Manufacturers are Becoming Safer With Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, newly manufactured stock window treatments should not use cords or have short, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst welcomes the announcement, as it comes after discussions between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and encompasses any pre-manufactured window treatments. It should be noted that these requirements don’t recall used treatments, but, some people in Gainesville have used the statement as a reason to change their corded shades and blinds.

 

What Are The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

Since the 1960s, corded window treatments have been deemed one of the Top 5 Hidden Hazards In The Home by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children and infants can get entangled in the cords, resulting in injury or strangulation, with one report finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries during a fifteen-year period. Extra cord safety products, like cord cleats and fasteners, attempted to alleviate the hazard, but consumers did not use them as much as anticipated.

What Do The Safety Regulations Cover?

Each stock (ready-made) window covering sold in stores or online needs to now be cordless or have inaccessible cords. This includes over 80% of all window treatment products marketed in the United States and Canada. Custom-made coverings don’t have the same constraints; however, cords can only hang down to 40% the length of the covering and must default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These regulations are only on window coverings manufactured after December 19, 2018, and old coverings have not been recalled.

What Are Your Options For Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new regulations, consumers are now looking at different safer options when purchasing or replacing their blinds and shades. Here are just a few cord-free options:

• Plantation Shutters: These family-friendly window treatments cover the window with large louvers and usually employ a center tilt-rod. Shutters have been know as the longest-lasting window covering option and are constructed with either natural wood or a faux wood composite that won’t warp, crack, splinter, or chip. There has never been a corded plantation shutter, so this product has always been considered child-safe.

• Barn Door Window Treatments: Instead of raising vertically with a cord or tilt rod, barn door window treatments attach to a track above the window frame and slide horizontally. You can part your barn doors a bit to let light through, or slide them completely apart for a statement piece.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some shades and blinds have changed their mechanics and now use internal cords that shouldn’t dangle down. Other treatments operate by motors, which raise and lower coverings via remote control. Some shades open and close to their desired height by lifting the bottom bar. These shades are available in different colors, textures, and patterns, and has a variety of semi-translucent options that give you the feel of sheer draperies.
  

Call Sunburst To Help You Cut The Cord On Your Window Coverings

If you need to replace your corded shades and blinds with a better option, your Gainesville Sunburst representative is only a phone call away. We will show you many cordless options, and we can guide you in finding one that works best for your rooms. Schedule your free in-home consultation by calling 813-602-5966 now.