It’s the perfect time of year to focus on child safety awareness. With school age children learning all about safety, it’s great to think about safety features–and dangers–in your home. Blind cords are a commonly forgotten hazard, but the danger of them is becoming more and more known. At Austin Window Fashions we take child safely seriously, take a minute to review ways to bring your home up-to-date.
The Dangers & Regulations
Just a couple of cords hanging by the window doesn’t seem too harmful, right? But, children have very imaginative minds. They see the cords as a fun lasso when pretending to be a cowboy or as a pretty necklace while dressing up as a princess. The cords pose a risk of getting tangled and tightening around a child, which may cause injury, or even fatal results.
Child Safety: What Your Options Are
The US Government Consumer Product Safety Commission stated in December of 2018 that blind cords dangling around windows are a hazard. More standards were put in place as of 2023, and those regulations are moving families to safer options. The commission determined “custom window coverings with accessible operating cords longer than 8 inches pose an unreasonable risk of strangulation to children 8 years old and younger.” Blind cord and child safety became a priority for Hunter Douglas years ago. With each passing year, more and more innovations have lead to the safe window coverings you can add to your home. Let’s take a look at your options…
Cordless Blinds
Getting rid of cords all together is the simplest way to make sure they will never be a child safety issue. Cordless blinds provide peace of mind for your whole family. We can help you by providing options for your windows.
LiteRise System
Our LiteRise blinds completely removes blind cords, which allows the lift system to be raised or lowered with a simple push or pull. Zero hassle.
Automation
Motorized blinds sound like such a convenience, right? Not only are they easy to operate, they also take away any danger relating to blind cords. Use a remote, an app on your smart phone, or a voice command to your smart home device, and make effortless adjustments. Cordless and convenient!
Custom Shutters
Plantation Shutters have an obvious cordless design. They also have some other amazing child proof features: they are very long-lasting and durable, as well as framed into your window, meaning they are rather secure even if the windows are open.
Safe Blind Cords Options
Even with tougher windows in tricky spots, child safety needs to always be the utmost priority. Some windows may still need a cord, and this is where our safe blind cord options come in. For example, windows that are located behind furniture may need a different type of lift system. Let’s see what type of cord safety will fit your lifestyle…
The SoftTouch Wand
SoftTouch is a new operating system. It offers wand motorization for control at an individual window. It’s as easy as tapping the bottom of the wand or giving it a light tug to make the blinds go up and down. As an added safety feature, if a child pulls too hard, the wand will disconnect, held together by magnets.
Cord Tensioner
Continuous cord loops offer a safe cord when fastened into place with a cord tensioner. Secured directly to the window frame, child safety is at the forefront of this design. This can be done during installation.
With child safety on our minds, we are all about eliminating blind cords from arms reach. Not just by tossing them up to the top of the window, but by providing you with so many wonderful options of safe window coverings to add to your home.
UltraGlide
UltraGlide gives you a completely safe cord option that also stays out of reach of little ones. Not only is the cord shorter, making it higher up, it’s also retractable. That means no matter what length it is at, it stays out of the way.
Let Us Help with Child Safety in Your Home
This may all seem like a bit of a daunting task, especially since so much is at risk if the right steps are not taken. Our team at Austin Window Fashions wants to help you with your selection and ensure that you have the safest window coverings installed in your home. Come visit us at our Austin showroom, or contact us today to schedule your FREE in-home consultation.
