Manufacturers are Cutting the Cord On Their Window Treatments

As of December 2018, newly manufactured stock window treatments should be cordless or have compact, inaccessible pull cords. Sunburst embraces the announcement, as it comes after conversations between the Window Covering Manufacturers Association and the American National Standards Institute, and includes any pre-manufactured window treatments. And while the new safety standards don’t recall already purchased window treatments, some people in Detroit have seen the regulations as a chance to change to cordless window treatments.

 

Why The New Window Treatment Safety Standards?

In the past few decades, window treatment cords have been determined as one of the Top 5 Hidden Hazards In The Home by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Young children and infants can get tangled up in the cords, resulting in injury or strangulation, with a report finding that there were almost 17,000 window cord injuries during a fifteen-year period. External cord safety products, such as cord cleats and fasteners, tried to solve the problem, but people did not use them as much as anticipated.

What Do The Safety Regulations Cover?

Each stock (ready-made) window covering available in stores or online must now be cord-free or have inaccessible cords. This includes over 80% of all window treatment products purchased in the U.S. and Canada. Custom-made window treatments do not have the same requirements; however, cords can only be 40% the length of the treatment and will default to a tilt rod rather than a tilt cord. These standards only affect window treatments manufactured after December 19, 2018, and current treatments have not been recalled.

What Are Your Options For Cordless Window Treatments?

With the new standards, families are now pursuing various safer options when buying or replacing their window treatments. Check out some different cordless options:

• Plantation Shutters: These family-friendly treatments cover the window with large louvers and usually open by a center tilt-rod. Shutters are the sturdiest window treatment and are made with either natural wood or a faux wood composite that won’t warp, crack, splinter, or chip. Plantation shutters have never employed a cord, so these treatments have always been known for safety.

• Barn Door Window Treatments: Instead of opening vertically using a cord or tilt rod, barn door shutters attach to a track above the window and slide horizontally. You can part your barn doors a little to let light through, or slide them to the edge of the track for a statement piece.

• Cordless Shades and Blinds: Some shades and blinds have altered their make-up to employ hidden cords that shouldn’t dangle down. Other treatments employ motors, which manipulate treatments by remotes or voice commands. Some shades simply raise or lower to their desired height by tugging the bottom bar. These treatments are available in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns, and has several semi-translucent fabrics that can look like of sheer draperies.
  

Sunburst Can Help You Cut The Cord On Window Treatments

If you’re looking to change out those corded hazards with a better treatment, your Detroit Sunburst representative is here to help. We can bring you an array of safe window treatments, and we can guide you in finding one that looks great in your windows. Book your free in-home consultation by calling 248-429-9294 now.