When my first child had an accident at home, I realised we hadn't childproofed the house as well as we could have. Thankfully, they were fine, but I learned my lesson and began a thorough inspection of my home and garden. I got to work addressing the various hazards we had overlooked, and I started this blog to help other parents think objectively about the hazards in their own homes. I post about a variety of topics, such as pool safety, choosing a safe garden fence, storing medication and cleaning products, window and door locks and kitchen safety for kids. I hope you find my blog useful and informative.
-
Grow Your Own Apricots 24 October 2016
-
Four Tips for Choosing Shades If You Have a Mobile Impairment 30 September 2016
-
Moving? 3 Sharp Tricks To Cherry-Pick Storage Units On A Tight Budget 16 September 2016
-
Reasons to Have Glass Splashbacks Fitted In Your Kitchen 29 August 2016
-
Home Uses for an Industrial Shed 15 August 2016
Childproofing Your Home And Garden
Four Tips for Choosing Shades If You Have a Mobile Impairment
Ana Gonzales
If you are mobility impaired, you may need to make modifications to many aspects of your life, and that includes the shades you use. Looking for shades that are designed to work with your lifestyle? Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Opt for long cords.
If you are in a wheelchair, cords are much easier to reach and maneuver than wands. Because of that, you should opt for shades that have long cords you can easily reach. If the cords aren't long enough for you to reach when the shade is open, you can extend the length relatively easily. Simply, remove the bottom pull (typically a plastic piece held in place by a knot on the string). Find some cord that roughly matches the shade cord, tie it on and reattach the bottom piece.
2. Consider motorised shades.
If you have small children or pets in the home, you may want to stay away from long cords, as they can pose a strangulation hazard. In that case, you may want to consider motorised shades. Motorised shades have a motor that moves them up and down, and you don't have to worry about whether or not you can reach the shades, you simply need to push a button.
3. Look for synced shades.
If you decide upon motorised shades, look for ones that can be synced. For example, many Somfy shades can be synced, and that allows you to lower all of the shades in your home at the same time with a single remote. This saves you from having to get up and down stairs or having to waste time navigating around your home when you want to open or close the shades. Instead, you can stay exactly where you are and do it all easily at once.
4. Insist upon safety features with motorised shades.
Ultimately, if you decide upon motorised shades that can be opened with a remote, you need to make sure they have the right safety features. For example, you want the shades to automatically stop closing if there is an obstacle in the way. That way, if you are trying to close the shades from downstairs and your cat is in the window upstairs, the shades won't hurt your cat or get damaged by closing on your cat.
Similarly, you also want shades that have a frost reaction element. With this feature, if parts of the shade's motor are frozen, the shade will stop automatically so that undue burden is not placed on your shades.
Want to get more ideas on which shades will be the most convenient for your lifestyle? Contact a shade specialist to talk about corded shades, Somfy shades, motorised shades and more.
Share