You won’t notice how something as trivial as blinds can affect your daily life until you have to live in an apartment with subpar blinds. Not to mention all of the health issues which can be caused by the low quality of the blinds. For example, PVC blinds include dangerous chemical additives. These blinds start to break down when exposed to heat and sunlight. While we might not notice, these toxins are dangerous when inhaled. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is harmful to human health and can cause cancer.
Another thing you should make sure is that the blinds are lead-free. Even short term exposure to lead can cause health problems, so it is best to avoid it altogether. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, lead can damage the nervous system of babies. Buying mold and mildew resistant blinds is also a must. There is a lot of condensation in the area around the window, which makes blinds the perfect objects for mold and mildew to grow on. Exposure to mold can cause lung infections, eye irritation, throat irritation, skin irritation, and coughing.
The quality of the material the blinds are made of is something we cannot compromise on as it can negatively affect our health. Every other feature is extra or a matter of preference. After you have found high-quality blinds, you can follow the tips below on how to choose the perfect double roller blind for you!
Blinds that block sunlight
Natural sunlight has a big effect on my sleep cycle. When those early morning rays enter my room I always wake up. It is pretty hard to ignore them and putting a pillow on my head doesn’t help. Though it is nice to wake up when the sun rises, sometimes I just want to sleep in and get my much-needed rest. I have tried using a sleeping mask but I find it very uncomfortable and cannot fall asleep while wearing it.
I also don’t like curtains because they gather a lot of dust and need to be washed frequently. Due to their size, I have to wash them separately and then deal with drying them and putting them up again. Installing blinds that block sunlight completely isn’t a viable option, because I won’t have any privacy when the blinds are up.
So, the natural solution was to purchase a customizable double roller blind which completely blocks the sun rays. One of the layers of the blinds completely blocks the sunlight from entering my room so that it doesn’t disrupt my sleep cycle. This way, I can sleep in after staying up all night without that natural alarm clock waking me up. I appreciate this feature the most when I am jet-lagged. The other layer is transparent so that I am not totally deprived of daylight.
Light filtering blinds
Of course, we cannot do without natural sunlight completely. Having a room that is always too dark has a lot of disadvantages. Firstly, you cannot do any work around the house when it is hard to see. You can also forget reading in your favorite armchair by the window. Secondly, think about the total waste of electricity. In rooms with no natural sunlight, we find ourselves constantly switching on all of the lights so that we don’t strain our eyes. Turning on the lamps during the daytime is extremely wasteful.
Having no blinds during the day sort of makes me uncomfortable. I appreciate my privacy and want to be able to relax at home. When the blinds are rolled up, I always feel self-conscious and like I am on some sort of display. The advantages of a blind that filters light, yet still offers privacy are enormous. With a double roller blind, you can have the best of both worlds – a blind that blocks out sunlight when you don’t need it and a blind that provides enough natural sunlight during the day.
Blinds that offer UV protection
It doesn’t always seem obvious, but UV rays can damage your skin even when you’re not directly exposed to them. You shouldn’t forget about sun protection indoors and you should take precautions to protect yourself.
There are two types of UV rays:
UVA rays – which cause skin ageing and wrinkling.
UVB rays – which cause sunburns and skin discoloration.
Most windows block a significant amount of UVB rays, however, UVA rays can still reach us inside. With prolonged exposure to sunlight, we increase our chances of skin cancer. Besides damaging our skin, UV rays can also damage our eyesight. So, it is vital to do the most we can in terms of protection. Wearing sunglasses and a sunhat inside is absurd. And since windows are the only way these harmful radiations can reach us inside, it is beneficial to our health to cover them up. We can’t be expected to sacrifice natural light altogether using blackout blinds all day long. We can however, take the time to find a double roller blind that offers UV protection. Truly a worthwhile investment.
