Vertical Binds in Homes, Can They be Safe?
by: Judith Persit
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Vertical blinds serve a particular purpose in our homes or work places. At certain times of the day, the strong sunlight from outside can be too overpowering. A decent vertical blind can manage the amount of light that gets into your rooms. Vertical blinds have also evolved and grown in style and look. Once thought an ugly eye sore, vertical blinds have transformed to where they can be a central focal point to a room.
Many readers may be shocked to learn that prior to 2001, certain types of vertical blinds presented a potential hazard to the home and the children there. The problem wasn’t so much with the blinds but with the cords that controlled them. The blinds that were made prior to 2001 had a looped cord that could act as a noose when it came within reach of a child. This resulted in approximately 170 strangulations as a result of vertical blind cords.
If you have children, the first thing you should do is to check when your vertical blinds were made. If the blinds were made in 2001 or after then you should be okay. These vertical blind cords should have been fitted with cord stops to keep little hands from getting into them. Several others built in cord safety features have also been put in since to help prevent this tragedy from happening. The vertical blind cords should have been installed to your walls or floors to ensure that the loops are tight and that the loops that they create are not big enough for children to get stuck in them.
Children can quite easily become wrapped up in blinds cords while playing. Also toddlers are naturally curious and will reach for things. Dangling blinds cords, for whatever reason, have an exceptionally strong appeal for youngsters who are either bored, or looking for a new way in which to play with their toys, or other “fun stuff.” If you have the older style window blinds cords then this could be a potential hazard.
If you have vertical blinds from prior to 2001 then you need to check the cords. If blinds have no cord stops or other features then you may want to get your vertical blinds replaced with newer safer models. For those that don’t want to replace their current vertical blinds it may be possible to do what is called retrofit. This attempts to put the newly designed catches on the older style blinds. You must first check to see if your type of vertical blind is compatible with this type of fitting. There are several sites on the internet which offer free blinds retrofit kits that are paid for by the manufacturers of the blinds. These kits are not difficult to install, and will add a higher level of safety to your blinds.
Horizontal blinds also can have problems similar to those of vertical blinds. Cords that come together in loops, are tied together in a tassel, or can become knotted, either on purpose or by accident, are the problem here. These loops can create a big danger. Ensure that the threads and tassels are never tangled and that the cords hang freely and are not interconnected.
An additional danger can occur in horizontal blinds if the cords can be pulled back through the blinds, so, once again, there are retrofit kits which can cause the cords to not do this pull out. The pull out makes the blinds cords dangerous by creating interior loops. The retrofit kits will help eliminate this risk.
While a completely safe product will never exist, we must take our efforts to secure our homes. More people have been hurt on tin buckets than on window blinds. However, the fact that the risks on vertical blinds and horizontal blinds can be avoided means that we must take efforts to keep these products from being dangers in our homes. We cannot eliminate every risk, but those which are known and have solutions would be addressed and fixed as quickly as possible. Make your homes safe, make your vertical blinds safe.
Vertical blinds do perform an essential duty in our homes. For those from warmer climates, vertical blinds are an absolute necessity. Older vertical blinds can present a hazard to infants and toddlers. An estimated 170 deaths were attributed to the cords on older style vertical blinds. To stay safe and have a safe home, check your vertical blinds. If you’re not a candidate for retrofit then replacing them is the only alternative- and you must do this immediately. Newer styles are often designed and manufactured with safety in mind, so consumers can feel greater piece of mind when selecting them.
About the Author
Judith Persit is an expert regarding window treatments, and particularly vertical blinds as she has bought them many times for her various homes. She writes often about vertical blinds and window blinds. You can learn more about blinds at various websites, including hers.
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