Look at this photo of a lovely, cozy corner of a room. Do you see anything in this room that could be a hazard to the health of your child or pet? No? Look again.
I bet you see it now.
The danger is quite subtle yet, quite serious. The threat we're talking about are the corded wood blinds. If you look closely, there is exposed cording throughout the blind. Also present are dangly cords that appear to be longer than 8-inches in length. If the shades were to be pulled completely off the window those same cords would be much longer and therefore a menace to your beloved child or pet, as they can get easily entangled. This could result in serious injury or death from strangulation.
Did you know that window blinds are among the top 5 hidden hazards in American homes? (CPSC)
This is such a problem that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has now banned all corded shades. This includes, but is not limited to: Blinds, (mini or wood), shades (Roman, pleated, or honeycomb), draperies with pulley type mechanisms, skylight shades (yes!), shades and blinds with continuous cord loop, and any other shades with reachable cords.
If you already have corded shades in your home and are wondering how to protect your loved ones, simply install a cleat on the wall so that when you raise the shade you can wrap the cord safely out of reach. Keep all corded shades and blinds out of a baby, toddler, or young child's room. And contact us to assist with any replacement shades or blinds. We can quickly asses whether your existing window covering can be retrofitted for motorization or a cordless option.
What one window covering manufacturer is doing to promote awareness for child safety is providing one free cordless honeycomb shade to every family in the U.S. Follow this link to learn more, or contact us and we can guide you through the process, plus provide any additional shades you may need.
"Every household in the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) with a child under the age of eight (8) years old is eligible to receive one FREE custom-made cordless Norman® Honeycomb shade."
Since 2014, our business partner Kempler Design has been stressing the importance of cordless shades. We eliminated all sales of cordless shades and blinds as our commitment to child safety awareness.
Thank you for reading this important blog post. As Kempler Design, we have over thirty years experience in the Northern Nevada region assisting our clients to determine the right window covering for their needs. Paul Kempler is the window coverings specialist. We are happy to guide you through the complicated process of selecting the proper window treatment for your home.
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