Lowe's Stores Recall to Repair Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds; Two near Strangulations Involved Young Children

In light of the recent recall of 6 million Roman shades and 5 million roll-up blinds from Lowe’s Home Centers, Gordon Clements, of Gordon's Window Décor would like to discuss his company’s policy on child/pet safe window coverings. Gordon and Dianne moved to Vermont 27 years ago to raise their 3 daughters. And now with 2 grandchildren, are particularly concerned for child and pet safety.

Every year there are too many children whose lives are taken or forever altered in tragic accidents near windows that can so easily be prevented. Parents who replace their older window coverings with new cordless and motorized products can feel more confident about their child’s safety.

Gordon’s, along with the Window Covering Safety Council highlights these areas to address for optimum child safety.

1) Cordless and motorized are the recommended window coverings in homes with young children.

2) Check you present shades for cord loops that a child can get his/her head through; consider replacing any that do. Product origin may help as most, although not all, American manufacturers recognize child safety in their product design.

3) Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children.

4) Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall.

5) Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.

6) Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.

7) Utilize Tensioner Devices (available at Gordon's Window Décor) on corded shades.

8) Don’t forget about your pets. Window covering cords can be dangerous for curious cats and dogs.

Make your windows beautiful for you as well as safe for your children and pets. Most custom window treatment companies offer an amazing variety of product to meet every need as well as on staff designers to assist and offer advice. Some, like Gordon's Window Décor manufacture locally so in addition to following safety protocols, as much as 80 cents on the dollar stays in Vermont. We hope that this article will help keep our children and pets free from needless and tragic accidents.

Child Safety and Window Treatments

One of the largest concerns in the window covering industry is child safety. Today’s recall of 50 million roller and roman shades from stores such as JC Penney, Wal-Mart and Target ignited a frenzy of conversation online.

We at Gordon’s Window Décor are committed to window treatment solutions that are safe for your family. Here’s the run down on child safety, window treatments and what you can do to make sure your family is safe.

1. Motorized window treatment solutions- Almost all of our window treatments can be motorized making raising and lowering shades easy and safe!

2. Cordless window treatments- No cords, no hassles! There are a variety of types of shades from cellular EcoSmart shades to Romans that have a cordless option.

3. Conversion possibilities- Because we are the factory our talented production team can convert shades that may pose hazards to the children in your life into shades that are beautiful and safe.

4. EcoSmart Cellular Shades- Our standard operating EcoSmart shades come standard with a breakaway cord equalizer, and our continuous cord shades have a hold down that is screwed to the wall. Cordless and motorized upgrades are available on all EcoSmart shades.

If you have any concerns regarding the safety of your shades give us a call or bring the shades into our showroom and we’ll be happy to look it over.

We are confident that our window treatments will keep your family more comfortable and safe for years to come!

Gordon Clements, President

5 Tips for Saving a Bundle on Baby's Room

It's that time of year when tummies bulge and families look towards making room for the new addition.

Decorating baby's room may be big project, but it doesn't have to be a major splurge. That can wait for college. A few smart purchases with durability will make the difference in designing with growth spurts in mind.

Here are some tips on designing for the new bundle:

1. Think continuity: Keep all the decorative accessories thematically similar - when picking out items, keep the "big picture" in your head.

Window treatments count for a large amount of space in a little room - once you have a theme, make sure the flooring, bedding and windows follow suit. Have window treatments reflect the crib set - it doesn't need to be identical fabric - professional decorators mix and match prints all the time - but keep the same style.

2. Simple life: Swags, balloon shades, layered drapes and cascades might not be the way to go and could interfere with the activity level of children. The simpler the window treatments, the more likely it can grow along with the child's room and decor.

3. Clean decor: It's important not only to stick with materials that are easy to clean and can stand many scrubbings, but it's also easy to reduce airborne allergens and harmful UV exposure with wise choices. Cellular shades are great at reducing dust and allergens, and roller shades are, too. Both are available at Gordon's Window Decor.

4. Neutral tones: Bright colors are eye catching and window coverings come in almost any color or pattern these days. But staying with neutral tones on the windows and using stronger colors on walls and bedding allows more flexibility to change in time or, in the case of first-timers, for do-overs.

5. Safety, safety: Since 1995, window covering cords have been designed with child safety in mind. Newer technology has brought cordless shades - an excellent option for homes with kids and pets.