Windows not covered with curtains create the effect of open space, and if in some cases this is a plus, then in a home environment it is often more of a minus, which hides the comfort of the room. Also, thanks to the curtains, privacy is maintained, which is especially important on the ground floors or in a private house, where passers-by from the street can look into the windows. It is also important to consider that the main function of the curtains is protection from the sun and decorating the interior of the room.
Classic curtains often do not fit into a modern interior, as it is made in a loft or minimalist style, so modern curtains must combine all the advantages of functionality, as well as be compact and not overload the modern interior. In order not to turn the room into a boring office, you should move away from the choice of classic vertical or horizontal blinds, and choose more recent solutions that are more suitable for your home interior. Day-night curtains do this perfectly; they combine all the advantages of blinds, and also, thanks to a large selection of fabrics, they allow you to decorate even the most non-standard windows.
Advantages of day-night blinds
An appearance that is ideal for living spaces and gives the necessary coziness.
Simple adjustment of the level of lighting in the room, outperforms its analogues in terms of functionality.
Easy installation, which can be performed without additional specialists.
Long service life, since the system does not have complex elements that can fail.
Easy to operate, self-locking mechanism controlled by one chain.
Polyester fabrics are coated with special compounds with protection against fading, which increases service life.
Suitable for all types of installation, on the sash, on the opening and in the opening.
Easy to care for, the fabric does not need to be washed, just wipe with a damp sponge.
Can be installed in combination with classic curtains for decoration and added functionality.
To produce day-night curtains, fabrics made of 100% polyester with special impregnations are used, thanks to which the fabrics do not fade in the sun and also do not accumulate dust. This simplifies the care of the curtain, but in turn it is forbidden to wash such fabrics, as well as wash them using strong cleaning agents, because they can damage the impregnation and the fabric will begin to accumulate dust more actively.
Operating principle of day-night curtains
In the case of an open system, the striped fabric is fixed on one side in a special aluminum profile, and on the other it is wound on the cornice; thanks to this design, the curtain consists of two parallel layers that are located opposite each other. This design allows you to regulate the flow of light by combining stripes. The fabric consists of transparent and dense stripes, which allows you to set the curtain in the “day” position when the stripes alternate and the curtain transmits 50% of the light, as well as in the “night” position when the window is completely covered with dark stripes. Due to the presence of striped fabric, these curtains are also called zebra.
Types of zebra curtains
There are several types of systems for zebra curtains, namely open and closed types of construction.
Closed type - the main differences in the design are an aluminum box with special brackets, as well as the presence of guides that come included. Due to the presence of guides, the curtain has no side gaps, which allows you to achieve a complete darkening effect when using blackout fabrics without losing the ability to set the “day” position and without fully opening the window to receive sunlight in the room.
The aluminum box, in turn, protects the fabric and mechanisms from damage, which is especially important for the kitchen or nursery where the curtain may be dirty or broken.
Thanks to the compactness of the system, the fabric does not dangle and is always near the double-glazed window, even if the windows are open and there is ventilation; the guides hold the fabric and prevent it from dangling. Also, when installing curtains on the shutters, you still have a free window sill, which is especially important in the kitchen and on the balcony where there is often not enough space.
Open system
In an open system, special brackets and a shaft with fabric are used, as well as a profile for fixing the fabric.
Moreover, the entire structure is not covered with an aluminum frame and is visible to the naked eye. In most cases, the open system is suitable for installation on all types of windows, and there are also options for open systems standard 25 and 35 with a larger diameter shaft and reinforced brackets, which allows you to install curtains even 2 or more meters wide on a window opening or on the ceiling.
Both open and closed systems work using a chain mechanism that automatically locks the curtain at the desired height. Also included with the system is a control chain lock that holds the chain on the window and prevents it from dangling when the sash is opened.
Recommendations for choosing day-night curtains
Before installation, decide on the installation option and type of system. If installation is planned on a sash, then you can use both an open and closed system, but if installation is planned on a ceiling, then you should use an open system, since a closed system is more suitable for installation on a sash or on an opening due to the presence of guides. Also pay attention to the opening angle of the window; if the sash is located next to the slopes and rests on them, installing a cornice may slightly reduce the opening angle.
If the curtain is installed on the opening, it should not fall too low so as not to touch the heating devices.
Consider the appearance of the room when choosing fabric and system. Any chosen system will look good on plastic windows, since they are specially designed for installation on sashes. All systems have several colors of fittings for installation on windows of different colors, for example: white, brown, golden oak, walnut and mahogany. If you order a closed type system, the guides will also be in the color of the box so that the system does not visually stand out on the window. When choosing fabric, you can easily calculate the budget of the product using the calculator on the website, you should indicate the size of the curtain and try to choose different fabrics, the price will change depending on the chosen fabric and you can immediately decide on the pricing policy. All prices and fabric availability on the website are current. Do not forget that correctly selected fabrics can both expand the interior and add bright colors, but it is worth considering the current style of the room so as not to overload it with many different shades.
If you are choosing a curtain for a large window or opening, you should immediately choose from the Standart system, which has metal brackets and a reinforced shaft that allows it to withstand large volumes of fabric. Also, for convenience, the site itself limits the possibility of ordering a system that does not meet the maximum requirements. That is, if you can place an order and do not receive warnings about restrictions, you can be sure that the curtain will work for a long time without wearing out the components. If the calculator warns you that “the entered dimensions are not suitable for this system,” you should choose a larger system, for example, standard 35 or bamar.
Pay attention to the fabrics, often all day-night fabrics are made of 100% polyester, but the manufacturing principles allow you to create fabrics with different types of densities, as well as with different meshes, which are distinguished by fine and dense grain. Everyone wants to get curtains made from natural materials; most of the proposed options will be synthetic, since synthetics are better able to withstand constant sunlight and do not fade longer.
How to care for curtains day and night
When cleaning, just wipe the curtains with a dry cloth to remove dust from them; you can also open and close the curtain several times and the dust will fall off on its own.
Avoid using a vacuum cleaner (although it is sometimes recommended to use it); strong air flow can damage or wrinkle fabrics.
Do not use strong cleaning agents, as they damage the impregnations on the fabric; the use of chlorine-based products is especially undesirable.
Also, do not use abrasives to avoid scratching the fabric again.
If there are dirty stains on the fabric that cannot be removed with a dry cloth, use a sponge soaked in a light soap solution. Do not rub the fabric too hard to avoid damaging the applied impregnation.
After washing, the fabric should be completely unfolded until dry.
Also, if it is heavily soiled, it is better to wet the curtain and leave it for a while instead of trying to actively rub the dirty areas, and then rinse with clean water.
The cost of curtains often depends on the combination of fabric and the selected system; the cost is influenced by the selected fabric, system and curtain size. Also, colored fittings can increase the cost of the product relative to white standard components.
Day-night curtains are well suited for people who value a combination of comfort and maximum functionality. This is an option for a modern interior that combines maximum functionality and decor. Don’t be afraid to experiment, day-night are well suited for various interiors, as well as for rooms on both the sunny and shaded sides, they will not only protect your furniture from fading, but also maintain privacy and decorate your home with fresh colors.
A few recommendations for installing day-night curtains
During installation, you should decide how the measurements were taken and how the curtain will subsequently be installed.
If measurements were taken for installation with strip symmetry, this must be taken into account later during installation, since the curtains will be the same height and installed in a special way. When using symmetry, the doors next to each other are selected at a higher height and the curtains will be the same height, but mounted slightly differently. If there are two blind or two open doors nearby. Then the curtains will automatically be the same height, symmetry will appear by itself. But if there is a blind and an opening door next to each other, they will differ in size (the size of the opening door along the glazing bead is often equal to the size of the blind door, but 10 cm smaller). Since we need to achieve the same height, we add 10cm in height on the opening flap, but in this case the curtain will be mounted along the edge of the frame, and not along the glazing beads, otherwise the curtain will be too long after it is fully opened.
So, after we have decided on the symmetry, we can move on to installing the curtains. Day-night are installed in several versions, either on the sash or on the opening, as well as inside the opening and on the ceiling. In each of the selected options, the curtains will differ in width and height; accordingly, after measurements, it is no longer possible to install the curtain otherwise without changing the design of the product (it is not recommended to reduce the curtains yourself, since cutting the fabric is done using special equipment and you will be able to repeat a similar result at home problematic).
After determining the type of installation, you should place the assembled curtain rod on the intended installation location and fully open the curtain, holding the curtain rod. Thanks to these actions, you can make sure of the required height of the product, and it is also worth marking the places where the cornice is attached next to the brackets using a pencil (marks are placed along the width and height of the fastening).
Important! The curtain rod must be installed strictly horizontally because if the curtain is tilted, it may roll up unevenly. To determine the horizontal level, you should use an appropriate device. There is also an option to check the correctness of the selected tilt angle without additional equipment - you should open and close the curtain several times before installation; if the fabric is unevenly wound, it means that the angle is chosen incorrectly and you should tilt the curtain rod. Also, you should not lean on the window frame, although visually it may be perfectly flat; after installing the curtains along the glazing beads or along the edge of the frame, they may roll up unevenly, which indicates that the window is installed with a slight slope; this is not critical for the window, but the curtain will not roll up correctly, so you should double-check yourself just in case.
And now, when we have decided on the installation location and set the marks, we should remove the shaft with the fabric from the cornice and put it aside (for example, on a window sill), while one edge of the fabric will remain in the cornice, which is fixed, it should not be taken out, it is not will interfere with the installation of the curtain. In order to remove the shaft with fabric, there are special gears with latches inside the brackets; they are easy to distinguish since the shaft is held directly on them. If you bend the fastening latch inside, the gear will easily come out, freeing the shaft with the fabric (it is not necessary to remove the latch on the opposite side, you can simply remove the shaft from the gear and that will be enough). After we have removed the shaft, we need to fix the cornice with brackets using self-tapping screws; for this, there are special holes in the brackets and the aluminum profile for fastening, 2 on each side. After one screw has already been tightened, there is still a chance to change the angle of the curtain if it has moved, so we pay attention to the previously set marks. Then we fix the cornice on both sides. Next, you should reinstall the roller with the fabric and check the operation of the curtain. The finished, correctly assembled product should open all the way and, in the extreme position, completely close the window in the “night” position. If the shaft with the fabric turned while it was put aside and unwound, you can remove it and make a couple of turns in one direction or another to correspond to the “night” position. Important! In day-night curtains, the height affects the position of the dark and transparent stripes, so it is worth ordering curtains of the required height in advance; if you unwind the curtain more than required, the night position will be lost, which will affect ease of use in the future. As a result of the installation, you should check that the circuit limiters are installed correctly and if, for any reason, they have moved, they can be rearranged. Also, all systems, both open and closed, are equipped with control chain clamps; these clamps are installed next to the curtain control chain and are necessary for its fixation.
If the curtain is equipped with an additional “string” fixation, we will consider installing it separately
When installing the string, two fishing lines will be secured in advance on the sides of the cornice; they must be released and completely straightened. The string system is installed parallel to the fabric next to the curtain; the string clamps should be installed 10-15mm below the extreme position of the curtain so as not to interfere with comfortable opening.
If there is a string, the curtain is also equipped with a system of clamps, which includes 3 elements. Retainer, pin and decorative trim. Be sure to thread the string through all the elements, including the decorative overlay, because once the string is fixed with a pin, it will no longer be possible to thread the string. First, you need to secure the clamp using self-tapping screws, after which a special brass pin with a bolt is installed inside the clamp to fix the string. After which the string is threaded through the decorative cover, as well as through the pin, tensioned and secured with a bolt in a tense position. Next, you should put on the decorative cover and the system is ready for use. This procedure must be repeated on both sides of the product.
Day-night curtains are well suited for all types of rooms. For example, for the kitchen or children's room, they are also perfect for modern offices and halls. If necessary, they can easily close panoramic windows and small window sashes. Also, day-night systems with blackout fabrics are well suited for a conference room with a projector, for example, standard 25 systems complete with guides completely cover even wide openings, which allows you to create complete darkness in the office and 100% block the flow of light in the room. Also, a similar option with blackout fabrics is well suited for children's rooms because they allow you to create a dark environment during the daytime to ensure the child's daytime sleep.
