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Commercial Printed Roller Shades

12/29/2014

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A Climbing Rec Center

Logo and Product Features on a Coffee Shop

A Verizon Store - Easy to Find

One of the cleanest most amazing ways to advertise what your store or restaurant is all about is by placing custom printing on your roller shades. They can provide both the advantage of sun control as well as helping your customers find you.

The custom printing on the roller shade also allows you roll the shades up and have a nice clean look for certain ambiance. Not everyone wants to stare at window painted advertising 24/7. By using custom printed roller shades, you can get very creative in what you communicate, and project a much more professional image.

We would love to help you with your custom printed roller shade project. Also, check out our online roller shade cost calculator - it will help you begin the process of budgeting for your project.

Merchandising in Style

Creating an Interior Ambiance

Announcing Your Open

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The History of the Roller Shade

12/22/2014

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Roller shades date back to the 'Scotch Holland Roller Blinds’ which originated in the early 1700s. They were made from Holland linen, which came from the Netherlands. The fabric was first produced in Glasgow, Scotland, by James Louis Robertson and John King, hence the name ‘Scotch Holland.’

Before being used to make roller shades, the durable Holland linen fabric was bleached, dyed and starched. It was then dried and pounded by solid wood bars. The whole production process lasted around ten days.

The first roller shade made from Scotch Holland linen did not have a spring mechanism. Instead, when the blind was closed, the fabric lay in folds on the window ledge. To open the blind, you had to pull on a cord which was attached to a top rod. To secure the open blind, you wound the cord around a cleat.

Scotch Holland roller blinds had a wooden batten at the top and a wooden bottom bar that was sewn into the fabric. The side hems were sewn by hand to stop them from fraying. Brass pins were fixed into each end of the wooden roller and the roller blind was fixed to the wall by means of small brass flanges. Scotch Holland fabric continued to be manufactured in Scotland using traditional methods until the 1980s.

The ‘spring roller window shade’ was invented in the USA in the 1800s. The original design was patented by the father, uncle and brother of Stewart Hartshorn, who, together with his father, started the Stewart Hartshorn Company. This company initially manufactured the ‘spring roller window shades’ in New York, moving production to East Newark, New Jersey in 1872.

In 1864, Stewart Hartshorn patented an improved design using a ratchet and gravity pawl. This spring roller window shade was the forerunner of today’s roller shades as it used a spring mechanism to allow fabric to be rolled up or down. The spring roller window shade became very popular in America and several other production plants were opened in the early twentieth century.

Meanwhile, in Victorian England, the ‘Tidmarsh Patent Action Spring Roller’ for roller shades was patented by the British company, Tidmarsh, in the 1880s. Today, the company still exists and uses the same mechanism for historically authentic roller blinds used in National Trust properties and other historic buildings.

Of course today. modern computerized and motorized options exist, but the roller shade still follows the basic premise of some type of fabric or material wrapped around a tube - no longer a wooden dowel but rather a hollow aluminum tube - (unless you buy something really cheap like a reinforced cardboard tube). They move up and down using a motor, spring, or cord loop and they have more design options - like fascia. The biggest innovations have been in fabrics and their ability to eliminate heat and glare while persevering your view.

See that, even the modern stuff has a history.

We would love to help you with your roller shade project, please check out our online roller shade cost calculator for a rough idea of what your project will cost.

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Understanding Shading Coefficients for Roller Shades

12/15/2014

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When making purchasing decisions about window coverings, in general, and roller shades, in particular, it is important to understand how window treatments and different fabrics are rated by testing labs. Here is a little inside baseball for picking a roller shade fabric.

We have what is called a shading coefficient (SC), which is a measure of how much heat a window and screen fabric let into a room. We also have a better measure called the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which is better because it measures more accurately how much heat is making it into the room through all parts of the complete window opening system - glass, frame assembly, plus fabric. It also accounts for heat that is absorbed and is either re-radiated into the room or convected away to the outside. (Side note - this is why mini blinds are so horrible - they are like radiators in your hot windows.)

So, as a consumer of solar roller shades, you must be sure you are comparing the proper coefficients when comparing vendors and fabrics. The SC measure will provide a better number, if compared to an SHCG measure, but may not be a better product. So, make sure you are comparing apples to apples, else you might not be getting the comparatively better product. Whichever measuring system you are considering, the lower the number, the better job your window and solar roller shade system will do controlling the heat. By being an informed consumer, you will be an empowered and ultimately happier consumer - which is our goal for you - whether you buy from us or not.

We would love to help you with your solar roller shade project. Please kindly spend some time with our online roller shade calculator for an idea of what your project may cost.

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Exterior Solar Roller Shades Make a Difference

12/8/2014

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The absolutely best way to make your patio or outdoor area more comfortable - against both cold and sun - is a solar roller shade. What is the point of sitting on a patio with outdoor curtains that block your view? You might as well stay inside your climate controlled house. The idea is to be outside and enjoy your garden and backyard area, by being able to see it without being uncomfortably cold, or else beaten by intense direct or indirect (glaring) sun. For outdoor people, the absolutely best solution is solar roller shades. Up and gone when you don't need them and protective of your comfort and view once deployed.

So, what should you think about before purchasing outdoor solar roller shades? Are they manufactured by a company that has rigorously tested them to withstand the extreme outdoor elements? Are they heavy duty and backed by a well run company? For us, these were important considerations, and why we choose to represent Insolroll in Arizona. They are not the most expensive and they are not the least expensive, but for us they have the highest standards for exterior standard and motorized solar roller shades.

What makes us better? Well:

Custom Sizes to 228″ Wide.
Broad Fabric Selection.
Commercial Grade Clutch with Metal Child-safe tension device.
Bungee hold-down system.
Stainless steel locking idler.
Welded fabric edges prevent fabric fraying.
Engineered to accommodate larger sizes.
Choice of side track or cable guide systems to provide greater stability in breezy conditions.
May include a fully enclosed headbox for greater product protection when retracted.
Crank or motorized option for operation available.

We would love to work with you on your outdoor roller shade project. We have lots of different ways to make it unique, functional and beautiful. Please check out our online exterior roller shade calculator for a rough idea of what your project might cost.

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Dual Roller Shade Options

12/1/2014

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We have done several jobs utilizing a dual roller shade option. In our case, these were done in commercial applications where the building had very deep sill depths. So what is a dual roller shade option. Basically, it is putting two roller shades in the same window. This is particularly useful for those applications that prefer a solar shade during certain times with the ability to darken the room and provide privacy at other times.

The dual shade will generally have a black-out roller shade behind a solar roller shade. We have a few options for this. Depending on the window size, we can either mount 2ea 3" or 4" fascia brackets side by side. This means we will need a sill depth of 6" or more to contain the blinds inside the sill - although we have a little room to mount beyond the sill at the top and still create a nice look.

Another option, includes using a special 5 1/2" bracket that allows for a slightly staggered exposed roller shade installation, but does not come with a fascia option.

In one project, we mounted a black out shade with side panels behind a solar shade in a large conference room window. They lowered the black-out shade for presentations and raised it for beautiful views and light during other times.

In yet another project, we mounted black-out shades behind solar shades, so that during particularly hot Arizona afternoons the client could completely block the sun and heat from their offices. At other times they were able to brighten up the office with nice light, views and no glare.

This option can be motorized, if your budget permits. We would love to work with you on your project. Also, check out our online roller shade estimating calculator for an ideas as to the cost of your project.

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Commercial Printed Roller Shades

The History of the Roller Shade

Understanding Shading Coefficients for Roller Shades

Exterior Solar Roller Shades Make a Difference

Dual Roller Shade Options

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