Shopping For Blinds: Check Child Safety First!
bwsit • October 18, 2017

October is the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Window Covering Safety Month.  Just Blinds, Inc.  joins with the  CPSC  and the The Window Covering Safety Council ( WCSC ) to help protect children from the dangers of window treatment cording. Considered a common hidden home hazard, this threat to children is found on older window treatments; treatments which are still on the market today. These deadly features include:

  • Accessible cords: Visible and reachable; these cords are usually on the outside of the window treatment.
  • Hidden cords: Although this cording is not immediately visible, children can access and become entangled.
  • Cords that form dangerous loops which can entangle children.

According to the CPSC, window treatment cords are a strangulation hazard for children. Even if the cords are not visible they can still be accessible to children. And it’s not just little children. Children up to the age of 9 years have been involved in incidents with window treatment cords. These typically silent incidents result in injuries that range from permanent, irreparable damage to strangulation death.

It is estimated that one child dies every month from strangulation due to a corded window treatment! 

The  American National Standard for Safety of Corded Window Covering Products  (ANSI/WCMA A.100.1) provides requirements to remedy strangulation hazards for corded window treatments. It is believed that 82% of incidents with corded window treatments occurred because of  older window treatment products that did not conform to this voluntary standard. Complying with the standard is no guarantee of safety: Children are at risk if any corded window treatments are tied up or become entangled.

In an ongoing effort to protect children from these hazards, the CPSC has  recalled  millions of corded window treatments and  advises  parents and people with children in the home to:

  • Ditch the cords. Choose the updated and child-safe option to buy cordless window treatments.
  • Prevent access. if your window treatments have cords, keep them away from children at all times.
  • Prevent climbing to danger. Be sure cribs, beds, furniture are not near windows so children cannot climb up to reach cording.
  • Shorten the risk. Be sure pull cords are as short as possible to prevent child access.
  • Anchor your loops. Continuous loop treatments e.g. roller shades, draperies, and vertical blinds must be pulled tight and anchored to the floor to prevent entanglement.
  • Use cord stops : When properly attached, these are devices that attach to your inner cords to prevent formation of dangerous looping.
  • Consider retrofit. It is  highly recommended  that parents and caregivers replace older window treatments with cordless options. If you are unable to replace the hazardous corded treatments, the The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) offers free retrofit kits.

Some window treatment companies monitor themselves and voluntarily produce certified, child safe products!

The WCSC recently launched its “Best For Kids” certification program. Best For Kids makes it easier for consumers to choose child-safe window coverings. Proactively initiated by the window covering industry, the program has the industry’s first third-party laboratory testing component. In order for any product to be certified as “Best For Kids”, the product must pass third-party laboratory safety testing. Products certified as  Best For Kids  will have either:

  • no operating cords.
  • inaccessible inner cords.
  • accessible inner cords are designed to  not  form a hazardous loop.

Beware! Older, unsafe products are still on the market!

The Best For Kids program is open to all US window covering manufacturers but participation is  voluntary. When you replace the dangerous, corded window treatments, be sure to look for the Best For Kids  logo  to ensure the product you are purchasing is tested and certified safe.

Corded window treatments are considered one of the top 5 hidden household hazards for children.

Why risk it? It’s time to update your window treatments with newer, safer products. For Just Blinds, Inc., every month is child safety month! Let us help you make your window treatments child safe.  We offer free in-home consultation, expert measuring, and installation.  Contact us  to learn about our child safe window treatment products today.

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

What Your Window Treatment Says About You: A Personality-Based Guide

April 23, 2025
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world.  Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.

5 Unexpected Places Homeowners Are Installing Outdoor Shades

March 13, 2025
We all know and understand the concept of installing outdoor shades on a patio. It is the classic way to create a cool and comfortable space for yourself and your friends to spend some quality time together outdoors. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is limiting to think that the patio is the only part of one's property where outdoor shades are appropriate. There are some surprising and unexpected places where homeowners have taken to installing outdoor shades recently. We want to take a look at some of these to provide you with ideas for your next home improvement project. 1) Balconies Some homes are built quite close together, and some homeowners naturally feel like they would like to do more to protect their privacy. Although their neighbors might not intentionally be looking through their balconies, it is easy for the human eye to drift. Thus, some city-dwelling homeowners have made the choice to install outdoor shades in this area. On top of keeping prying eyes off of your property, outdoor shades also block the sun rays from your balcony as well creating a more comfortable space to spend some time. 2) Outdoor Kitchens One of the most delightful social experiences that someone can have is to invite over a large group of friends for a meal cooked outside. It gives everyone the opportunity to share stories, laughes, and a bit of food all at the same time. Of course, this is best done in an outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen is a space where you should feel comfortable and have the ability to entertain a large group of people all at the same time. This means looking at installing outdoor shades to provide an extra layer of protection from the heat of the sun. Thus, this has become another area where homeowners are quickly installing outdoor shades. 3) Poolside Lounges Now we are really talking! Who doesn't love to kick back with their favorite cold beverage and spend some time relaxing next to the pool? That is what you can enjoy more completely when you set up a poolside lounge with outdoor shades. Poolside lounges are meant to be a place where you can spend several hours at a time. However, it can get pretty hot while doing so if you don't put some outdoor shades in place. Get those shades up so you can let all of your worries melt away as you take in the smell of pool water and sunscreen. 4) Garden Areas Do you enjoy a little gardening in your downtime? You might like it even more after setting up outdoor shades that protect you from the excessive heat of the sun. Gardening is labor-intensive work and can take several hours of diligent labor to do it properly. However, you don't want to overextend yourself and end up getting physically overworked. Keeping some of the sun away is an excellent way to ensure that you don't overdo it. Just make sure that you check up on the sunlight needs of the various plants that you intend to put into your garden before installing outdoor shades. 5) Exterior Windows Did you know that it is possible to reduce your energy bills by installing outdoor shades? It's true! If you place outdoor shades on the exterior windows of your home, you can reduce the strain placed on your air conditioning by naturally reducing the overall temperature within your living space. This means less money out of your pocket and more money for working on your next project.  There are many interesting places where homeowners are installing outdoor shades these days. For more creative ideas on what you can do with yours, reach out and contact us now.