Glossary of Common Window Covering Terms

cloth tapes
An option available to horizontal blinds, cloth tapes can be used in place of
standard string ladders. These increase privacy and allow less light through
when closed.

cord
A string that you pull on to control the tilt. Lift cord normally on the right and

Tilt cord on the left side

cord cleat
A cord cleat is a small bracket which screws to the wall near the headrail and
allows the cord to be hung up on it, preventing children and pets from
becoming entangled in dangling cord.

extension brackets
Extension Brackets are metal pieces that are used in installing blinds that need
to be extended out over the sill (usually over 1/2"). These are only needed for
outside mounts.

headrail
The hardware on the very top of the blind where the tracks are
located. To a great extent, the headrail's quality determines the blind's durability.

height
Measure the height (top to bottom) inside the window opening at the left,
center and right. Then take the longest measurement.

hold downs
Brackets used to hold the bottom rail of a blind or shade in place in its fully
lowered position. Primarily used for doors to keep the blind or shade from
swinging.

inside mount
An inside mount fits within the window frame. To measure on inside mounts
do not add any width to reduce the side light gaps. The inside mount
deductions are taken for operating clearance. Without these deductions your
blind/shade may not fit or operate correctly. For more information, go to our
Measuring Guide

ladder
Standard ladders are thin cords that are threaded through each slat. In some cases, you may be able to substitute a cloth tape for a ladder.

mount
An inside mount fits within the window frame, an outside mount overlaps the
window opening. For more information, go to our Measuring Guide Page.

no holes or routeless blinds
This feature prevents any light from sneaking in through the slats as the cord
is not routed through them, but over them. This prevents light spots and
allows for total privacy.

one on one headrail
This is the default option for all blinds and shades, which means that the blind
or shade is the same width as the headrail. Size constraints may force some
products to be split as 2 or 3 on one headrail.

outside mount
An outside mount overlaps the window opening. For more information, go to
our Measuring Guide

routed
The cord is routed through the slats.

routless
This feature reduces light leakage by eliminating the traditional rout hole through the center of the slat and replaces it with a notch on the side of each slat
through which the cording controlling the tilting and lifting of the blind runs.

slats
The strips of wood, fauxwood, PVC, etc, that make up the blind.

tilt
The control, usually a cord or a wand, that tilts the slats of a blind open and closed.

two or more blinds on one headrail
Provides the flexibility of raising one blind while keeping the other lowered on extra wide windows, such as patio doors. This option is usually only available
up to a total maximum width (the total length of the headrail), often around 96”.

valance
This covers the headrail from the outside, and generally matches the color of
the blinds. Valances can be made of wood, fauxwood, or vinyl.

wand
A long plastic cylinder that you twist.

width
The horizontal measurement of your blind, taken to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. For measuring instructions, click here.

basswood

A hardwood from a bass tree, typically grown in North America or China . Basswood is a high quality wood due to its resistance to warping.

blackout

Blackout fabrics and liners, blocks up to 99% of outside light. Blackout is the best choice for bedrooms, children's rooms, and media rooms. Also called "blockout."

cellular shade

Fabric shades that uses air pockets to maximize energy efficiency; insulating against heat, cold, and sound. Also called "honeycomb shades.

continuous cord loop

A window treatment mechanism that uses a pulley system to rotate a clutch that raises or lowers a shade. The looped cord stays at the same length regardless of the position of the shade.

cordless

A window treatment mechanism that eliminates the lift cord for effortless raising and lowering of blinds and shades by pushing or pulling the bottom rail. Provides a less cluttered look and is a safe alternative for households with small children and pets.

motorization

Battery or AC powered option for raising or tilting blinds and shades. Motorized tilt options rotate the slats of a horizontal shade open or closed for light and privacy control at the touch of a button. Motorized lift options raise or lower the entire shade. Motorization offers convenience and ease of operation for almost any window application and is especially useful for hard to reach or large windows.

remote control

When a motorized lift or tilt option is selected, a remote control is necessary to operate the blind. One remote control will operate multiple blinds; if ordering more than one motorized blind, you can choose to order only one remote control for all of the blinds in a room.

top down:

A shade option that opens from the top down instead from the bottom up. When completely open, the fabric stacks at the bottom of the window.

top down/bottom up

A versatile shade option that opens from the top down and from the bottom up. Uses a set of lift cords to open either from the top down or from the bottom up, or both at the same time. This option is very good for protecting your privacy while still allowing light in