# What type of blinds is this designed for?



## userid (May 4, 2010)

I bought a new townhouse and on the top level of the property there is a glass sliding door to the outdoor terrace (or deck if you like). To the left of the glass sliding door, there is *a non-openable window* (by design) with wide grooves built-in on all sides. See the attached pictures of this window. There are pre-drilled holes in the groove. I guess this is designed for some particular type of blinds. Could it be panel blinds? What do you think? Thanks a lot.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

With the upper top right frame of the door/fixed unit not having a hole, it baffles me somewhat. No where for the right side blind rod to go. 

I was thinking panel blinds would have to have a multi grooved track mounted on the underside, of the upper horizontal "header". 

Those holes could be just for an adjustment screw access, that adjusts the jambs of the unit to help align the door. Just a guess on my part though.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

My guess is those screws are installation or fine adjustment, and the holes on the bottom track are drainage. That are is where the door slides into.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I don't think there is anything there made for blinds. Just look at ceiling mount blinds.
https://www.google.ca/search?biw=19...1c.1.64.img..0.7.687...0i7i30k1.0.8oyUcV9JmNI


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

lenaitch said:


> My guess is those screws are installation or fine adjustment, and the holes on the bottom track are drainage. That are is where the door slides into.


Nope. The window in question and the glass sliding door are two separate things that dont step on each other. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the glass sliding door.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Nealtw said:


> I don't think there is anything there made for blinds. Just look at ceiling mount blinds.
> https://www.google.ca/search?biw=19...1c.1.64.img..0.7.687...0i7i30k1.0.8oyUcV9JmNI


I do believe it is designed for some particular type of window treatment that fit exactly inside the groove. Otherwise, it makes no sense to make it that way.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Contact the manufacturer.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

lenaitch said:


> Contact the manufacturer.


I am trying to get hold of the builder.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Nealtw said:


> I don't think there is anything there made for blinds. Just look at ceiling mount blinds.
> https://www.google.ca/search?biw=19...1c.1.64.img..0.7.687...0i7i30k1.0.8oyUcV9JmNI


 Looks like most vinyl windows I have installed for the last 20 years.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Nealtw said:


> Looks like most vinyl windows I have installed for the last 20 years.


Understood, I think sometimes it is hard for an experienced to tell what it is simply from a few pictures. If you see it in person, you may immediately realize, aha, I know what it is.

Probably people are focusing on the glass pane. Don't. Focus on the groove (see my indication with the red lines), and it is like that on all four sides. 

https://ibb.co/mWsMsT

It is obvious to me that it is designed for some particular type of window treatment. I just don't know what it is. Could it be for plantation shutters like these? https://www.halfpriceblinds.com.au/...ers-basswood-timber-white-beige-1603-list.jpg

https://shadesshuttersblinds.azurewebsites.net/images/products/composite-shutters.jpg


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

homenewbie said:


> Understood, I think sometimes it is hard for an experienced to tell what it is simply from a few pictures. If you see it in person, you may immediately realize, aha, I know what it is.
> 
> Probably people are focusing on the glass pane. Don't. Focus on the groove (see my indication with the red lines), and it is like that on 4 four sides.
> 
> ...


 Most windows we install have 2 tracks, one for the fixed window and one for the slider, They use the same structure for the windows with out a slider. On the more expensive window suppliers that extra channel has one more piece of vinyl covering the gap.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Nealtw said:


> Most windows we install have 2 tracks, one for the fixed window and one for the slider, They use the same structure for the windows with out a slider. On the more expensive window suppliers that extra channel has one more piece of vinyl covering the gap.


:glasses:


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

homenewbie said:


> :glasses:


A wild guess: 

Maybe the casing was meant for a double hung window (given the groove as the track for a lower sash to move up and down), the pre-drilled holes maybe reserved for the channel balance.

But somehow, the builder put a fixed, non-openable window there. 

Possible?


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

homenewbie said:


> A wild guess:
> 
> Maybe the casing was meant for a double hung window (given the groove as the track for a lower sash to move up and down), the pre-drilled holes maybe reserved for the channel balance.
> 
> ...


Anything's possible really. We would appreciate you coming back and letting us know though, if you found blinds/rods to fit in those holes.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> Anything's possible really. We would appreciate you coming back and letting us know though, if you found blinds/rods to fit in those holes.


I inspected the window carefully yesterday again, and I don't think it is supposed to be for a double hung window, because I have a dozen double hung windows in the same property, and the track look different. 

And the holes: Like someone has suggested, it looks like the holes are indeed openings for driving screws into the frame/jamb of the window because I do see a screw in each of those holes.

What I now do think is this:

The groove (or track if you like) comes with the frame/jamb which is designed for sliding doors.

The sliding glass door only takes 1/2 of the width of the frame in the middle, and fixed, non-openable glass panes are installed into the remaining 1/4 and 1/4 on left and right sides of the sliding glass door, making use of the same frame which has the track. 

If this is the case, then (1) the groove (or track) is simply a leftover from the premade jamb, a makeshift work, not a good design, because the bottom groove of 1 and 2 (see the picture) will simply collect lots of dust and not easy to clean, and (2) indeed no special purpose is intended by the builder via the groove (or track).


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Yes where I live what you have is standard. But some come with a cover on that extra track on a fixed window. If you can find the manufactures name, you might be able to add them.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Nealtw said:


> Yes where I live what you have is standard. But some come with a cover on that extra track on a fixed window. If you can find the manufactures name, you might be able to add them.


That's pretty bad standard practice, easy on the builder (less work), but a little messy on the property owner (harder to clean). I will see if there are covers available to cover the bottom or maybe all 4 sides for cosmetics. Thanks.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I just thought of this, before I purchased wood blinds for my kitchen,
I had micro mini blinds...the blades were 1/2" wide and the top track
was 1" wide.

I looked up micro mini blinds and found this...

https://www.blindsonline.com/pc/Mic...&utm_term=4576923309948558&utm_content=Tablet

This I believe would fit in the track. Of course you don't have to go that route,
you could you could always mount regular size blinds on the outside of
the track. 

How old are these windows? These micro mini's were very
popular in the 80's and 90's ...I like mine a lot, when they were 
in the open position they disappeared, thus the view was not obstructed.


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## userid (May 4, 2010)

Two Knots said:


> I just thought of this, before I purchased wood blinds for my kitchen,
> I had micro mini blinds...the blades were 1/2" wide and the top track
> was 1" wide.
> 
> ...


Thanks. It is a brand new property built in 2018.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

If you like the 1/2" micro mini blinds, order one
and try it out. 
You could also research Home Depot 
or lowes and see if they carry them..The mini blinds
are 1" but I don't know how big the top is?


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