Glossary

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A

Auto Wand

A control option on vertical blinds that provides a wand to both rotate and traverse the vanes from left to right or vice versa; elimates dangling cords and chains for added

B

BackStacker™

Feature available with Perceptions and Vertical blinds that stacks the vanes on the outside edge of the window as the vanes are traveresed; emulates the flow of the drapery.

Blackout

Ability of a blind or shade to completely block light.

Bottom Hem

The finished edge at the bottom of a drapery or shade.

Bottomrail

A steel or weighted rail placed at the bottom of a blind or shade in order to provide a leveling surface as well as tension.

Bottom Up

A shade that is mounted at the bottom of the window and the cord draws the shade upward.

C

Café Rod

A small, round decorative rod that is used to mount tab-top curtains.

Cathedral Top

A shade that is cut into an arch shape.

Cell Size

The length between pleats on a honeycomb-shaped on a cellular shade; 7/16", 9/16", 3/4" and DoubleCell.

Cellular Fabric

Fabric that is shaped, if viewed from the side, like a honeycomb. The cells come in 4 sizes 7/16”, 9/16” and ¾ ” and DoubleCell.

Center Stack

Stack option on vertical blinds where all vanes come togiether in the middle of the blind when opened.

Center Support

Bracket placed between installation brackets to give extra support on wider blinds.

Classic Valance

A wood fascia at the top of a woven wood shade that conceals the operation mechanism and coordinates with other wood trim in the home.

Clearance

Distance between the wall and the inside of the rod.

Continuous Cordloop

Continuous loop of cord for raising and lowering blinds or shades; maintains a uniform length of cord hanging from the blind.

Controls

The cords or wand that raise/lower or open/close the shade. For custom product, specify the position (left or right) of these cords and/or wand.

Cord Cleat

A plastic or metal hook that attaches to the wall to wrap the excess cord around.

Cordless

Spring motor activation option allowing the shade to be raised or lowered with a push or pull on the bottomrail, eliminating tradditional operation cords.

Cordloop

Continuous loop of cord for raising and lowering blinds or shades; maintains a uniform length of cord hanging from the blind.

Cord Tilter

A tilter that operates with a set of cords on a pulley as opposed to a wand.

Cornice

A shallow, box-like structure with mitered corners made of premium hardwood, which is fastened across the top of the window.

Cutouts

Many custom shades can be ordered with a cut out to accommodate an existing and permanent obtrusion such as an air conditioning unit.

D

Day/Night

Two fabrics combined in one shade, allowing light-filtering fabric during the day, and blackout fabric for evenings. Exclusive to Custom Cellular Shades.

Diameter

Commonly used to describe the width of a drapery hardware rod: 3/4", 1", 2".

Double Cell

Cellular fabric formed to create two layers of cells on custom cellular shades to offer a richer, fuller look while adding additional insulating value.

Double Slat Blinds

A metal blind with two slats on each ladder rung. On top, a color to coordinate with the room, on the bottom, a neutral white to face outside.

DustGuard

A patented paint process that reduces dust build up by more than 50%.

E

Extension Brackets

Bracket that extend the blind or rod away from the wall.

F

Fabric Twill Tapes

Fabric that accents a blind by concealed the ladder cords on a blind.

Factory Deduction

For custom blinds and shades measured to be mounted inside the window frame (IM), the factory deducts a fraction of a window's measurements to allow for additional space to hang and operate the shade.

Fanned Angle Top/Angle Bottom

Available with cellular shades, a fanned angle top/angle bottom is a specialty shape requiring a template to order. A window requiring this type of shade is square in shape with an additional triangle shape on the top or bottom of the window. To accommodate this type of window, material is fanned outwards from the corner of the angle to completely cover the window.

Faux

PVC material that resists warping and fading, ideal for high moisture areas.Faux is primarily used to describe a type of wood used in our Wood Collection.

Finished Edge

Decorative fabric accent on Woven Wood shades available in both decorative and solid colors and patterns.

Flush Mount

To create a flush mount, blinds and shades are mounted inside the window frame so they do not extend beyond the surface of the window.

Freehanging Vanes

Vanes that have a sewn in weight at the bottom and do not have a groover backing.

G

Gauge

The thickness of a slat typically used to describe the thickness of a metal blind's slat. The higher the gauge, the thicker the slat.

Groover

Option for vertical fabric vanes that provides a vinyl backing for increased durability and rigidity of the vanes.

H

Headrail

Top channel of the blind, all functional hardware is located within this piece.

Hold Down Brackets

Used mainly for door mounts, these brackets secure the bottomrail of a shade to the door to keep the blind in place.

I

Inside Mount

This is an installation type in which blinds are mounted inside a window frame. This measure type requires the manufacturer to make the blind smaller than the ordered width.

L

Ladders

Strings that are used to support the slats on all horizontal blinds as well as aid in the tilting of the slats.

Lift Weight

The amount of forced needed to raise or lower a blind which is determined by the weight of the product.

Light Filtering

A 'light filtering' shade gently filters light but does not completely block light.

LightMaster™

Tradditional cord holes going through the center of the slat are moved to the outer edges to eliminate light seeping through when blinds are closed.

Liners

White cloth material applied to the back of a shade to provide privacy and added energy conservation.

M

Max View

Wood Blind collection consisting of 2 1/2" and 3" wide slat that offers a greater field of view when the blind are open.

Middlerail

A second bottomrail, used in the middle of the shade, on shades with duo-fold and day/night options.

Mitered Corners

Option on wood valances where the corners are cut at a 45 degree angle to adhere to each other. Ideal for two blinds used in a corner application.

Mounting Brackets

Hardware used to mount a blind to a wall, ceiling or window frame.

Multi-Color Striping

Striping allows you to add more color to the room decor by alternating colors within one blind; available on wood and metal blinds.

Multiple Blinds

A horizontal blind constructed with 2 or more operating units on one headrail that typically operate indepedently of one another.

N

Neutral Backing

A backing for cellular shades that provides a uniform exterior view.

Non-Woven Material

Cellular material created by fibers held togiether by interlocking or bonding methods.

NuWood™ (composite)

Wood Blind collection made of composite material that provides the look and warmth of wood blinds with the performance of advanced materials and technology.

O

One Way Draw

Vanes or material stacked either all to the left or all to the right on a vertical blind or traverse rod.

Opacity Level

The amount of light or privacy the shade allows; the higher the opacity, the more privacy provided.

Outside Mount

This is an installation type in which blinds are mounted in front of the window, either on the molding or the wall. This measure type will be made exactly to the ordered width.

P

Privacy

A feature to enhance the light blocking ability of a product.

Privacy Level

An indication of a blind's privacy level from sheer to opaque.

Projection

Refers to a jutting out, an extension. On a curtain or drapery rod, it is the distance between the wall and the front of the rod.

R

Radius Corners

An option on wood blinds for curved, smooth corners on the slats.

Return

Material that attaches to both ends of the valance to cover the ends of the headrail when viewed from the side.

Reverse Stack

Stack option on vertical blinds where all vanes stack to the opposite side from the controls.

Rod Pockets

Hollow sleeve in the top treatment through which a rod is inserted.

Roman Valance

On woven wood shades, a Roman Valance is created using six inches of fabric, in the same pattern of the shade, to conceal the operation mechanism at the top of the shade.

Room Darkening

An added option that completely blocks light.

S

Sash Rod

A small rod, either decorative or plain, usually mounted inside a window frame on the sash.

Scallops (basic)

Basic scallops are designs on natural shade valances that are cut out of the material to a depth of approximately 3 inches. Trim is applied along the edges where the pattern has been cut into the valance.

Scallops (elevated)

Patterns are created on top of natural shade valances to create a scalloped design.

Sewn in Weights

Flat metal weights sewn inside a hem at the bottom of a vertical fabric vane or drapery that allow the vanes to hang straight.

Sheerview

On aluminum blinds, Sheerview is a feature that allows you to see through a closed blind and delivers up to a 42% reduction in solar heat as compare to a fully openend blind.

Side Mount

This is a type of installation where the blind or shade’s brackets (and adaptor) are installed using the side of the window frame instead of the top of the frame or the back of the frame or wall.

Size in Store

Available with several Levolor stock blinds and shades at select locations, Size-in-Store brings the convenience of custom-sized product into the store while you wait.

Size Limitations

Some products, or product features, have a size limitation and cannot be created at extremely long or wide measurements.

Slats

Horizontal slats that create the body of the blind.

Specialty Shapes

Available with Cellular Shades and Aluminum blinds and includes Arch, 1/2 Arch, circle, Fanned Angle, hexagon, octagon, skylight, cutout and 2-on 1 headrail.

Split Stack

Stack option on vertical blinds where all vanes separate from the middle and stack evenly on the left and right sides of the blind when opened.

Stack

The position of the horizontal slats on a vertical shade when the blind is traversed. Available "stacks" inlcude One-Way (all vanes to same end as the controls), Split (equal division of vanes to the left and right), and Center (all vanes meet in the center).

Stack Height

Stack Height refers to the measurement of the raised shade, from the top of the headrail to the bottom of the bottomrail.

Streetside

The back side of a shade that faces the outside.

Striping

Option on aluminum blinds where multiple colors are used to make up the body of the blind

T

Tape

Decorative accents on wood and aluminum blinds that covers the ladder cords of a horizontal blind.

Tassel

Small piece that attaches to end of lift cords.

Template

For some specialty shapes, it is necessary to send a template of the window. A template is made by placing white wrapping paper over the opening and outlining the window with a pencil.

Three on One Headrail

Allows the flexibility of raising one or two blinds while keep the other(s) lowered on extra wide windows. Three blinds operate individually on one headrail.

Tiltone™ Colors

Tiltone colors in Aluminum blinds allows you to bring many of our colors to the interior of your room while providing a neutral appearance on the exterior of your home.

Top Down

Shade can only be lowered from the top.

Top Down/ Bottom Up

Shade that can be raised from the bottom and lowered from the top.

Traverse

To draw across.

Twill Tapes

Fabric that accents a blind by concelaing the ladder cords on a blind.

Two on One Headrail

Allows the flexibility of raising one blind while keeping the other lowered on extra wide window such as patio doors. Two blinds operate independently on one headrail.

V

Valance

Decorative treatment at the top of a blind that conceals the installation hardware and provides a decorative accent.

Vane

Vertical slats of material that make up the body of a vertical blind.

Vogue Valance

A vogue valance neatly locks slats in place and creates a color band at the top of a blind.

W

Wand

Rod that attaches to the tilter and by rotation can adjust the angle of the blind.

Wand Tilt

A wand is used to open or close the blind's slats instead of tradditional operation cords.

Woven Material

Fabric formed by interlaced yarns that allows for consistent coloration and texture of the material. This fabric provides a soft-hand, and appeals to both sight and touch - especially for Levolor Cellular Shades.