All About Mini Blinds

Mini blinds are the window covering of choice for decorators who want a sleek, elegant, and contemporary look in their home or office. Mini blinds are distinguished from larger or "macro" blinds by their smaller slat widths. The definitive slat width for micro blinds is 1 inch, though window blinds with slats as wide as 1-1/2 inches can also be considered mini blinds.

Mini Blind Facts
For reasons of both appearance and cost, mini blinds are the most popular blind size sold today. Mini blinds are inexpensive in comparison to larger wooden blinds and even faux wood blinds. They are also easy to install, and offer greater light control than window blinds with wider slats.

The streamlined look of mini blinds is so popular that smaller window coverings known as micro blinds have also been gaining in popularity. Micro blinds have a slat width of 1/2-inch and are often a little more expensive than mini blinds.

Mini Blind Materials
Most mini blinds are made from aluminum, though synthetics such as PVC, vinyl, or plastic are also used. Aluminum offers greater strength, stability, and durability, and its sophisticated visual texture is a perfect complement to the modern ambiance mini blinds create.

When shopping for aluminum mini blinds, you're going to come across a term that may be unfamiliar to you: gauge. Gauge essentially means thickness. A higher gauge means your mini blinds will be more durable and less prone to kinking or bending.

Aluminum mini blinds are described as six gauge, eight gauge, and sometimes nine gauge. Nine gauge aluminum blinds will be the most expensive but also the longest lasting. In a home or office where accidents are less likely, six gauge aluminum mini blinds will provide sufficient strength at a reasonable cost.