If you are looking for blinds for you home, one of the first things you will notice is that there are a number of different types of materials these days to get your blinds made of. This is a big change from the past where you had two choices, drab aluminum and cheap plastic. These days you can choose from a wide range of materials such as vinyl, cloth covered vinyl and wood. One of the most significant advances in the development of blinds has been the use of environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo for your blinds.

Bamboo is being used in a variety of applications, such as floors, paneling and even furniture but now you are able to get blinds that are made from this highly versatile material that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. This is good news for those that love the look of hardwood but do not care for how the choice of hardwood affects our environment.

Hardwoods are harvested at an alarming rate for use in everything from building to floors, window coverings and much more. When hardwood is harvested it kills the tree and although another tree may or may not be replanted it takes between 50 and 125 years for those trees to reach maturity, meaning that our forests are being stripped faster than they can be replaced. Deforestation has a prominent role in global warming as well as the effect it has on many species of animals.

Bamboo on the other hand is a fast growing grass that can be harvest in just 5-6 years, when canes are harvested they are about 6 inches in diameter and the harvesting of the cane does not kill the plant which sends out shoots continuously. In fact in some places in the world bamboo is so invasive and fast growing it is considered a weed. This plant however is highly versatile and has been used for everything from clothing to flooring and everything in between.

Bamboo offers no toxicity as many manufactured products do, this means that you will not only be doing something good for the environment but you will also be doing something good for you home. Plastics not only give off chemicals but they do not decompose, meaning that when disposed they will stay in landfills for far too long.

Bamboo shades have been around for some time in other forms, but now you can also get beautiful hardwood blinds made from this material. Bamboo offers beautiful natural wood patterns and can be manufactured in a number of different colors, the natural color is the pale blond that most of us associate with bamboo but there are a number of methods to offer natural looking colors to your blinds that may fit your décor much better.

In addition to all of its other benefits bamboo is an affordable material, because it is widely available and becomes more and more available as the years go by, you will find it more affordable than most hardwoods. Because it grows so fast there are few limits to the supply of bamboo, meaning that you will be able to get affordable prices on this earth friendly resource.

Bamboo also tends to be more durable than traditional hardwoods, 25% harder than the nearest popular hard wood, it is resistant to damage such as scratches and dings. With the proper finish bamboo is also fairly resistant to water and high humidity, something that is important when it comes to window blinds. Bamboo is also excellent for filtering out sunlight but is not subject to fading because of the harsh sun, this makes them ideal for indoor or outdoor use.

Of course one of the most important things for any blind is how good it fits in a room and how great your room will look with your new blinds. Bamboo offers an exotic and warm look to any home, it will offer character to your room and will offset other wood that has been used such as in the floors or paneling.

You will find bamboo easy to care for, general care is a regular dusting and you will want to clean them with a bit of oil soap and hot water occasionally to keep them looking good and help protect them.

For more information about bamboo blinds and to get a price quote for your home, visit us at Blinds Express where we offer a wide range of styles and colors to suit your décor.