In short, yes… but why? Installing your own blinds can be done depending on your comfort level with basic home repairs and handyman type projects.  However, when something goes sideways (which is common), the project can end up costing you extra days to resolve. Sometimes the warranty may actually be voided if the installation damages the blind. It is wiser to let us install them to make sure they are secure, level, and operating correctly.  The installation of shutters can be a tricky venture.  You will definitely want us to install those.  If you still want to install your own blinds we are happy to offer advise if you get stuck.  

STEP 1

Before the appointment we will send you some short product videos to give you some inspiration and ideas.

STEP 2

Give us a tour of your home and walk us through what you need in each room.  Do you need blackout shades to sleep or are you happy with light filtering shades?  Do you need cords to operate tall windows or do you prefer a cordless or motorization plan? 

STEP 3

We will bring in some sample books for you to browse through while we measure each window.  Once we are done with the measurements we will help with product selection and the numerous options available.  We never rush you through your appointment.  We will take the time to educate you about many of the new innovative products that are on the market.  Your new window treatments will last for decades so we want you to be comfortable with your choice.

STEP 4

Once you have selected a window treatment that you like, we will enter the sizes and product into our quoting system and present you with a quote on the spot.   The quote has no extra hidden charges.  The tax and installation is included in each separate line item so that you can pick and choose which windows you would like to order according to your budget.  

STEP 5

If you choose to order your blinds, we will place your order ASAP and text you an estimated ship date from the manufacturer.  We never hold onto orders and place them in batches.  We want your blinds to arrive as soon as possible so we don’t delay. 

We have customers that have operable blinds that we sold to them in 1992.  Blinds, shades, and shutters last decades.  The strings are like brake pads and they do wear out over time but they can be repaired.

Manufacturing time is different for every manufacturer and product.  Typically cellular shades are made in a week and then take a few days to ship.  Shutters can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 8 weeks because they are handmade.  As soon as your order is placed the manufacturer will give us an estimated ship date which we will pass on to you.

Your window treatments do not have to match perfectly.  You can choose to pair different styles, colors, and textures.  Most of our customers do cover the windows facing the street with the same product.

Insulated cellular shades, otherwise known as honeycomb blinds, are a good affordable choice if you are looking for significant energy savings from your window coverings.  They offer comfort and privacy.  Some tax credits are available for cellular shades.  Shutters also provide an insulating factor and also increase the value of your home.  They are considered permanent furniture for your windows.

There are a number of things to consider when buying blinds and shades.  These include light and privacy, your budget, safety, cleaning and maintenance and your decorating style.

Light and privacy: Decide whether you want your room bright and airy or more “buttoned up” and cozy. Blinds tilt to let the sun in or keep it out; when they’re closed, you lose light. Shades have fabric options that are room-darkening or light-filtering, giving you more control over brightness. But unless you opt for the most sheer, they have to be pulled up to let light in or down to deter nosy neighbors.

Your budget: Are you outfitting just one window or the entire house? You may consider spending more on certain windows and scaling back on others. Window treatments are priced by size, so expect larger treatments to cost more. Custom sizes and specialty fabrics, patterns, and features also add to the cost.

Safety: If you have kids, opt for cordless styles, since accidental strangulation is a top concern.

Cleaning: Blinds don’t need professional cleaning, but they can be dust magnets. To make dusting your blinds easier, use Swiffer’s 360° Duster (it’s a Seal holder). Shades in textured fabrics and weaves hide soil better, but cleaning shades is trickier — you can lightly vacuum and spot-clean, but bigger messes are best left to the pros.

Your decorating style: Is it formal or casual, comfortable or chic? Bold colors can be fun or dramatic. Subtle hues are perfect for a room decorated in neutral, earthy colors. Do you prefer corded styles or sleeker, streamlined cordless ones?

We offer every day fair pricing to everyone.  We do not do “fake” sales like many of our competitors.  The Shade Store is now in litigation for running fake sales.  We pass discounts that our manufacturers give to us to you, our valued customer. 

We have been in business since 1992. Most of our customers are referrals or the result of our 5 star Google reviews. We do not take out expensive full page ads and inserts into the newspapers. Since we do not advertise, we have very low overhead. We also run our business on the Dave Ramsey debt free principle. Our showroom and vans are debt free. We also prepay our vendors when we place your order and pass that prepay discount on to you. Since we have very little overhead, we are the competitive choice in the North Idaho and Spokane market.

We prefer that you pay by check, but we do accept credit cards. We ask for checks to keep our prices low. Credit cards charge us a 3-4% fee for their use.

While we’d love to, we’re rarely able to throw out ballpark window covering estimates. 

There are many different manufacturers, different fabrics, different operating systems and different options.  Until we enter your choice into our quote system, we have no idea what the cost of your blind or shade is. 

These products are typically made to be disposable and should not be expected to wear or function like custom window treatments.  They are mainly used in rentals. In order to be competitive, they are made of inferior materials inside the headrails.  The plastic and vinyl parts do not hold up well to Ultra-Violet exposure.  You will notice that many of the cut-down blinds can be made to the correct width, but they usually have many extra slats at the bottom of the shade which are quite obvious when they are stacked on your window sill.  The cords on the big box shades are not the same quality and break prematurely.  Of course, you will not be serviced by the big box stores and the warranties are quite different.

Yes, there are a few manufacturers in the US that can supply us with specialty shaped window treatments.  Be aware that since there are only a few manufacturers, the cost of specialty shaped window coverings is high.

• It’s best if you allow our professional installer to correctly uninstall your blinds. We offer this as a free courtesy to our customers.  We also haul them away for you along with the boxes.

There are now many options to cover sliding doors and French doors. If the doors are in high traffic areas a vertical solution is usually the ideal option. This allows the door and treatment to be opened just enough to pass through or let air in, while the rest of the glass remains covered to provide heat and light control. Cellular (honeycomb) shades can be made in a vertical application and are our favorite solution for patio doors. Other vertical products include standard 3 ½” vertical blinds in fabric or vinyl, vertical blinds with curved vanes that resemble the look of draperies, gliding panels in 11” – 18” that slide side to side and come in varying opacities, sheer shades that are a hybrid of sheers and drapes.

French doors are another challenge.  Shutters can be manufactured with cutouts for door handles and locks. Other options include roller and solar shades that have magnetic hold downs so that the blind is secured to the door when opening and closing the door. 

While cleaning window treatments isn’t rocket science, there are recommended techniques for each style.  

We recommend this article by Hunter Douglas for more information – Cleaning Blinds, Shades and Shutters

Here is a link to the Official Hunter Douglas product warranty.  

Hunter Douglas Warranty

Here is a link to the official Norman warranty.

Norman USA Warranty