Glossary

Terms are listed in alphabetical order

Allowance:
The amount deducted by our factory, from your measurements, for an inside mount. On most products it is a 1/2" deduction and on shutters it is an 1/8". No allowance or deduction is taken on outside mount orders and the product will be made to the size specified. See measuring instructions for your specific product in our easy to follow Measuring and Installation section.
Blackout Cellular fabric:
spun lace cellular fabric with an additional backing designed to block out light.
Bottomrail:
The bottom portion of a blind, shade, or shutter that is raised or lowered. Also, can be used as a weight and to keep fabric panels hanging evenly.
Carriers:
Small parts within the headrail of vertical blinds that hold the vinyl or fabric louvers.
Ceiling Mount:
The headrail of the blind or shade is mounted directly to the ceiling, removing any space between the headrail and the ceiling. Not all product categories can be ceiling mounted.
Controls:
Used to raise, lower, traverse, or tilt the window treatment. Usually a cord or wand, most controls can be placed on the left or right side of the treatment and can be specified in the Customize & Buy section of our website.
Cord Cleat:
Small plastic piece installed to a window frame, or in some cases, a wall. The cord is wound around the cord cleat to neatly and securely hold cords in place. Used also as a way to prevent injury to children.
Cord Tilt:
Two cords used to control the tilting position of the blind. Pull one cord to open the slats and the other cord to close the slat. The cord tilt is used in place of the tilt wand and is available on many of our products.
Extension Bracket:
Optional bracket used for additional clearance on outside mount products.
Flush Inside Mount:
The blind or shade fits entirely inside the frame (valance/headrail does not protrude). The minimum depth required for a flush mount is different for each product and is provided on the Measuring guides on our Measuring and Installation section.
Hanging Strip:
An inside mount framing system for Wood and Faux wood shutters that sits inside the window frame and behind the panels. They are placed on the left and the right sides of the window frame and attach to the hinges on which the panels open. Often used in combination with lightstrips.
Hold Down Brackets:
Optional clips mounted at the bottom of the window treatment for securing blinds, shades, and shutters on doors or in breezy locations.
Insert Louvers:
A plastic channel into which a fabric vertical blind louver is inserted. Ensures that the fabric louvers hang straight, and provide additional light blocking.
Inside Mount:
On an inside mount, the blind fits within the window frame, creating a cleaner look. Note: Please do not take any deductions from your actual measurements for an inside mount. All necessary deductions will be taken at our factory.
Ladder:
Thin cords between each slat in a horizontal blind that holds the slat together and evenly lifts the blind.
Ladder Tapes:
Fabric tapes cover lift cord route holes, blocking sunlight from coming through when slats are closed. Adds color, style, and texture to certain Wood and Faux blinds.
L Frame:
A mounting type for Wood and Faux wood shutters. Can be used for inside and outside mounts. This frame is shaped like an “L” and sits with one portion behind the panel (like a hanging strip), and the other portion to the side of the panel. Outside mount L Frames can be 3 or 4 sided.
Left Draw:
The louvers or fabric panels will stack on the left side of the window or door when fully opened.
Light Control:
The amount of light that can be controlled as it enters a room. The amount of control varies by product type. Light control may need to be considered, depending on the location of the blind, shade, and shutter. For bedrooms, light control may be important. For other rooms, such as a family room or kitchen, light control may not be an issue.
Light Filtering:
Blinds, shades, and shutters that diffuse, but do not block, light coming through a blind or shade.
Loop Control:
Neatly eliminates dangling lift cords with a continuous loop secured by a cord guide. Helps raise, lower, and position large blinds evenly. This option is not available on all products. Please see specific product options for more details.
Mount:
The type of mount refers to the way you will hang your blind or shade (position, location, etc). Common mount types are inside, outside, and ceiling.
Mounting Depth:
The amount of depth required of a window in order to fit a product within it. The minimum window depth for each product varies, based on the clearance required for the depth of the product. Please see the product specifications for your desired product or in the product specific measuring guides on our Measuring and Installation section.
Mullions:
Area that divides multiple windows that are close together. Mullions are larger framing elements, not small lines that just divide window panes.
Multiple Blinds (Shades) on One Headrail:
Combine two or three individual blinds on one headrail for the appearance of one blind. Great for larger windows, the 2 on 1 or 3 on 1 headrail provides the flexibility of raising one blind while the other blind is lowered.
Neutral Street Side Color:
Refers to when the back of a product is not the same color as the front, to make the exterior view of the window as appealing as the inside view. The back of Vertical blinds and Cellular shades have a white or ivory color facing the street, regardless of the front of the blind’s or shade’s color.
Outside Mount:
On an outside mount the blind is hung outside of the frame, overlapping the window opening and frames on each side. An outside mount is most commonly used on doors or windows with a small window depth. We recommend overlapping at least 1 1/2" on each side, however, you may vary the overlap depending on your desired look or fit constraints.
Railroaded Fabric:
Used when a matching valance for Vertical blinds or Panel Track is desired. Railroading a fabric refers to turning a vertical blind louver 90 degrees so that it is horizontal (perpendicular to the direction of the hanging blinds). Thus, this will be the same pattern, but turned to the side. The direction of the pattern on the valance will be perpendicular to the direction of the pattern of the hanging blinds.
Right Draw:
The louvers or fabric panels will stack on the right side of the window or door when fully opened.
Slat:
Horizontal, parallel pieces of wood, faux wood, or aluminum that make up a blind.
Spacer Blocks:
Optional spacer used for additional clearance on outside mount products.
Split Draw:
When blinds open from the middle, with half of the louvers stacking on the left side and the other half stacking on the right side of the door or window. Split draw is available on vertical blinds.
Stack:
Location in which the window treatment's louvers or slats stack when it is open. For horizontal blinds the stack height is the space that the top of the blind uses when all slats are completely raised. On Vertical blinds and Panel track, the stack width is the space that the blind or shade uses when completely drawn open. Please see the additional information on stack width for Vertical Blinds and Panel track on our Measuring and Installation section.
Tilt:
Wand or cords used to rotate (open and close) slats.
Top Down/Bottom Up Shades:
For added versatility, top down/bottom up shades can be lowered from the top, allowing light in while maintaining privacy, or raised from the bottom.
T Post:
Used on L Frame and Z Frame mounting types for Wood and Faux wood shutters, the T Post is a secondary frame piece that lies vertically within the perimeter of the L or Z Frame. This is to ensure that certain panel configurations will remain stable within the frame.
Valance Clip:
Used to attach a decorative valance to Aluminum blinds, Faux Wood blinds, Wood blinds, Vertical blinds, and Panel Track.
Valance Returns:
Sides of the valance, used on outside mounts, that connect to the front of the valance and extend back to the wall. This creates the illusion of a box shaped valance and hides the view of mounting hardware from the side.
Z Frame:
A mounting type for Wood and Faux wood shutters. This frame is shaped like the letter "Z" and sits both inside and outside of the window frame. One portion sits behind the panels, while the second two portions come forward and lay to the side of the panel, with a decorative portion extending past the window frame. A Z Frame can be 3 or 4 sided.