The 6 Most Common Roller Shade Buying Mistakes - And How to Avoid Them

You’re not alone. As a new homeowner, bare windows or bedsheets in your windows till you get around to buying window coverings online gets old pretty quick. Sometimes you’re able to make quick decor decisions, but this product requires consideration for functionality, style & texture.

We get it. Buying roller shades or any custom window treatment is an investment not only of your resources, but also in your future: these will be the custom roller shades that will transform the light in your home, and define the mood of your unique and beautiful space. So it’s important that these window shades are perfect for your family and your home.

So, in light of preventing some of the most common blunders, we’ve outlined a list of 6 common buying mistakes people make when selecting new roller shades for their homes and how to avoid them.

The light & view are just not right.

Even if you’re not needing to blackout the room, it’s going to be very important to decide how much light and privacy you want to have in any given space. Solar shade fabrics are typically made of a polyester weave, and sometimes with PVC coating for more durability. Most of our solar shade fabrics are an attractive basketweave fabric. However, our Designer Solar Shades are woven specifically to add a little more pop and wow to any given space.

It’s just as important to give consideration to the placement of furniture in the space. A “10% Solar” on a window that casts direct light onto your television or artwork, for example, is not going to be an ideal selection. The same goes for bedrooms and yet many customers will assess swatches of material in the bedroom window during the daytime, when it would be best to see how much privacy is retained when you’ve got the light on during the night. A denser weave or moving to our light filtering roller shades will solve these problems.

How to Avoid it:
Always review your free swatches in the room you plan for the window coverings to live in at a few different times of day. If you’re planning to paint walls but haven’t yet, keep in mind that lighter materials will “reflect” bold colors on the wall. For example, if you’re painting your walls a rich charcoal gray, gray undertones in shade fabric will pop more. Likewise, if your walls are an optic white the contrast between bright white walls and a light fabric with creamy undertones will appear more dramatic. This can be an effective way to add warmth to modern spaces, but should be taken into account when you're planning your next project.

I’m just not sure about my measurements are correct.

Just like a custom closet requires exact measurements, so too do your roller shades. It’s much easier than you think, especially when you have a little guidance to help you along. We love to support this can-do attitude, but just want to ensure you have all the information you’re going to need to ensure your need shades and blinds have a perfect fit.

How to Avoid it:

• Gather The Tools: We recommend you only use a steel tape measure…. don’t even think about picking up that old wood or cloth tape. Steel tape measures are more rigid, and make it easier to determine the most accurate measurement. Also, make sure you have a notepad and pen available to write down (and label) each measurement. Next step...

• Always measure at 3-Points: Although, we haven’t had time to crunch the numbers of the states with the most uneven windows, but don’t be surprised to learn that not all windows are a perfect square. That’s why we always suggest you measure at 3 different points.
• If you get a 1/16" increment for width, round down to the nearest 1/8".
• If you get a 1/16" increment for height, round up to the nearest 1/8".
• For width select the narrowest figure, and for height the tallest.

The shade does not fit flush into the window sill

For an inside mounted product, width and height are not the only measurements that matter for how your final product will fit. Depth is essential for understanding if your roller shades or zebra shades will be project out of the window sill, or if they cannot even be mounted due to limited depth.

How to Avoid it:
As you’re getting ready to take your depth measurement, be sure to scan for any obstructions in your window opening, like a security sensor or crank handle. Measure your depth from the edge of the obstruction forward and then compare to the minimum inside mount depth dimension.

Focus on your window depth from the glass to the edge of the window sill. Next, check the product specification section on your preferred product page to find the minimum inside mount depth. If you find that your windows are just too shallow for your product, call us at 786-340-0811 for help identifying an alternative product that will perfectly fit your window.

Delivery Fees Put My Custom Roller Shades Over My Budget Expectations

Many companies will add on delivery fees at the last moment of checkout or, even worse, add on additional handling fees under the guise of “the industry standard”.

How to Avoid it:
Read through the FAQ’s and Delivery Policy and speak up when something is out of line. Alva offers free shipping on every order up to 95” in Width. For oversized products (96" or over in width), we'll contact you by phone and email to collect a shipping fee. Our delivery partners are some of the best in the business, and we invest heavily in making sure that your piece arrives to you on time, safe and sound, exactly where you imagined it.

The Brand is really well known and it cost a fortune - why are window window coverings falling apart?

This is a biggie. One of the most common mistakes of window treatment buying is assuming that fancy presentations, main street showrooms, or high price tags equate to great quality. Many big box retailers pride themselves on their sales expertise, yet produce products with low-grade materials and many times inferior components.

How to Avoid it.
The best indicator of quality in window coverings are the materials and construction expertise. Since inception, Alva has directly sourced Europe's finest textiles and re-engineered every design for a better end-product of heirloom quality. And, we obsess over details, controls, and finishes so that you don't have to. We’ve partnered with a small collection of family-owned factories that pay fair wages and take their time crafting one-of-a-kind window coverings.

The Insulation or Cooling of our Home is not What I Expected

Not considering which direction the window faces and the solar heat gain or loss (in winter) is a common outcome that some folks make when quickly looking to get inexpensive products into their windows due to time or budget limitations. It’s one of those considerations that’s easy to overlook in all of the options to choose from.

How to Avoid it.
Windows facing west and south tend to receive more heat and light and, as a result, you will want to keep the room cool with a set of thicker shades, like Solar Shades which are specifically designed to diminish heat gain and control light. Windows facing east or north are easier to furnish because they aren’t exposed to the same harsh conditions.
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Feeling overloaded with so much information? We get it, it can seem daunting to tackle your window covering project! Set up a time to speak with one of our Design Advisors on your schedule. We’re able to answer all your questions on Alva products, consult on measurement and mount decisions, and even help you choose the best fabric for your space.

Ready to dive in? Order your free swatches to begin designing the perfect roller shades online today.