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The Most Popular Window Coverings for Pet Owners in Washington DC
It’s a scenario Washington DC pet owners are all too familiar with: leaving your home only to glance behind and see your four-legged friend’s face looking at you as you leave. For pet owners with certain types of window treatments, regular trips to the window may spell disaster, as pets can cause some of the worst and lasting damage to your window treatments.
So how can you protect against pet damage? The easiest way is to pick a pet-friendly window treatment that can handle even the rowdiest pets. Let’s learn about some of the best (and worst) window treatments for pet owners across Washington DC.
Window Treatments That Aren’t Pet-Friendly
We’ll start by taking a look at which window treatments homeowners with pets should not choose.
Window Coverings With Cords
Just like with children’s window safety, cords are a problem for pet owners. Dogs and cats alike are known to play with hanging cords, which might mean damage to your window covering or in some cases, injury to your pet.
Look into window treatments without cords, such as shutters that fit in the window frame or other window coverings that feature a top-down bottom-up configuration or are automatic.
Metal Blinds
Photo courtesy Carlos Castro via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Metal blinds are probably the absolute worst window treatment for homeowners with pets. Not only do the blinds typically operate by cord, but they’re incredibly vulnerable to damage from even the most gentle pets. Dogs or cats peeking through aluminum blinds can bend, warp, and even snap the flimsy slats, which means you’ll need to replace the entire window treatment.
Fabric Window Coverings
Fabrics may be something to stay away from, depending on your pet and the type of window covering. Long fabrics like drapes can “puddle” on the floor, which makes them easy for dirty paws to stain. Fabric window coverings also frequently collect pet hair which nullifies any style value they may add. Finally, fabrics can tear, something cat owners know all too well.
Top Recommendations for Pet-Friendly Window Treatments
Now that you’ve seen which window coverings don’t get along with pets, we’ll go over some pet-friendly window treatments.
Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds
Most of the problems aluminum blinds have, wood and faux-wood blinds resolve for pet owners. Even if your dog or cat wants to poke its head through the window, durable wood blinds can stand up to more abuse than metal blinds. Plus, their typically wider slats make it less likely for pets to get their arms or necks tangled in them.
However, make sure that if you purchase wood or faux-wood blinds that you go with ones without cords.
Plantation Shutters - A Pet Owner’s Best Window Treatment
If injury to your pet or damage to your window treatment has you worried, plantation shutters can help reduce those worries. Since they’re mounted directly into the window frame, there aren’t any dangling cords or fabric that might cause trouble. And, even if your dog or cat is able to reach them, Polywood® plantation shutters are scratch resistant and incredibly sturdy so damage is rarely an issue.
Plantation shutters keep your pets happy too. Own a pooch that wants to look out the window as you head out? Shutters can let it do so without much risk of damage. Does your cat want a patch of sunlight to lounge in? Just tilt the louvers to let the light come through without losing any privacy.
In effect, plantation shutters are the most ideal window treatment for homeowners with pets.
