Drapery & Window Covering Blog

Roman Shades

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Roman Shades are among the best horizontal stacking treatments. The Soft-Fold or Flat Roman is considered "constructed" due to the fiberglass rods or stays that are inserted at horizontal intervals. The constructed version gives these shades dependable function raising and lowering in neat folds.

For light control Roman Shades can be lined with a translucent or blackout lining. It is recommended that for the purpose of blackout, that the Soft-Fold Roman is specified because the folds of the shade will cover the pin-holes of light that are unavoidable when the needle passes through the blackout lining.

Roman Shades are mounted on boards, so there are no hardware decisions to be made. However, some decisions can determine a certain size of the board depth. There are choices however in the lifting mechanisms.

• Cord Lift
  The cord lift is pulled up by a series of cords that can either have a cord lock or a cleat to secure the shade at the desired height. This is good for smaller sizes and only needs a
  1 ½" board to mount to.
• Clutch
  The clutch mechanism works well on larger and heavier shades. The physics of the clutch makes the heavier shade lighter to lift and the lifting chain is continuous, which means the chain never gets any longer or shorter.
• Motorized
  Roman shades are easily automated. They can be hardwired or simply plugged in and operate with a hand-held remote or wall switch.

If a pocket needs to be created for a Roman Shade it needs to be quite deep. The Roman Shade's fold stack upon each other and require more room into the depth of the pocket then other treatments. A Flat Roman will have a smaller stack then a Soft-Fold Roman because of the amount of fabric used. The stack will also depend on the weight of the fabric and lining. It is recommended to meet with your Drapery Consultant to determine the stacking heights.