Manufacturers are Cutting the Cord On Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, newly manufactured stock window treatments should not use cords or have short, 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. Notice that these standards don’t recall used treatments, but, some people in Phoenix have seen the announcement as an opportunity to choose a safer option.

 

What Are The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

For over 70 years, window treatment cords have been included in the Top 5 Hidden Hazards In The Home by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children and infants can get entangled in the cords, leading to injury or strangulation, with a report finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries during a fifteen-year period. Extra cord safety products, such as cord shorteners and fasteners, attempted to make treatments safer, but families did not use them as much as expected.

What Do The New Requirements Cover?

Each stock (ready-made) window treatment made for stores or online needs to now be cord-free or have inaccessible cords. This accounts for over 80% of all window covering products purchased in the United States and Canada. Custom-built window treatments will not have the same restrictions; however, cords can only be 40% the length of the treatment and will default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These regulations affect 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, people are now looking at the entire range of safer options when purchasing or replacing their corded coverings. Here are just some different cordless options:

• Plantation Shutters: These popular treatments cover the window with sturdy louvers and usually open by a center tilt-rod. Plantation Shutters are the longest-lasting window treatment and are constructed with either solid wood or a faux wood composite that doesn’t warp, crack, splinter, or chip. Plantation shutters have always been cordless, so shutters have always been seen as a safer option.

• Barn Door Window Coverings: Instead of raising vertically using a cord or tilt rod, barn door shutters attach to a track over the window frame and slide apart sideways. You can open them a tad to have some light peek in, or slide them completely apart to frame your window.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some shades and blinds have altered their designs so they can use internal cords that don’t dangle down. Some operate by motors, which open and close coverings via remote control. Many shades are set to their desired height by lifting the bottom bar. These shades are available in a multitude of colors, textures, and patterns, and are offered in many semi-translucent options that can look like of sheer draperies.
  

Sunburst Can Help You Cut The Cord On Your Shades and Blinds

If you want to change out those corded hazards with a better choice, your Phoenix Sunburst representative is only a phone call away. We can bring you an array of cord-free choices, and we can help you find one that looks great in your windows. Schedule your free in-home consultation by calling 480-485-7743 today.