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After considering a range of window treatment options, you’ve decided to choose blinds for your home, and whether you go with wood blinds or faux-wood blinds, you’ll end up with a clean, classic look for your home. But while both wood and faux-wood have their benefits, which material is the best fit for you? And what are the pros and cons of each option? 

Pros and Cons of Wood Blinds

If you’re hoping to achieve a timeless, classic look for your home, wood blinds are hard to beat. Genuine wood blinds are crafted from hardwood and create a look that is visually appealing no matter what part of your home they’re in. Wood blinds can be stained or painted to match a wide range of colors and styles, and in addition to giving your home an elegant look, wooden blinds are also lighter in weight than faux-wood. This makes them easier to operate than their faux-wood counterparts, whether opening and closing or raising and lowering. Thanks to their lighter weight, real wood blinds are also available in longer spans than their faux wood counterparts, removing the need for multiple sets of blinds for bigger windows. Finally, thanks to the quality of the wood used for these blinds, these window coverings absorb more heat and cold than faux wood blinds, making them a great option if you’re hoping to provide better insulation for your home during temperature swings.

The benefits to genuine wood blinds are numerous, but wood still isn’t as flexible as faux wood, so if your window coverings are going to be within reach of children or pets, they could receive wear and tear that could eventually cause them to crack or split. Additionally, wood blinds are not recommended in areas with high humidity like bathrooms or laundry rooms, as prolonged exposure to moisture can cause them to warp. 

In terms of regular maintenance, wood blinds can be easily dry dusted with a clean cloth thanks to their smooth surface. For a deep clean, these blinds can be cleaned with a soft cloth that is lightly sprayed with furniture polish or lemon oil, and water should be avoided to prevent damage. Lastly, wood blinds are also more expensive than many versions of faux-wood blinds, and depending on the size and quality of the blinds you need, they may cost an extra few hundred dollars.

Pros and Cons of Faux-Wood Blinds

Faux-wood blinds are designed to look like genuine wood and are created with a composite material that often has an embossed wood grain rather than a smooth surface like vinyl or aluminum blinds. One pro of faux-wood blinds is that they are available in a wide range of colors, ensuring that you’ll always be able to find the right shade to match your home’s aesthetic. Another plus is that due to their unique composition and flexibility, faux-wood blinds don’t crack, chip, peel, or yellow over time as they are built with durable polymer materials with UVA inhibitors.

Additionally, since faux-wood blinds are crafted with synthetic materials, they will stand up to high humidity environments in rooms like bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens better than real wood blinds. This tolerance for moisture also means that faux-wood blinds can be easily cleaned, and you either wipe them clean for regular maintenance with soap and water, or they can be deep-cleaned by hosing them down or immersing them in water without worrying about water damage. Finally, faux-wood blinds are generally more affordable than their genuine wood counterparts.

While there are certainly many pros to faux-wood, this composite material still isn’t real wood, so it doesn’t have the same richness that you can get from high-end genuine wood blinds. The embossed wood grain can also collect more dust and make the slats more difficult to clean, and they are generally much heavier than wood blinds.

Which option is right for you?

Now that we’ve examined the pros and cons of both wood blinds and faux-wood blinds, consider how each option would work within your home. Before making a decision, be sure to take into account important factors like the durability needed from your blinds, resistance to sunlight, heat, and cold, and ease of maintenance. For instance, window covering solutions for areas like bathrooms and kitchens should naturally have the durability required to withstand high levels of humidity. Finally, consider the overall appearance of the blinds and how they would fit into your home’s style, because your new blinds will have an overall impact on the room’s décor.

Ready to get started?

Still not sure which type of blinds is the right option for your home? Our team of window coverings specialists are ready to help! Schedule your free in-home consultation today by filling out our contact form, or visit one of our two showroom locations for help reimagining your home.