A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Custom Blinds

Remember the tiny, little screened in porch Johnny built? It's little, 7 x 14. The other day when I was sitting out there I thought it would be nice to have some blinds to keep the wind and dirt off the furniture during the winter so I called a blind place for an estimate. We're talking about a tiny porch. $4,000.00. Oh wait, actually $4,000.97. This place has been in business since 1922 so evidentially people are willing to pay that price. Am I crazy or does that seem high for a teeny, tiny porch? It didn't cost Johnny that much to make the entire porch!!

are the windows a weird size?? Lowes and Home Depot have mini blinds and porch blinds....would think they'd be cheaper.

I agree with Jenn, you ned to check around at other places. yes that price is high!!!

at the custon blind place here, for my whole house it would not of been that much---Not that I bought the whole house. All I ended up with was a vertical blind at my glass sliding door, an Oak valance (wrong name) and a 6 ft. shade for the front windows. Cost was just under $700.00.--and they installed and did all the measureing. I even picked out what I wanted at home.

I think Lowes or Home depot would be your best bet too. And they should install too. at least the ones around here do.

I'm talking about exterior blinds for a screened in porch. Jen, there are no windows. I suppose every screened in porch is a different size. Mine is 7 x 14, which is small compared to other screened in porches I'm sure. The Lowe's here is horrible about everything. I've called them before to get a door made and was told they couldn't make me a door. My husband went to the store and talked to the man who told me that. Elliott is his name. Lowe's advertises that they make custom doors so we thought the doors were cut to fit the house. Not so. Custom doors at Lowe's are doors that are already cut to certain dimensions so if your door opening isn't one of their pre-set sizes you can't get a door. Anyway, I've called twice today to ask about blinds for this porch. Once I was put on hold and no one came to the phone. Second I was sent to the paint department.

PS I also called JC Penney's home decorating. No exterior stuff there.

Have you thought about just using some fabric and making or having made some cool outdoor drapes? For the inside of your porch of course....Something you could gather up and tie back to look cute most of the time, but you could untie them and let them down if you wanted more privacy? It'd be a LOT cheaper!

I wonder if I call another Lowe's if I'll get a different answer. I just called the local one again and asked for "Custom Shades and Blinds". CUSTOM!!! I was forwarded to a man who didn't know what I was asking for. I could hear him waiting on someone else while he was trying to talk to me. I asked if I could please speak with someone in the home decorating department and he said sure but never forwarded me. I asked again and told him, very nicely, that I need to speak with someone about EXTERIOR coverings that will be mildew and mold resistance. So, I hear him telling someone else what I've just said then he comes back and tells me there so such thing as a mold or meldew resistant shade.

They don't know anything at Lowes....my brother worked there years ago and they trained him for a week or something to be an expert in plumbing, in a week. He had no clue what he was doing at all. They don't train them enough.

yes Loews are different. The one in Edwardsville, is a poor excuse for a mistake, even if you go to the store. (which is better, as they cannot hang up on you, or misdirect you, (with none of their bosses being the wiser.)

The Store in Alton is top notch and almost all of the workers there know what they are talking about. A man at the 'alton' store told me the peole in the 'E-ville' store were not trained yet, and this conversation was held within the first year of the E-ville storers opening.
well let me tell you I do not think they were ever trained. it is still poor to go there.

But long story short--Yes, go try another store.

PS are you talking about shutters, roll-up awnings or roll-up bamboo or cloth outdoor shades???...I am confused, for sure.....sorry...

I tried another Lowe's, the man took my name, said he'd check and call me right back. That was at 4:00.

I don't think I would want to put shutters on the screened in porch or even if it would work. I just want some type of something to keep the dirt from blowing in that won't mold or mildew in the rain. I'm beginning to think $4,000.00 is a fair price.

That amount of money might well be a fair price or at least not way out of line. Esp if they come do all the measuring and do all the installation. And if they do all the work, they will likley stand behind the work then too, right??? That has to be worth something, right???

Good Luck

If each of the members of this forum will send me $10.00 I might be able to come up with the 97 cents.

I'm sorry, but I'm still having trouble imagining exactly what you want for your porch. Are you looking for something like this??? outdoor bamboo blinds

We used to have them and they never molded or mildewed. I am thinking about getting some heavy outdoor fabric and making some kind of roman shade for part of our porch.

I emailed them back and asked for an estimate on a less expensive product and ths is the response.

"Sheri,

This is the least expensive product that we carry for exterior use. We are the only dealer in NC/SC for this product. Custom porch shades are not the most inexpensive product, but they do hold up very well and we stand behind this product 100%. We have been a dealer for them for 30+ yrs. I will keep your estimate on file, and the price is good for 60 days if you happen to change your mind. Thanks for the opportunity to bid on your project!

Thanks ,
Jeremy Whilden
Newton & Newton
704-333-9296"


Jenn, I am talking about an exterior blind like that one but not exactly. Thanks for looking though. I guess I'll end up going with something like that because I just can't rationalize in my pea brain spending more on blinds than we did on building the entire porch.

Jenn, I read the Target blind review and it says that they broke quickly. That they looked good but broke quickly.

I wasn't saying you had to get those! I'm just still trying to understand exactly what your looking for. :) The kind we had were not bamboo...they were a plastic blind that did roll like that one. Each "stick" (what else do I call it????) was basically a hollow plastic tube, but small....maybe 4-5 milimeters. Those things took a good beating, we kept them up all year round and I think they finally died after 3 or 4 years. I believe the last storm which was a product of a hurricane that came up the coast did them in finally.

The million dollar blinds are sort of a mesh. I'm just looking for something to help keep the dirt out during the road construction.

You mean you weren't bossing me around????

I am going to check them out at Target if I can find them in the stores. They're inexpensive and we could replace them a lot for $4,000.00.

Oh I keep forgetting....and 97 cents.

its that .97 cents that will break you .....every time.


Good luck in your search.

But hey, while you are out, why not go to Lowes and Home depot and actually see if they have any.

I know they have lots of different blind options, But I am not sure about outdoor types.

Sheri:

I am slow--I just remembered my parents have bamboo shades on their Gazebo.
I just called them to ask where they got them.
Mom laughed and said, gee we got them like 30 years ago I don't remember. Well it was not 30 myears ago but it was at least 20+ years ago. They are still there and in fairly good condition.
(although they do not roll them down very often.)

Dad says they must have gotten them at Wal-Mart because they never go far to buy things. It would not hurt to check there while you are out.

Maybe Home Depot. I've decided I don't like Lowe's. They might as well have me working there because I don't know anything either.

The comments about the bamboo shades was that the rope pulleys broke quickly. Maybe I can strengthen them some how because I will be rolliing them up and down.

I wish you luck.