A Good Idea: Window Screen Labels

Today is officially the first day of summer (finally!!!), so it is time to talk about summerizing your wood fantasy blinds and making the seasonal switch from storm windows to screens. One way to make it easier? Three words: window screen labels.

Use a label maker to make labels to identify which room and specific frame a screen or storm window fits. If you don’t have a label maker, simply jot down the information on a strip of painters’ tape with a permanent marker. Then, stick the labels to a top corner of each window or screen. How easy is that?

Check back for more ideas to make the most of the window treatments in your Brooklyn space, like what to do with a corner window, how to fix a torn window screen or how to clean your windows.

Personalize Your Window Blinds

Even if you have cheap window blinds in your Brooklyn apartment, you can still personalize them to show off your style, personality or interests.

Wrap a plain metal washer with colored twine or attach a screw eye to the top of an alphabet block. Then, use hot glue to attach a ribbon to a shell, bead or another object and thread the twine or ribbon through the screw eye or hold in the object and not the ends. Thread the knot through the grommet on the bottom of the window shades in your New York City space so a loop forms at back. Feed the attached object through the loop and pull to tighten. Note: you don’t need to form a loop if you are using ribbon or twine. Thread the strand through the grommet hole and tie in a large knot to secure. Voila! Attach everything from wooden block letters (your initial or spell something!) to found items.

How to Repair a Window Screen

Now that temperatures are rising, you’ll want to draw back your venetian blinds and open the windows! But what if your window screen is broken? Don’t fret, just read Fantasy Blinds’ how to guide for repairing window screens.

Although seriously ripped screens will need to be replaced, you can easily repair most small tears by filling holes in nylon or fiberglass screens with a few tiny drops if instant adhesive. If you have a metal screen, use epoxy. You can also pick up a patch kit at most home supply and hardware stores.

If you have to patch up a hole, make your own patch for nylon or fiberglass screens by cutting a patch that is just larger than the hole. Next, apply a thin layer of quick-drying glue and press it into place (use low-tack painter’s tape to hold the screen together as it dries to avoid sticky fingers!). Cut a piece of tape larger than the patch, tape it and let it dry. If you have a metal screen, cut a patch from a length of screening that is ½ inch larger all around than the hole to be patched. Trim the edges of the hole to make it neater and bend the teeth of the edges into right angles. Set the patch over the opening, ensuring the teeth penetrate the screen, turn the screen over, and bend teeth flat on the other side to lock in place.

Voila!

An Argument for Blinds

Sure, at verticalblinds4you.com blinds is our business, but that’s because of their many advantages!

• Blinds can be tailored to your taste. They come in metal, wood and vinyl in a variety of colors and finishes and the ladders (the nylon lift cords that run along both edges of the blind) can be fancied up with decorative tapes. You can even coordinate or contrast the tapes to the blind or the room’s color scheme.

• Horizontal blinds provide light control – the more slats per foot, the less light will leak through the blind. While they are more difficult to clean, some newer products feature a factory-applied antistatic-electricity treatment that prevents dust build up.

• Although vertical blinds are most commonly seen on sliding glass doors, they also work well with tall casement windows, bow windows or fixed-glass windows. Vertical blinds can even accent arch-top and angular windows. Their strong lines will add drama and height to any room.

• While cords from blinds used to be a safety issue, the loop design can be eliminated with a single-cord control. Wand controls are also available, but the ultimate way to prevent the hazards of accidents caused by cords is a remote-controlled blind with an automatic stop feature.

• Blinds aren’t just for windows! Hang them from the ceiling to have them act as a room separator.