In this first photo, you receive a great sense of how solar screen shades can help control light, heat, and glare while beautifying a room. The shades in these photos are made by Lutron. The fabric is a Phifer SheerWeave 3% called Oyster/Charcoal. It is a weave of white and black strands of fabric that allows 3% of the light to shine through. As you can see, the shaded parts of the shade are easier to see through than the portions that are in direct sunlight. This is caused by the diffraction of the light as it passes through the fabric. There is a trade off between shade color and diffraction as well as openness factor (3%, 5%, 10%, etc.)

In this photo, you can see the challenges of working with ceilings of varying heights. The simple roller shade is a good fit in this instance. Horizontally slatted or patterned products like Silhouette, Pirouette, Vignette and blinds and shutters do not work well here as it is very difficult or impossible to align the patterns since the products are indexed from the top. In other words, the slats wont line up from left to right. Also, we have to take into account the interplay of the vertical mullions and their relationship with the shade and the changes in the ceiling. All of these factors must be considered when endeavoring to design a job of this nature.

Here you can see another important challenge when working with “storefront” glass systems: corners. These can be very challenging however, not impossible to solve. As long as the designer and the client are in communication, this usually works out. In our installation at the Terminus, we chose the “butt and pass” design. One shade butts into the other as it passes. This works well, however; it does create a gap as you can see. The best way to design this is to take into consideration the sight lines in the room, the lay of the room in relation to the sun’s movement, if there is a media device that may be effected (i.e. TV’s and such), and how it will look. Our client chose this design based mainly on how it would look from the center of the room. We had suggested the opposite design due to how the sun will come through the gap in the middle of the day, however; the “look” was more important to her so we went with her choice. She is happy and that is all that matters.

A final challenge with many “high-rise” installations as you may have noticed in our pictures is the unevenness of the ceilings. This is just the way things are. Typically the ceilings are plastered concrete and the concrete is never level. We have to hang the shades so that they are plumb and parallel to the vertical mullions. Notice, I didn’t write “walls” as these are usually wavy as well. We are experts, however; we are not magic. If these gaps and wiggles are going to drive you nuts, then we should also install fabric valances and side panels that are soft and will fill in the gaps. Other solutions include rigid side channels that the shades can ride inside and they can be caulked from behind with light seal caulk. The ceiling gaps can also be dealt with in a similar fashion but not always.

Well, that’s my rant on roller shades for storefronts and high-rises. I hope it has been informative and slightly entertaining. If you have more questions or concerns, please give me a call. 770-512-0206 or email me at jsmith@atlantablinds.com

Click here to go to YouTube to watch the video.

If the product was not purchased from us – we do not offer repair service.

Spare Parts (i.e. valance clips, hold down brackets, cord tassels, etc.) We do not carry spare parts for any product. If it is a product purchased from us we will do our best to have parts shipped to you by the fabricator.

Products purchased from Atlanta Blind & Shade – We stand behind our fabricators’ warranties and will be happy to help you obtain the warranty repair that you are expecting. Here is what is covered and how this works:

• Any product purchased from Atlanta Blind & Shade carries a lifetime limited warranty for the original purchaser that is specific to each manufacturer/fabricator. The policies of each fabricator vary however, the basic gist is that it is covered for as long as it is owned by you.
• The product should be free from “manufacturing defect”. The product should perform as advertised and should not just fall apart. The “limited” part of Limited Lifetime Warranty refers to the fact that normal wear and tear, misuse and just plain old accidents aren’t covered. However these issues can still sometimes be remedied via repair. Most repair charges are minimal. Usually less than $100.
• Labor and shipping are NOT covered in the cost of warranty or non-warranty repairs. We do our best to make this as easy and as cost effective as possible for the consumer by providing the RGA (Return Goods Authorization) number from the fabricator and the shipping address to the manufacturer so that you can get your product repaired as quickly and cheaply as possible. Most of our fabricators provide free shipping back to the consumer once the product is repaired.
• Labor to remove and/or re-install the product from/to the window is not covered by the warranty. This labor is typically $75 per trip to the consumer’s home by someone from our staff. Shipping to the fabricator is the responsibility of the consumer and is not included in the warranty. We will be happy to ship the product for you at an additional cost.
• Batteries for motorized products aren’t covered under warranty. If you would like us to help you change your batteries we will be glad to do this for a fee.

So, how does this really work? Well, if you have a product that YOU purchased from us and want us to come and take it down, ship it to the fabricator, and re-install it once it is returned to you by the fabricator, it looks like this:

$75.00 trip to your home to uninstall.

$??.?? cost of shipping to the fabricator.

$75.00 trip to your home to reinstall.

If the product was purchased from us by someone else (i.e. the people you purchased your home from), the above charges would be the same plus whatever the repair cost from the fabricator may be.

QMotion battery powered radio controlled shades

Here’s what’s blowing my mind:

• How quiet it is. Lutron has always been my standard for quiet but QMotion is right there with them.
• How simple it is. No wires, no antennas, just two brackets and a shade … and a fabric wrapped cover if you want.
• How long the batteries will last. FIVE years!
• Mermet fabrics. Smart choice QMotion.
• The price. Still not the cheapest BUT definitely not the most and worth every penny. You get what you pay for folks.
• Delivery. Three weeks! That’s it!

I could go on and on but I think you get the point. Give us a call today for a free demonstration. It will blow your mind … too.

Jayson Smith, CEO

QMotion quiet battery powered shades

I started Atlanta Blind & Shade in 1994 and built it a little at a time. I look back over the books and our sales grew every year. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot but always better than the year before. That is until 2009. Since then we’ve seen a steady and drastic drop off. Our business is literally half what it was just three years ago. The good news (of which there is very little these days) is that unlike most of our competitors, we are still here. We are moving into our 19th year as Atlanta Blind & Shade. We were on the ropes but we are back on our feet now and leaner and meaner than ever. Honestly, we had gotten a bit fat. The boxing analogy is perfect for our situation. I won’t bore you with the story. I think you get the idea.

So, what does this mean for 2012 and beyond? It means our clients are winners along with us. In order for us to survive, we have to make sure we are the toughest, leanest, strongest, smartest, and (not fitting in the boxing analogy) nicest window treatments dealer there is. We don’t have a backer. My daddy didn’t hand me a business and a bank roll to get things going or to prop me up during lean times. We’re not a secret division of some larger entity. We are on our own and always have been. Yes, we get help all the time but not the financial kind … just the mental and spiritual kind.

Here we come 2012! We are back on the increase. This is over because we say it’s over. We expect increases in sales of all our Hunter Douglas, Lutron, QMotion, 3M, SolarGard, Retractable  Screen,  Plantation Shutter products over the next year and beyond. We have also invested thousands of dollars and years of time to become the residential and commercial experts in motorized and automated shades. I’ll be dammed if I am going to let all of this just fade away! If you are reading this, thank you for visiting our web site. Please peruse our pages to learn more about who we are and how we can be of service to you. Then give us a call. We look forward to speaking with you. Make it a great day!

-Jayson Smith, CEO

Well, that is the first paragraph on their new web site for their new product. Here’s a link to it QMotion.

I have been in this crazy and sometimes wild west business since 1990. I have seen a lot of new and innovative products come along and just as quickly disappear. Call it jaded or call it experience, I have begun to be able to sniff out a winner. This ladies and gentlemen is a winner. I said it.

One of the problems we have continually run into is folks wanting motorized shades who haven’t done the prep work necessary to have them (i.e. pre-wiring) and they don’t want us fishing wires through and cutting holes in their freshly finished and painted walls and ceilings. Can’t blame them. So, they tell us they want battery powered shades but then are nonplussed at the idea of having to change batteries every 6-12 months. Enter QMotion. QMotion has created a quiet, reliable, simple roller shade that uses batteries that last 5 years. Yes. FIVE YEARS. “How do they do this?!” Well, they did something that I have always wondered why it hadn’t been done before. They placed the batteries inside the tube of the roller shade. DUH! Imagine having a MAG Lite that instead being a great indestructible flashlight is a roller shade. Okay, maybe that’s a bad comparison but you get the idea. This is definitely going to give Hunter Douglas and Lutron something to worry about in their residential markets.

We are already getting a lot of interest in this amazing new product. Call us for a demo today. 770-512-0206 Or email me at Jsmith@atlantablinds.com.

Anyway, I did this because I had to. I’m glad to say it was worth it. Not only am I more prepared to be of assistance to our customers, but to others’ customers as well. We are now a certified Hunter Douglas motorization expert. What does that mean?

Well, only selected and trained dealers (like us) will be able to sell these amzing new products. This means if one of our competitors want these products for their clients, they actually have to buy them from us? Sweet! It also means our clients will receive the best products and have them installed properly … the first time.

Products like Silhouette, Pirouette, Duette, Luminette, Vignette, Woven Woods, even blinds. All motorized. They can be stand alone systems or be integrated into Crestron, Lutron, AMX systems, etc.

We are very excited!

Jayson Smith

Plantation Shutters Atlanta

What started as a practical solution to hurricanes and such in the low-country and the keys has become via cross-pollination with “cafe’ shutters”, what we now refer to as plantation shutters. They are popular all across the country now and all the major players are “all-in.” Honestly, I don’t care for them. While they are excellent insulators they are major window destroyers. Blocking 40% of a windows view at best, the plantation shutter has robbed Atlanta of its views.

Plantation Shutters Atlanta

Don’t get me wrong. We sell them. We sell a lot of them. So does every out of work cabinet maker and carpenter from here to Savannah. So called “manufacturer direct” outfits. Since 1994 we have watched them come and go. Riding the waves of the housing market. Obviously a lot of them are gone now. However, once housing starts to tick up, we’ll start getting the calls from the new manufacturers who used to work for so and so and now have their own facility. It’s like clockwork.

We carry two local fabricators. One has been around since the early 90′s and the other about ten years. Both are quite good at what they do and very reliable. We will stick with these guys until they stop being good or go out of business. We, of course also carry Hunter Douglas’ full line of wood, faux wood and PVC shutters. Heritance, New Style, and Palm Beach brands respectively. Our local brands are more affordable, however; our Hunter Douglas brands are backed by well … Hunter Douglas and it’s almost 100 year history.

Plantation Shutters Atlanta

If you are looking for plantation shutters for your home in Atlanta or the surrounding North and Central Georgia area, let us know. We’re here to help.

In late 2010 we teamed with Home Visions to install a Lutron controlled shade and light system. Using Lutron wireless technology is especially important in a high-rise setting. All of the steel, concrete and electrical interference can cause interruptions in regular radio controlled systems. Lutron leases a special lower bandwidth from the FCC which allows them to provide uninterrupted radio control.