Whether we have pets or kids in our home, or simply having them over to visit, you think about ways you can make your home safe for them. You lock up the cabinets and any medications, refuse hand-me-down gear like child seats, and lock the fridge, oven, dishwasher, and toilet closed.
But have you thought about your window treatments?
Window Treatments & Home Safety
According to the Window Covering Safety Council, window treatment cords are one of the top 5 hidden dangers in a home.
Window treatments can be a silent danger to pets and small children in your home in the form of loose cords. The standard cordlock is your traditional lift system that gets longer as you pull the shade up, and goes back into its shorter, original position when the shade is lowered.
Due to the nature of this system, children and pets can get entangled in the cords which can lead to injury or death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, one child a month dies from entanglement and approximately an equal number suffer non-fatal injuries.
Through safety precautions, education, and awareness, you can make your home safe.
What You Can Do To Make Your Treatments Safe
When ordering new custom window treatments for your home, the best way to make them safe for children and pets is to choose a cordless, single cord, or motorized lift system:
- LiteRise®
- UltraGlide®
- EasyRise®
- PowerView™
- SoftTouch™
If you are unsure which lift system is best for your needs and home safety, you can schedule a free in-home consultation with a Victor Shade professional. We will guide you through each system and recommend one based on your home needs.
For example, if you have tall or large windows, we would recommend PowerView™ motorization for an easy to use, cordless system.
If you have older window treatments, there are ways you can retrofit them to (preferably) remove the hanging cords and add a cord tensioner, or add a cord cleat you can wrap the cord around when not in use. You can learn more about this and how to order these kits on the Window Covering Safety Council website.
In fact, effective December 15, 2018, all in-stock window coverings purchased in-store or online will be required to be cordless or to have inaccessible or short cords.
This requirement does not apply to custom-made products, such as the Victor Shade Roller Shades, due to the fact that there are many people that will require a corded shade. These include people with disabilities, the elderly, or those short in stature.
However, even custom-made shades will default to these safety requirements, and will require over-rides when ordering a corded product.