Best blinds material for bright sun (shutters, vinyl, color, vertical blinds)

[bhmgirl]

We want to replace the aluminum blinds in the windows on the front of the family lake cabin. These windows get very bright hot sun and also reflection from the water. What material is best to withstand the heat and light without fading, warping, or cracking? I like the look of wood or faux wood blinds or plantation shutters, but I can't seem to find a good comparison of which material stands up the best over time. I would prefer something that will last a very long time.

Alternatively, has anyone ever tried to re-string old 2" aluminum blinds? How difficult is it? The look of these blinds isn't bad, if we could re-string them and get them cleaned up. They are very old (I think original to the house 1957) and were re-strung about 30 years ago. Unfortunately now a lot of the cords have completely deteriorated.

[maggiekate]

I have hunter douglas wood blinds, and they are now 10 years old. I live in the Sunshine state
and they do seems to hold up well.

[Cattknap]

I hate to be bound by a certain blind just because it blocks the sun, so here is what I do. I buy the highest quality off-the-shelf room darkening pull down vinyl shades from Lowes (they cut them to fit) and install them behind my window coverings. Then I use whatever I want as window coverings.....pull down the vinyl shade when you want to block out the sun and leave it rolled up behind the blinds when you don't need it.

[ladybug07]

It would be better to just re-order 2" aluminum blinds. As for the 2" fauxs, woods or plantation shutters, the best option would be the faux. Real wood blinds will warp from direct sunlight. Yes wood is a natural insulator, but I dont like spending alot of money for blinds that will not hold up.
Faux woods are designed to hold up to not warp, crack or discolor. So do the cellular shades. My personal favorite of cellular shades are the Bali Tinted Whites/Northern Lights. I have a Bottoms up/Tops down cordless cellular shade in my bathroom and I love it. That window also gets the the afternoon sun also. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow so you can see if its something you would like.

[tamcim72]

both my kids' rooms face south and get direct sun....daughter has white faux wood blinds and son has medium wood blinds. Son's room gets much darker with the blinds closed and much less heat.

[ladybug07]

Here is the blind in my bathroom.

[bhmgirl]

Thanks everyone for the ideas.
ladybug07, so that is the cordless cellular shade, right? Is it s Bali? I love the look of that. How do those compare on price to, for example, the 2" faux wood blinds? Lower, higher, or similar in price?

[ladybug07]

It is a cordless shade and it is Bali. I wanted cordless because I could see our cat playing with the cords and trying to take off with them through the house. They are more a little more expensive than a 2" faux wood, but to me, they are worth it because they insulate. Because of the bottom up, top down, cordless feature, we paid around 200 for it on sale. They are on sale again at Lowes.

[jeanne211]

hunter douglas i say are the best in quality and long lasting. it can last hears. try that outr the options are vertical blinds , rollers and any other types.

Jeanne

[drewr]

Here's what it sounds like: Wood blinds are lighter. They don't sag, but they can warp over time. They are pricy too.
Faux-wood blinds are heavier. They might sag if they are placed in a large window more than 48" wide. They are less expensive.
Vinyl Blinds will sag after a few years, but you can buy them really cheap so some people just replace them when they start looking too ugly. I did that, and it's a good route if on a budget.
All these above equations are affected by the temperature where you live and what direction the window faces.

I'm gonna buy the faux-wood blinds.