Topic: Regular Miniblinds or Faux Wood Blinds? Any feedback or suggestions?

I am in the process of rehabbing a 400 unit property. We are replacing the blinds, but I'm not sure if we should go with the standard miniblinds? Or go with faux wood blinds? The faux wood are almost twice the cost, but I would be willing to invest in them if I new the life span would be twice as long as the cheaper, standard miniblinds. Anyone have any suggestions or advice on this? What has your experience been with lifespan of the blinds and durability. Thanks!

If by "regular" you mean the aluminum versions, I think faux is the answer for a number of reasons, with the number one being NOI. The 400 sets are likely coming from capital improvement budget, which may not hit NOI, going forward, I believe you will have fewer replacements, saves both time and cost to replace. If you want to go deep let me know and I can put you in touch with a person I cycle with that is a national VP for Hunter Douglas, they probably have studies etc.

The life span for the blinds will ultimately depend on how the tenant uses them. The blinds are more than twice the cost of standard blinds therefore will increase the cost of your turns ultimately increasing your operating expense. You can of course deduct the cost of the blinds from the deposit. I have used the faux blinds before and have found that if they are in direct sunlight, the larger slats will become disfigured. This will require replacement even while the unit is occupied and it will be damage that you will be unable to go after the tenant for. I would recommend the standard vinyl mini blinds. Look for the blinds that are constructed with a metal header. The vinyl headers tend to break at the string area during use. I would use the money for other upgrades to the unit.

I have used both and have not really had too much of an issue with damage, but that is because of good tenant screening more than anything. I don't think I would recommend the larger ones because of the discoloration issue and you just don't tend to see the ROI. Poll the residents and see what the competition has - that may be your most reliable source of information.

I have to honestly admit to renting an apartment once based solely on the fact that it had white California shutters on the windows...you can slice ROI either way in this discussion but I would say if you find that the wood blinds give you a competitive edge, makes your community different, there is your answer. One thing I love about the the faux wood blinds or shutters, the prospective resident notices the difference the minute they drive into the community, making this feature/benefit obvious to everyone.

Good luck with your rehab. While a lot of work, they can be a whole lot of fun.

I have found over the years there are pros and cons to both-they are:
Mini-blinds- Take into consideration the style of window, slats get bent at window hardware from fumbling to open & close windows, never look the same after no matter how hard you try to bend them back in shape. Nothing worse than looking at a community of mangled window slats
Plastic versions are flexible and more resistant to liquid cleaners.
Wood blinds-fresher look, foam version not durable for the money, Sun damage causes distortion

The entire window covering industry is moving towards Cordless Lift System on Fauxwood Blinds. This child safe feature had always been very expensive. Currently Hunter Douglas and Graber brands both offer the cordless feature. For more information feel free to contact me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :woohoo:

I use plastic vertical blinds. They look nice and are easy to wipe clean. I'm not sure but I think mini blinds and wood ones are prohibited where I live for safety reasons.

I found a video on youtube that talks about fixing mini blinds. If you can save some parts of the blinds, then maybe this video will help.



I just want to say that I have done what this video said to do and it works. we will be saving the blind when just a few slats are bad.

I recommend not cutting the string, because the end of the cord will start unraveling. Its difficult to push into the route holes. The factory usually burns the end so it doesn't unravel.

Also, why an the heck are you playing "Bad to the Bone"???? lol Classic and very funny. B)

Hi James, I'm sure you've already made your decision by now, but the first thing that came to mind is these are HEAVY!! Difficult for a child or older person to use. And yes twice the cost. I've seen tenants go through six of the vertical louvres (sic?) in a month while others last for 10 years. Imagine the replacement cost of the faux wood blinds. Keep in mind the cost seems to becomes exponential by window size. I've recently seen the distributor we use carry 2 inch slats in metal. Very nice looking. You may be able to find these in a home depot. Similar look at a much lower price. And don't rule out cellular, very nice look. good luck!