Manufacturers are Becoming Safer With Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, all newly manufactured stock window treatments should be cordless or have compact, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst embraces the announcement, as it comes after negotiations between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and includes any pre-manufactured window treatments. And while the new safety standards don’t recall old corded treatments, some people in Cincinnati have seen the announcement as an opportunity to change out their old window coverings.

 

Why The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

In the past few decades, corded window treatments have been determined as 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 study finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries over a fifteen-year period. Independent cord safety products, such as cord wraps and fasteners, tried to solve the problem, but families did not use them as universally as expected.

What Do The New Requirements Cover?

Every stock (ready-made) window treatment made for stores or online should now be cordless or have inaccessible cords. This accounts for over 80% of all window treatment products marketed in the United States and Canada. Custom-built treatments don’t have the same requirements; however, cords can only hang down to 40% the length of the covering and should default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These standards are only on window treatments made after December 19, 2018, and previously made shades and blinds have not been recalled.

What Are Your Choices Regarding Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new regulations, consumers are now looking at the entire range of cord-free choices when acquiring or replacing their window treatments. Here are just a few cordless options:

• Plantation Shutters: These fashionable window treatments cover the window with sturdy louvers and usually open by a center tilt-rod. Plantation Shutters have been know as the longest-lasting window covering option and are constructed with either natural wood or a faux wood composite that doesn’t warp, crack, splinter, or chip. Plantation shutters have always been cord-free, so this product has always been considered child-safe.

• Barn Door Shutters: Instead of opening vertically using a cord or tilt rod, barn door coverings attach to a track over the window and slide horizontally. You can open your barn doors a tad to let light through, or slide them completely apart for a different look.

• Cord-free Shades and Blinds: Some corded window treatments have changed their mechanics so they can use hidden cords that won’t pose a hazard. Some use motors, which raise and lower treatments via remote control. Many shades are set to their desired height by lifting the bottom bar. These shades come in different colors, textures, and patterns, and are even available in several semi-translucent fabrics that can look like of sheer draperies.
  

Call Sunburst To Help You Cut The Cord On Your Shades and Blinds

If you want to replace your corded hazards with a better choice, your Cincinnati Sunburst representative is only a phone call away. We will show you many safe window treatments, and we can assist you in finding one that works best for your rooms. Schedule your no cost in-home consultation by calling 513-216-9740 today.