Manufacturers are Becoming Safer With Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, newly manufactured stock window treatments should be cord-free or have compact, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst welcomes this decision, as it comes after negotiations between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and encompasses any pre-manufactured window coverings. Notice that these regulations don’t recall corded window treatments, but, some people in Denver have used the regulations as an opportunity to change out their old window coverings.

 

What Are The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

In the past few decades, cords on window treatments have been deemed one of the Top 5 Hidden Hazards In The Home by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Toddlers and infants can get entangled in the cords, leading to injury or strangulation, with a report finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries during a fifteen-year period. Extra cord safety products, such as cord shorteners and locks, attempted to solve the problem, but families did not install them as manufacturers anticipated.

What Do The Safety Regulations Cover?

Every stock (ready-made) window treatment available in stores or online should now be cordless or have inaccessible cords. This involves over 80% of all window covering products purchased in America and Canada. Custom-built window treatments don’t have the same constraints; however, cords can only hang down to 40% the length of the covering and must default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These standards only affect window treatments constructed after December 19, 2018, and previously made shades and blinds have not been recalled.

What Are Your Choices Regarding Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new standards, consumers are now looking at the entire range of safer choices when acquiring or replacing their corded coverings. Luckily, there are many products that are cordless, such as:

• Plantation Shutters: These fashionable window treatments cover the window with thick louvers and usually open by a center tilt-rod. Plantation Shutters have been know as the sturdiest window treatment and are manufactured with either natural wood or a faux wood composite that won’t warp, crack, splinter, or chip. Plantation shutters have never worked with a cord, so this product has always been known for safety.

• Barn Door Shutters: Instead of raising up and down using a cord or tilt rod, barn door shutters attach to a track over the window frame and slide apart sideways. You can open your barn doors a bit to have some light peek in, or slide them completely apart for a statement piece.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some window treatments have modified their mechanics to employ inaccessible cords that shouldn’t pose a hazard. Other treatments operate by motors, which manipulate coverings without touching the treatment. Different shades are set to their desired height by operating the bottom bar. These treatments come in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns, and are offered in a variety of semi-translucent options that can look like of sheer draperies.
  

Call Sunburst To Help You Cut The Cord On Your Shades and Blinds

If you want to change out those corded shades and blinds with a safer option, your Denver Sunburst representative is here to help. We have a vast selection of cordless window treatments, and we can guide you in finding one that looks great in your windows. Book your free in-home consultation by calling 720-538-0182 today.