Manufacturers are Becoming Safer With Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, all newly manufactured stock window treatments should be cordless or have short, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst applauds this decision, as it comes after discussions between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and covers any pre-manufactured window coverings. And while the new safety standards don’t recall corded blinds or shades, many in Boston have viewed the regulations as a chance to install a safer option.

 

Why The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

In the past few decades, corded 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 tangled up in the cords, leading to injury or strangulation, with a study finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries over a fifteen-year period. Independent cord safety products, like cord shorteners and fasteners, attempted to alleviate the hazard, but people did not use them as manufacturers expected.

What Do The New Requirements Cover?

Every stock (ready-made) window treatment sold in stores or online needs to now be cord-free or have inaccessible cords. This accounts for over 80% of all window covering products sold in America and Canada. Custom-made coverings do not have the same requirements; however, cords can only be 40% the length of the covering and must default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These requirements only affect window coverings constructed after December 19, 2018, and previously made coverings have not been recalled.

What Are Your Choices Regarding Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new standards, families are now seeking different cordless choices when purchasing or replacing their window treatments. Check out a few window treatments that don’t use cords:

• Plantation Shutters: These family-friendly treatments cover the window with large louvers and usually employ a center tilt-rod. Shutters can be seen as the sturdiest window covering option and are made 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 these treatments have always been considered child-safe.

• Barn Door Shutters: Instead of opening up and down using a cord or tilt rod, barn door window treatments attach to a track above the window frame and slide apart sideways. You can open your barn doors a little to have some light peek in, or open them all the way apart for a statement piece.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some shades and blinds have altered their designs to employ inaccessible cords that don’t pose a hazard. Others employ motors, which manipulate treatments by remotes or voice commands. Different shades simply raise or lower to their desired height by lifting the bottom bar. These shades come in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns, and are offered in many semi-translucent fabrics that give you the feel of sheer draperies.
  

Let Sunburst Help You Cut The Cord On Your Shades and Blinds

If you want to replace your corded hazards with a more child-friendly choice, your Boston Sunburst representative can help. We will show you many cordless window treatments, and we can guide you in finding one that works best for your rooms. Book your no cost in-home consultation by calling 781-352-2205 now.