The original blinds would have borne little resemblance to the modern-day versions that are installed in homes and offices across the world. Thousands of years ago, the Ancient Egyptians used strips of material to keep the sun’s rays from entering the home. The Chinese were believed to have used bamboo in a similar fashion. 

It wasn’t until 1769 that the modern-day version of the Venetian blind began to take shape. Then 70 odd years later, the design was modified again, and now there is a huge variation of window blinds available, and the market is huge with area of service for outdoor blinds in Sydney.

According to GM Insights, the demand for window covering solutions will mean the market grows to nearly $27 billion by 2027. While this includes curtains and shades, a large part of these sales are blinds.

For many, choosing blinds is an aesthetic decision. The color and material are chosen to match furniture, but sometimes there are other factors to consider. One of these is resistance. 

Why would you need your blinds to be resistant?

One of the ways to keep your furniture from fading is to use an effective window treatment. Perhaps, in this case, blinds. However, if that blind is stopping the damage that the sun can cause, what is happening to the window covering itself?

Blinds can be used in different environments, and that can mean that there is wear and tear, along with exposure to other elements, or even chemicals. Blinds used in workshops may be exposed to a manner of different airborne particles and chemicals that can cause erosion.

What are the most durable blinds?

Window blinds need to be both functional, and ideally, aesthetically pleasing. Metal slatted blinds in a workshop may not be easy on the eye, but if it is a living room that is being fitted out, then aesthetics come into play.

Therefore, choosing the most durable blind isn’t easy because certain conditions will demand different values from the blind.
However, both roman and roller shades are both very durable. The latter is usually treated to be UV resistant, and this helps them to avoid fading. The mechanism used in roller blinds is simple and easy to maintain too.

It is said that roller shades or blinds can last a decade easily. The materials used can make them more durable and last longer than curtains.

Does the material of the blind matter?

While roller blinds can certainly put up a worthy case for being the most durable blind. There is resistance to consider too.
Faux wood blinds are said to be one of the most durable types of shade that you can buy. Yet, there are plenty of other materials to consider depending on how you define resistance.

Metal blinds are easy to clean, and therefore are resistant to grease and many other chemicals, if cleaned regularly. They could in theory corrode though if the coating was damaged.

Kitchen blinds need to be resistant also due to the nature of the room they are installed in. Grease, fat, oil, steam, and heat, are all common features of cooking, and these blinds require practical materials to be used.

Then, there are other blinds used to protect the home and resist things such as UV rays.

Why would you need to worry about UV rays?

Solar blinds are becoming increasingly popular as they are able to resist the sun’s damaging UV rays. It could be said that any blind that can filter out the UV rays of the sun has a claim to be the most resistant.

One report on UV rays from the Environmental Protection Agency shows the damage that can be caused without protection. Exposure to the sun’s rays doesn’t just mean your furniture may fade, it can cause damage to you as well.
UV rays cause premature aging, skin damage, and worse, skin cancer.

Are there other considerations to take into account?

There are many innovations in window blind design now. Smart blinds, along with mechanized ones are being installed more regularly.
Yet, the more complicated that window blinds become, perhaps the less durable and resistant to wear and tear they will be. Roller shades are highly resistant to general use due to the simplicity, and the materials used.

The amount of use a window treatment has will also have a big say in how long the blind can last. Children playing with blinds can lead to damage, and just the general amount of use they endure could lead to wear.

Window blinds are effective solutions to increase house privacy, and in the office, but their use should be considered if durability is a concern. A PVC roller blind will last far longer than sheer curtains for instance.

Are blinds really the best choice?

When it comes to window treatments, it may be largely a personal choice what you decide to install into your home or office. However, blinds are often the more practical option, and in some cases, the only real choice. 
For instance, if privacy is a factor, but light control is also an important point, then window blinds are far better than using curtains.

Some rooms are just not suitable for curtain use either. Workshops for instance wouldn’t just look strange with curtains hanging from the windows, they wouldn’t be practical. Window blinds are often easier to clean than curtains, and this is another reason they are more durable and resistant.

Offices are another area where blinds are the only choice. Vertical blinds are easy to clean, and in an area where dust can accumulate quickly, this makes blinds the obvious choice. When grime and dirt build-up in window treatments, it damages the material which in turn shortens the lifespan of the covering. Blinds are simple to clean, and therefore more resistant, and longer-lasting.

Summary

The most resistant blind may be a matter of choice between more than one option. Nevertheless, roller shades make a good argument for being the toughest of window coverings.

The material used will come into play, and whether that has been UV treated will also be a consideration. To help your blinds be more durable and resistant, they should be regularly cleaned. Then you might find your blinds last a generation.