Yes, people can see in through an exposed sheer band when your room is lit at night. Line up the solid bands in the privacy position to cover the view through the sheer sections. A sheer band on its own leaves a view through, so adjust the bands when you turn on your evening lights.
How do zebra shades give privacy at night?
We make zebra shades with alternating sheer and solid bands on one roller. Line the bands up for privacy. Offset them for filtered light. Lowering the shade leaves you with another adjustment to make: the position of those bands.
The solid bands put fabric across the view through the sheer sections when you close them for privacy. If a sheer band remains exposed, someone outside can still have a view into a lit room. Pay attention to the bands when you close the shade in the evening. Leaving them in the position you used during the day can leave sheer sections exposed.
We suggest checking from outside with your usual room lights on while someone adjusts the bands inside. Look at the position you plan to use each evening. Zebra materials 1, 2, 5, 9, 13 and 30 carry a room-darkening claim. An exposed sheer band still leaves a view through.
How are roller blinds and Shangri-La shades different?
A roller blind is one panel of fabric with no bands. You raise or lower that panel without adjusting alternating sections. We make roller blinds in materials 20, 21, 22 and 31. You can order free material samples on the website before choosing what we will cut for your window.
Shangri-La shades have soft fabric vanes held between two sheer layers. The chain tilts the vanes open or closed, then rolls the shade up. For evening privacy, close the vanes instead of leaving the sheer layers exposed between them. Check that position from outside with the room lights on.
We make Shangri-La shades in materials 33 and 35. Material 35 carries a room-darkening claim. Shangri-La shades have their own pricing line on the website, where you can enter your window size and order them online.
How should I measure for an inside or outside mount?
Choose the mount before measuring. An inside mount sits within the window opening. An outside mount fixes to the wall above the opening and overlaps it, hiding an out-of-square frame and blocking more light. For an outside mount, add at least 2 inches each side and 2 to 3 inches above.
Measure the width first, then the height, to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. For an inside mount, measure the opening at the top, middle and bottom. Write down the narrowest width. Measure from the top of the opening to the sill at the left, middle and right. Use the longest height. Give us the exact opening measurements without subtracting anything. We make the deduction ourselves.
Check for at least 2 inches of flat depth inside the frame for the cassette. If you have less, choose an outside mount. Measure every window with the same tape, even when the openings look alike. We make shades from 9 to 109 inches wide and up to 130 inches high, to the eighth of an inch.
How much does a made-to-measure zebra shade cost?
For a chain-operated zebra shade, 30 by 72 inches is $237.00, a common size example for a tall window beside a door. A chain-operated zebra shade at 36 by 84 inches is $311.40, a tall stairwell window example. At 60 by 60 inches, a chain-operated zebra shade is $361.00, a front window example. A chain-operated zebra shade at 72 by 80 inches is $547.00, a patio door example.
These are examples of common windows. We price each shade from the measurements of the window it is for. The example prices include shipping in Canada and are before tax. GST or HST is charged by delivery province.
Any shade can be motorized for $115.00 more. A remote is $50.00 and runs up to 15 shades. A motorized shade has no chain. With chain operation, you choose which side the chain hangs on. Our workshop sets its drop length. The continuous-loop chain is sold shrouded and anchored to the wall with a tension device.
Where are the shades made and when are they dispatched?
We make your shades to order in our Richmond Hill, Ontario workshop. We dispatch within three working days of a confirmed order. Transit time comes after that. There is no minimum order, so one shade is fine.
Widths of 94 inches and over travel by courier in their own carton, with an $85 charge once per order. Our team installs within 75 km of Elgin Mills and Yonge in Richmond Hill. The workshop is an assembly shop, so plan on ordering free samples through the website rather than visiting a showroom.
Custom shades are final sale once the order is confirmed. That does not apply to a shade that arrives faulty, damaged or different from what you ordered.
What to do next
Price a window on our website using the measurements for that opening. Choose your material and chain side, or select motor operation. If you choose zebra shades for evening privacy, plan to line up the solid bands when the room lights are on.
Made to measure in Richmond Hill and shipped free anywhere in Canada. Or ring us on (289) 210-3254.