Manufacturers are Cutting the Cord On Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, newly manufactured stock window treatments should be cordless or have small, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst welcomes this decision, as it comes after conversations between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and encompasses any pre-manufactured window treatments. And while the new safety regulations don’t recall already purchased window treatments, many in Austin have viewed the announcement as a chance to change out their unsafe shades and blinds.

 

What Are The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

In the past few decades, window treatment cords 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 one report finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries during a fifteen-year period. Independent cord safety products, such as cord wraps and fasteners, tried to make treatments safer, but families did not install them as much as anticipated.

What Do The Safety Regulations Cover?

Every stock (ready-made) window covering sold in stores or online must now be cord-free or have inaccessible cords. This involves over 80% of all window treatment products marketed in the United States and Canada. Custom-made window treatments don’t have the same restrictions; however, cords can only be 40% the length of the treatment and will default to a tilt rod instead of a tilt cord. These requirements are only on window treatments made after December 19, 2018, and old treatments have not been recalled.

What Are Your Options For Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new safety requirements, consumers are now pursuing different cordless options when purchasing or replacing their blinds and shades. Luckily, there are a lot of products when it comes to cordless window treatments, such as:

• Plantation Shutters: These popular window treatments cover the window with large louvers and usually open by a center tilt-rod. Plantation Shutters have been know as the sturdiest 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 using a cord or tilt rod, barn door shutters attach to a track over the window and slide side to side. You can open your barn doors a little to bring in some light, or open them all the way apart for a statement piece.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some shades and blinds have modified their designs to employ hidden cords that don’t dangle down. Some use motors, which raise and lower treatments by remotes or voice commands. Some 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 even available in many semi-translucent models that give you the feel of sheer draperies.
  

Sunburst Can Help You Cut The Cord On Window Treatments

If you’re looking to replace your corded shades and blinds with a better treatment, your Austin Sunburst representative is only a phone call away. We will show you many cord-free choices, and we can help you find one that looks great in your windows. Schedule your free in-home consultation by calling 512-549-6077 now.