Q) What is the difference between Basswood blinds and Western Red Cedar blinds?
A) Western Red Cedar blinds are the king of wooden venetians. Lightweight with superior insulation qualities, Cedar has a distinctive pleasant odour and visually appealing grain structure. Sunshine Blinds Western Red Cedar is blended with light colour at the top of the blinds down to darker at the bottom. Western Red Cedar adds warmth to a room and is the most environmentally friendly of all blinds, grown in Canada from 100% publicly managed sustainable forests.
Basswood is cheaper and heavier but does not mark or scratch as easily as Western Red Cedar. Uniform in colour with no odour, Basswood is a robust blind that offers excellent value for money. Grown from sustainable forests it is resistant to warping but not as good in high humidity as Western Red Cedar. Basswood blinds come in a larger range of colours. I have Western Red Cedar Blinds in my house
Q) Faux Wood Venetians or Real Wood Venetians – what do I choose?
A) Sunshine Blinds Faux Wood is made from PVC. They are superior to wood in high humidity and are perfect for Bathrooms and Kitchens. More stable and durable than wood they will not crack or warp in areas of extreme temperature or moisture. They offer identical light control and have the similar energy saving as Wooden Venetians.
Faux Venetians are much cheaper than wood. However they are almost twice the weight which makes them harder to lower, lift and stage. I do not recommend them if they are raised and lowered frequently. With modern manufacturing techniques it is often difficult to tell the difference between real wood and faux.
Q) How much do I want to spend? A) Ready Made Blinds are the cheapest option and Aluminium Venetians are the least expensive an average house (18 windows) will be able to be fully fitted for less than $1000. If your house has sliding doors or large windows Vertical Blinds are unbeatable value wise but are not suitable for all window types.
Blockout Roller Blinds and Light Filtering Roller Binds (E-Screens) are the next options at $1400. Faux Wood will cost approximately $1800. Bass Wood blinds around $2300 and Western Red Cedar $2700. Made to measure blinds will typically cost 2 to 3 times more than ready made blinds.
Q) Sliding Glass Window – What do you recommend?
A) Sliding glass windows often have doors that people want to go through and as such many window treatments are not suitable. My first choice is always Vertical blinds, not only are they the least expensive option but are visually appealing and can make rooms appear longer. Verticals Blinds are easily installed and have adequate blockout properties and you can adjust them to let in as much or as little light as required.
My second choice is roller blinds, they have better block out properties than Verticals and when used with an E-Screen and a double bracket they allow both light filtering and blockout. Roller blinds are more stylish than Vertical blinds but they do have to be fully rolled up and down which can become tiresome with frequent traffic. My third and last choice is aluminium venetians, Inexpensive, stylish and easily pulled up and down.
Q) What do you mean by inside and outside mount?
A) Inside mount means that blind fits the inside the window recess. It offers a clean look but can let in light as allowance need to made for fittings particularly with Rollers and Wooden and Faux Venetians. Sunshine Blinds are designed to fit as inside mount without being cut to size.
Outside mount is used if the window is narrow or has winders or window locks and is usually mounted on the architrave – can also be used to make the window appear larger or to hide unattractive windows.
Q) What if I make a mistake measuring my window?
A) If you let Sunshine blinds know quickly (within 48 hours for custom made and same day for readymade) we can change the order at no charge. If we have made the blind we will endeavour to rework it to fit at no extra charge. If that is not possible we will offer you a replacement at 50% off the price you were originally charged but you will have to return the incorrect blind.
Q) How long does it take to deliver?
A) Our ready made blinds are usually despatched the next day. If adjustments need to made these will be shipped within 4 working days. Made to Measure - Custom blinds and shutters will take up to 6 weeks.
Q) Do you charge for shipping?
A) For orders over $300 we deliver free of charge anywhere in Australia. For orders below $300 delivery will be $20 for the first item - $30 for 2 items - $40 for 3 items to a maximum of $50 regardless of the value of the order.
Q) If I place on order online will I receive confirmation?
A) Yes you will receive immediate e-mail confirmation once payment has been cleared.
Q) Are my online transactions secure?
A) Yes our online server software uses industry standard encryption and we do not keep any credit card details. If however you are uncomfortable giving your credit details over the internet, you can pay via PayPal or you can call our Customer Hot line on 1300 855 803 and place your order over the phone.
Q) What happens if my order is damaged during delivery?
A) Return your damaged blind (Sunshine blind will pay the freight) and we will replace free of charge with the same blind.
Q) Can delivery be tracked online?
A) Yes when your order is despatched you will be given a tracking number that will allow you to track your order.
Q) Can I touch and feel the products?
A) Yes you can order samples from the web site. These are free of charge and will be despatched the next day by post. We also have a brochure which can be downloaded off the web site with pictures of the range. We also have a swatch card which has a sample of the entire range of Roller and Roman Blinds available free of charge.
Q) Will Sunshine blinds fit inside mount?
A) Yes all our blinds have allowance for fittings which means they will fit. For Wooden Blinds the allowance is 5mm, Roller blinds – 40mm. Aluminium Venetians due to the fittings used have no allowances.
Q) Can you send somebody to measure the blinds for me?
A) At present we do not provide this service, however our online videos (under DIY Installation) demonstrate how to successfully measure your window for either an Inside or Outside mounted blind.