If we had the best Window Treatments but our service sucked, I bet you wouldn’t say that you got the best deal… even if our blinds were the most inexpensive! And if we gave you great service but our Window Coverings were cheap and always breaking, you wouldn’t say, “Oh I think I’ll call them again for our next phase for blinds or shades”. After many years of working for others and now for myself, I feel confident that we have found the best priced products with the best quality! We use a sister company to Hunter Douglas so you can get the best prices (sometimes almost half the price) and yet the same great quality. I’ve found they have the best Roller Shades, Blinds, Woven Wood Shades, Honeycomb Pleated Shades. Zebra Shades and Sunscreens. If there is a pinhole, they will replace the shade without hesitation, no matter how much the cost is to them. That’s why I mostly use this sister company- Alta brand. There are a few other brands I use for other products because I like to offer the best of each product at the best price possible. I only use the best quality for our Exterior Shades since they are out in the elements constantly. I hardly get a call for repairs because of this choice and my clients are always happy with the quality of their Shades. And we have several workrooms for our Draperies, Fabric Roman Shades and Side Panels, but we mostly use our local workroom because they have put out only excellent quality products every single time. And they know us by name and we visit their place often. I’m still amazed at how they can make such a large amount of fabric into the measurements down to 1/8 of an inch--these girls are super-heroes in my eyes! Some people have the word “integrity” or “excellence” in their brand, but when we say “Serving With Integrity and Excellence, Always” we mean it and we endeavor to live it!

If you didn’t see “Mommy Dearest” then you won’t understand this title. But even if you didn’t, I think you can get the gist. I can’t recall ONE person that has told me they liked their Vertical Slatted Blinds. Not one. Oh, but plenty of us have plenty to say about our distaste for them. I can’t even measure around the things when someone wants to replace theirs, without them falling down, one slat at a time. So, what’s a person to do when they have a large Sliding Glass Door? Or a really wide window? No fear—there are options besides the dreaded clanking vinyl blinds. Panel Tracks are our most popular treatment that comes from our line of Roller Shade fabrics. This way, you can match your Horizontal Shades with your Verticals. Each vertical panel is from 11-17” wide and on a tracking system rod and comes in all degrees of opacity. Luminettes are our more elegant Vertical Sheers. These match our line of Silhouette and Window Shading fabrics. Woven Wood Verticals come in several different category of fabrics: soft wovens, grass wovens, and bamboo wovens. They can also be made in 5% fullness or 20% fullness. Honeycomb Verticals can also match their counterpart Horizontal Shades and I’m excited about the new metallic colors. Now there are larger pleats for a softer look – 2” Hybrids. Another benefit of Honeycombs is the energy efficiency. Side Panels are the new Draperies. They are less bulky and aren’t meant to close, but to soften the edges of your windows. They absorb noise, soften and add flavor and color to your room. If you know your window will not need a cover over it for reasons of glare, heat, cold or privacy, then this is a perfect solution. But if you have enough wall space on each side of your window, then full Draperies will work. Horizontal Roller Shades on a vertical opening door works well with those who aren’t concerned about putting them up and down much. They are there, hidden inside the cassette—when you need them. And the wonderful benefit of this option—no stack back along the sides of your window or wall. More and more of our clients are choosing this option for a clean look. If ever I was happy about innovation and progression, it’s in this department of Vertical window coverings! I hope this helped you and your future sanity! I know it does mine. 

When my clients are drawn to Woven Wood Roman Shades, I always remind them that there will be a stack at the top of the window. So, if you have low windows this may not be the best choice for you until …. No fear, no more stack! Introducing …Natural Woven Wood Roller Shades ! It’s an exciting new concept; the Woven Wood/ Roman Shade rolls up into a cassette! The only catch is that you won’t be able to put a liner on it. But so many of you have privacy in the back of your homes, with rolling hills and valleys. And so many times, people will choose to have some see-through opacity so they can see the silhouette of their hills and trees. The fabrics are made of a wood fiber and have the exact same feel as the Woven Woods. They come with a standard 6” Valance that does have a light-filtering liner behind it to hide the headrail and mechanisms. You can choose from Continuous Cord/Clutch, Cordless, Power Wand control or Remote Control. And you can get a hub to work with your Home Automation. Click on the link below to view the beautiful fabric colors and get a feel for the textures. But there’s nothing like seeing them and feeling them in person. Call us for a consultation and we’ll bring them to your home so you can look at the fabrics in your lighting and against your paint color. Natural Roller Shades Wow, I’m amazed at all of our new products continually, but this is one of my favorites!

What to do with a skylight that is a great enjoyment certain parts of the day but unbearable other parts of the day or for too many hours during summer’s worst months? You may not know but we have solar panel motorized window treatments so you’ll never have to change out batteries or plug in a cord to charge. And motorization has become exponentially less expensive than just a few years ago. Solar panels need sun for at least several hours a day, so that’s why it’s a no-brainer to use it for a skylight that’s hard to reach. A transom window can benefit from a motorized window treatment also. Set your blind or shade on a timer so that you can save on your electric bill by closing off those windows when direct sun is coming through. And save your furniture from harmful UV rays. Decorative Grilles also look beautiful on transom windows blocking out a great amount of sun by choosing a tightly woven pattern, or else allowing more light in with a loosely woven pattern while adding to the décor of your home. And our Decorative Grilles aren’t only for windows! You can fill in a wall niche, bring a patio wall to life, take the eye upward with a ceiling mount, or frame a bed for a dramatic feel as shown in the photo above. What about trapezoid and arched windows? You can use a non-operable Roller Shade. Or if you want a treatment that is operable you can choose a Shutter, Honeycomb Shade, or Blind. Even though the Roller Shades are inoperable, you can get a 10% opacity where you can still see all of your view while having 90% UV protection from the heat, glare and UV rays. You see, we have a solution for every kind of window! So call for a consultation with no obligation and we’ll find the help you need.

You’ve probably heard for a while now that gray is the “in” color. And maybe you turned up your nose at the thought because of not having other gray decor in your home. Well here is a good example of how browns and grays truly do match. Even though there are browns in the flooring, the gray Roller Shades and wall color blend perfectly well. Sometimes the shade colors change their look, almost like a chameleon, as the light progresses throughout the day. Grays start to take on a taupe or brown look as you can see from this first picture compared to the second one (same color of shade in both offices). If you like this color, ask for “Storm”. Our Roller Shades come with a fabric-covered Sleek Cassette that the shades roll up into completely. So if you want to have a full view when your window treatment is up, the Roller Shade will fit your needs perfectly. 90% of our clients purchase Roller Shades, especially for the back of their homes where they are able to see the silhouette of trees and hills when the shades are down. You can choose any opacity you desire–either complete privacy, light-filtering, blackout, or 3, 5, and 10% opacity–with silhouette views of your property. One last thing. Roller Shades don’t need cleaning, because the dust is being gently shaken off every time you put them up and down. So unlike Blinds, they are fuss-free and sleek in appearance. And much lighter to raise and lower! If you like the color shown here I can order you free samples. Or if you simply like the thought of all that the Roller Shade offers, call for a free consultation and we can hold up all different colors and opacities against your wall and windows to see what fits your taste! Call now for free samples or a free consultation: 830-890-1645.

If you have windows close to a bathtub, shower or sink, or even in your laundry room, you will want to consider Faux Wood Shutters. Faux wood looks so much like the real thing that most people are now putting this product in their brand new upscale homes. Why not real wood, you might ask? I think it’s partly because of the price, but also because the Faux Woods don’t peel, crack, warp or chip with moisture and sun exposure. So when is it better to get the real thing? Hardwood shutters with a stain cannot be compared to the Faux Wood stained look. It will be evident that you aren’t using a real wood with a real stain if you try to go faux. So please please don’t try to shortcut when it comes to stained wood. Real wood stains will be much more rich, picking up the grains and giving a true-to-name color of stain. The photo with this particular client asked for a Bi-fold Shutter for her bathroom so she could have a clean view when opened all the way. It was a challenge to fit it with the faucets on the ledge of the window, but I made a cardboard replica with the exact measurements and tried it out first just to make sure. I’ll go the extra mile to make sure your window treatments are done with excellence! And speaking of, my Faux Wood Shutters have an aluminum bar in the center of all the framework and the louvres to give more stability. This keeps us from having to add a divider rail on larger Shutters, where other vendors will require it. A divider rail is usually centered and makes a shutter have a split tilt. If you like a split tilt, then you won’t mind a divider rail, but at least you get a choice. Faux Wood or Hardwood Shutters: a classic view from the street and they’ll never go out of style!

Wow, you would think buying a patio shade would be easy, right? But there are so many components and choices, so I’m here to simplify and help give understanding of all your options. There are many facets to a Patio Shade. Options are good because you may have a problem area that needs a solution and hopefully the expertise in this article will help you. First of all, I’d like to say I don’t just sell any Exterior Shade to make a sale, when I know they are prone to repairs. I’d rather stick with the company that my installer tells me has the least repairs and remakes. They may be a little more cost in the beginning but a lot better quality in the end with little or no headaches. And you want these to last for many years. I have other products that I’ll offer choices from different vendors but it’s because I know all of them are quality products at good prices. Exterior Shades are different because they’re exposed to the elements, so they need higher quality fabrics and mechanics. So let’s get started and I’ll try to talk in terms that the average non-window treatment consultant can understand. We have a wonderful brochure that has all these options in picture form and if you’re visual like me, this is a great help. First of all, our fabrics are welded on the edges. As you can imagine there would be fraying from years of wind movement without this extra and that’s exactly what you can expect from the big store purchases. We have see-through opacities from 1%-10%. I’ll hold up samples to show you the different views. It’s great because you don’t have to feel closed in when the shades are down and you can still see your beautiful Hill Country views! We have dark, medium and light colored fabrics and we even have custom color options. Our most popular screen fabric color is Mocha (a medium bronze-y color). Second, our hardware is made from stainless steel, including the cables which have a poly covering. You have a choice of no cables with a bungee to hold down the shade. This doesn’t work when you want to have more stability in windy places or if you desire to stop the shade at different openings. Then there is the most popular choice of cable guides, which guide the fabric as it goes up and down. If you don’t mind a crank control, for the same price as a cable, you can choose metal side tracks. This option doesn’t completely close in from having light gaps, but is will have less light and wind gap than a cable guide. Then finally we have Zip tracks that close in the fabric completely and will keep bugs and varmints out. I’ve listed the options in the order of pricing. Third are the control options. As I listed above, there is the bungee system. Our most popular, the cable guides with either a Continuous Loop Cord, a Crank, or Motorized option. The Zip track has only a motorized option. Our motorization allows for plug outlets or hard wire with either a J-box or a 4 wire Disconnect. I have print-outs for your electrician and all the amp info when it comes time to make that decision and I’m happy to make a call to answer all questions and send them the wiring instructions. All of our Patio Shades come with a Headbox except the less expensive Bungee option. The Headbox keeps out dust and rust and is actually 4-sided with a slit opening for the shade underneath. I discourage people from buying the Bungee option for this reason and also for the aesthetics. It just looks better to have a covering than an open roll at top. While at a client’s home recently, we did a rain test on the fabric. She had a screened in porch and needed protection from the blowing rain. So we went to her kitchen sink, turned on the sprayer and gave it a test. I was amazed at how it dribbled down water on the opposite side we were spraying directly into. There was very little spray coming through and really there won’t be that same force from rains as there was from a faucet spray. So whether your desire is to keep out rain, bugs, varmints or heat and cold, you can accomplish this with Patio Shades. Also you can ward off the glare and save your patio furnishings from fading. You will spend more time outdoors like you first envisioned when building or buying your home and if you have a Nosy Nellie for a neighbor, you can just make them wonder.

If you’re the type of person that likes different and likes the way light plays on your walls, you may like our new Dual Shades. They have a band of fabric, with a band of sheer in between when fully open. You can opt out for fully private by simply pulling the bands together, and still have a light-filtering shade. These Dual Shades are similar to the Silhouette but with dual fabrics for a play with light. They’re a softer-looking product and easy to keep clean. Dual Shades come from Hunter Douglas’s sister company so they are less pricey than a Silhouette. There are many options of controls. Motorization with either battery or plug-in rechargeable cord, Continuous Loop, Retractable, Cordless or the Power Wand, which is a touch motorization. Then there’s the many different colors and textures to choose from, so you can either blend or contrast. And if you need to hold up the fabrics against your wall color, you can order free swatches through us here at Cover Windows. But if you prefer, we can bring all the samples to your home and show them to you altogether.  We’re here to help make your selection process easier, so click for a free in-home consultation and we’ll guide you along the way. Or call to have free samples sent straight to your home. 830-890-1645.

Most folks don’t know what will work best with their desires and lifestyle, and it is truly different with every family. So here are the 3 questions I ask and that you can ask yourself before purchasing your next Window Coverings. The first thing I ask someone who isn’t sure what they want to cover their windows is do you want your room to still have light filtering through, or do you need to darken your room, or would you like to have some see-through, at least a silhouette of your views? This latter option is great when the home is on a piece of property that has no back neighbors in view, or for a home in the country that has no need for privacy. Black out shades are great for people who work at night or even those who stay up late, needing their extra rest in the mornings. Also for guest bedrooms, especially if you have friends or family you know that like to sleep in. Teens can sleep for longer than bears in hibernation and would love to have black out shades for the weekends, and hey, you can always open them up all the way if you need to encourage early rising. Light-filtering shades are wonderful for keeping a room lit with romantic light at the same time taking the glare off of a T.V. or computer monitor. They will also hold back the cold and heat from the outside temperatures. Blinds and Shutters will not hold off outside temperatures as much as Roller Shades, Honeycomb Shades and other fabric-type of shades. They also will not allow for as much of a clear view as something like a Roller Shade or Honeycomb Shade. So, this is the next thing to consider … what kind of see-through capability do you want? If you don’t mind the louvres of a Shutter or the slats of a Blind, then this is a good option. And Shutters will always be a classic, especially known for their curbside appeal. But if you’d like a completely open view, you will want something more like a Roller Shade, Honeycomb Shade or Draperies that can be pulled all the way back off the window. The more popular thing now is to have Side Panels – to soften the sides of the windows, with another treatment on the window. It’s very pleasing to the eye to add the extra layer and speaks to both the function and fashion of your desires. And speaking of, the last question is about your style. Function, then Fashion. It’s really about both when it comes to decorating. Can you imagine buying a sofa that looked beautiful to your eyes but you couldn’t relax on it at night? Or buying one because it was so dang comfortable but not considering whether it looked good or matched your other decorations? I’m sure you just had a flashback of a bachelor pad you’ve visited or maybe owned yourself. And maybe that sofa does match their Farah Fawcett posters on the living room wall?! In truth, decorating is all about the details. There are times that a window doesn’t need a covering but to put a Decorative Grille into that transom window can bring so much richness. As already mentioned, it isn’t necessary to hang Side Panels beside a window with already functioning Window Treatments, but oh the flare and color it can add to a room!