The ancient Egyptians, who originally invented blinds, incorporated the basic function of tilting through the use of pulleys. Because of the then intricate design of the blind, which increased the price of the product, blinds were not widely used. If this story is to be believed, then this article is a must read. It is believed that blinds were invented at a later time as a way to control the sunlight, thus believed to be superior to curtains due to their increased functionality. For this reason, ancient Pharaohs can not be credited with the invention of blinds.

Modern day blinds are a very unique product because of the important everyday function they perform in the home ? the blockage of light and the procurement of personal privacy. Additionally the security factor can not be ignored in these modern times. In order for blinds to provide the aforementioned functions, versatility in tilting of the slats and its ability to be raised to a given point are indispensable. If the only function of a blind were to just block a window, less expensive ways can be found, i.e. cover the opening with newspaper, use of cloth sheets or any other unaesthetic material which today is completely unacceptable.

Blinds are generally available in horizontal and vertical designs thus accommodating the particular requirements of the window or door to be covered. Controls are built in to perform the opening and tilting functions of the modern day blind and are also available in a multitude of colors and sizes to fit all applications. All blinds, regardless of origin, must perform these functions in order to meet the consumer demand and specific requirements.

In summary, similar functions are found in all blinds with disregard to their origin. Only the quality of the components will dictate the smoothness of operation and reliability of the blind. Blinds typically have two methods of adjustment. These are tilt, or rotate, and lift, or traverse.

The reason for two words for each of these actions is to distinguish between the actions that cause motion in a horizontal blind or a vertical blind. However, interestingly enough, typical blinds have the same mechanisms to adjust. There is little difference in them. To make sure that it is out there first, miniblinds are almost exactly the same as wood blinds, when it comes to the control system. Even if a company offers a specialty system, the components might be higher quality, or look nicer, but the basic functions are the same. The same principle applies to vertical blinds regardless of the internal systems used by the fabricators.

The functions of the vertical blind remain the same ? tilt open or close or traverse open or close as desired. To start with the traverse of a vertical blind, or a lift of a wood blind, one must visualize the blinds. The cords for this action exit one side of the blind. They are pulled in a downward motion to cause the lift or traverse. In the case of a vertical blind, pulling the other direction causes the opposite direction.

In the case of a horizontal blind, this action is prevented by a cord lock, but disengaging the cord lock causes this effect to occur. This works by a pulley action. A cord end is attached to one end of the blind, and the other end is what you pull. When you pull, the other end of the cord drives everything else in the control system in that direction. The tilting function of a horizontal blind or a vertical blind is performed by the use of a tilter mechanism built into the blind.

This tilting mechanism involves the use of a geared actuator which causes the blind to rotate/tilt to the desired position in order to allow the operator to control the amount of light entering a room, adjust the level of desired privacy or control the level of exterior view. The lift function of a horizontal blind is achieved through the use of a cord lock which allows the operator to lock the horizontal blind at a desired position. In the case of a vertical blind, the traverse function is achieved by either a cord which traverses the carriers to a desired point.

There are a few enhancements to these products. In the case of vertical blinds, there are some dual pinion systems, where the second pinion is used to cause a traverse action. This is actuated by a second chain movement. In the case of horizontal blinds, there are monocommand cord systems, but these are basically enhancements upon the existing products.

The basic elements of blinds are the same among various systems. If one needs to repair a blind, usually it is best to try to work with a retailer, who can determine if the blinds are reparable. In many cases, the blinds are so outdated that they may be a safety risk in the homes. However, if you will make repair to your blinds, at least you can understand how they work.

Judith Persit works from home in a design studio and writes about bamboo shades. Learn aboutshades at her website.