The Skinny on the Mini : In the Blink of a Blind, These Window Coverings Can Cost Money, Save Energy

Any fool can see that blinds are the way to go--mini-blinds in particular, according to the man who calls himself Mr. Blindman.

“All types of people use mini-blinds, low end and high end,” says Mr. Blindman, a.k.a. Steven G. Cahn of Steve’s Beautiful Windows, a mobile company whose biggest areas of operation are Laguna Beach, Anaheim and Irvine.

“I have seen your nicest houses with mini-blinds; I’ve seen renters use mini-blinds. They’re economical, quick to install, and there are 300 different colors to choose from.”

Though the heyday of mini-blinds was in the 1980s, a number of specialists, including Cahn, are still on the move in the ‘90s.

Costa Mesa-based Budget Blinds has been described by a spokesperson as “a blinding success.” Five years since its founding, and three years since developing a franchise concept, there are 133 U.S. locations, 12 in Orange County.

Local cleaning services include AAA Two Twins From Texas Mobile Mini Blind Wash & Wax, International Ultrasonic Blind Cleaners, and Mini Blind Laundry.

Budget Blinds founder Chad Hallock says that despite declining popularity, mini-blinds still represent a whopping 45% of the window-treatment industry market share, $4.2 billion in sales.

That’s because penny-wise consumers have it made in the shades with mini-blinds: According to Cahn, a mini-blind for an average-sized window--say, 72 by 48 inches--can cost as little as $19.

But there’s another reason too.

“Mini-blinds are like Kleenex,” Hallock says. “When you buy a tissue, you buy Kleenex. People think the only kind of window treatment is a mini-blind. . . .”

At major chains, he notes, “People ask for a mini-blind, they show them what’s available in a mini-blind. They don’t explain other options.”

At Budget Blinds, where options are explained, those who end up with mini-blinds are usually owners of commercial buildings or first-time home buyers who flat-out aren’t interested in hearing about other options.

“More than likely they don’t have a lot of money or they’re not into interior design,” Hallock says. “They’re economical.

“The first-time home buyer can barely scrape the money together to buy the house. Second- and third-time buyers are more particular. For the nickel and dime to go into something nicer, we can usually sell an upgrade,” he says.

The upgrade might be to fabric blinds or wood blinds. Many people prefer vertical blinds to horizontal.

Continues Hallock: “When a consumer comes to a store, the salesman doesn’t know what the home looks like. We come to the home to see what the customer really should buy. If a mini-blind is $30 and a wood blind is $45, they’d be crazy not to go with the wood blind.”

Just call Tom Matthews crazy.

A retired builder himself, the Newport Beach resident didn’t worry about upgrades. As far as Matthews is concerned, the mini-blind gives him everything he needs in a window covering.

“Basically, you can see through them,” Matthews says. “You can adjust them for sunlight.

“We have a hell of a view from this house. We face east, with a view of the Back Bay and Fashion Island and the mountains. If you put up curtains, they cover half your windows even if you pull them back! If you’ve got a million-dollar view you sure don’t want to cut it out. Mini-blinds disappear completely.”

Mini-blinds aren’t necessarily economical. That window Cahn quoted at $19 can easily run as much as $99. At the upper end, the consumer might be paying for an exotic color such as dried mustard or coral dust, for a particular brand name or for an eight-gauge mini-blind, which uses a heavier metal than the usual six-gauge.

“But 99% of our sales are white or alabaster, 99% of our sales are six-gauge,” Cahn says.

Generally speaking, the larger the blind, the more expensive, but because of the difficulty of making very small sizes, blinds less than 12 inches across cost more than identical blinds 36 inches across.

Cahn stresses the importance of taking measurements for each window.

“Every installation is special,” he says. “You might think five windows are the same size, but each might be an eighth- or a quarter-inch different. It amazes me when customers think that you carry the blinds already made on your truck. . . . I tell customers that there are 300 different colors and 9 zillion different sizes. We can install ready-made, but I would definitely recommend custom-made.”

Cahn cuts mini-blinds to within one-eighth of an inch.

Cahn reports that the inventor of mini-blinds is none other than . . . Richard Mini! “From Australia,” he adds.

No matter who invented them, the inspiration was no doubt Venetian blinds, 2-inch aluminum blinds popular in the 1950s and ‘60s.

Other fast facts: Mini-blinds, usually aluminum but also available in wood, have 1-inch slats. Levolor is a popular domestic name brand. Concerns have been raised about some imported plastic mini-blinds containing lead. Half-inch micro-blinds (no word on who that inventor might have been) are also marketed.

Mini-blinds can be made in many shapes, including oval; round (one of the most difficult to accommodate); A-frame; half A-frame; and octagonal. Odd shapes can send costs skyrocketing. According to Cahn, covering a half-circle with mini-blinds can cost three times as much as using a cellular shade.

Hallock believes that all blinds are energy efficient, especially cellular shades, which employ insulating honeycomb pleats.

“I’ve been in brand-new tract houses sweating like crazy, maybe 100 degrees inside, and after installing blinds it’ll be 20 degrees cooler,” Hallock says. “It’s amazing--the amount of heat generated through a window is unbelievable.

“There is a gap between window glass and a blind, and having that pocket will save the homeowner 20%” on air conditioning and heating bills, he says.

A cellular shade, such as the Duette or Applause honeycomb shades, creates a double pocket, between window and the blind and in the blind itself, further increasing energy efficiency, Hallock adds.