her website.
Added: March 5, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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