The Pros and Cons of Panel Track Blinds

Who could have guessed, all those centuries ago in Japan, when the Venetian blind was invented, that it would one day evolve into the panel track blind? The good, old standard drapes, Venetian blind, and the modern vertical blind are all popular as window treatments in many homes today. Well, now they have a new rival to contend with, the panel track.

Drapes are nice, many people love them. But, they collect dust and have to be taken down and cleaned. Tiresome and messy, and expensive if the window area is quite large. Standard Venetian blinds are good, for the average window. But, very high windows or ones with a wide area are often best served by some sort of vertical blind. When a Venetian blind has to cover an especially large area, the vanes tend to bend over time. Verticals give privacy and excellent protection from the harsh midday sun, and allow the homeowner to block off as much or as little sunlight as they want. Yet, they do have their drawbacks. As they are free swinging, they move and sway whenever the blind is opened or closed. And, if the window is opened, they will shudder and sway in the least little breeze. Now, for some people, that is not a big deal. Others, of the more, shall we say, high-stress personality, tend to get irritated at the constant tap-tap-slap of the vanes.

This is where panel track blinds really shine. They have all of the pluses of vertical blinds, yet none of the minuses. They track insures that they stay in place, moving in unison without risk of them breaking due to too much swinging. As they come in a wide variety of colors, materials and styles, they will look good in just about any room of the average home. Some models can be bought in fabric, yarns, solid wood, bamboo and even woven wood. If a couple wants to add a touch of class to a dining room, they can find what they want. Dress up a sloppy looking family room or laundry, it can be done. As the panels can be covered with vinyl, moisture is not an issue. The blinds can go in the average bathroom as well as the kitchen.

  • Ann P says:

    I would like the track and hardware to make my own panels…where and how much?

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