Louvered Arch As A Modern And Effective Alternative

by Nancy

Unless you've been really into arched windows you might not know what a louvered arch is. Truth is, until quite recently I didn't know about them either. But the more I learned about these interesting types of valances for the arched windows, the more I started to like these beautiful and very effective treatments.

So what exactly are louvered arches? Well, simply put they are a high quality prefabricated treatment for arch windows that is not only lead free, but also anti static. It is treated for leaving dust away from it and what is especially important, it is flame retardant, which means it resists the spread of fire being non-flammable, which you will mostly appreciate should ever a fire accident happen in your home. It is, of course, highly unlikely, however it is a very useful feature in those sad and very seldom cases. It is also humidity, fade and heat resistant and due to a UV inhibitor additive, it avoids yellowing and warping.

The way the this arched mechanism works is the following:

A louver assembly for semi-circular, non-perfect or imperfect arch frame assemblies with louvers rotably mounted therein. A tensioning mechanism keeps the louvers taut between an arched frame member and a smaller anchorage frame member. An actuating mechanism is used to rotate the louvers upon the application of a predetermined force to a chain that coacts with teethed sprockets coupled with hooked clip members that removably hold the louvers. In this manner, the louvers are rotated between two extreme positions.

Installing louvered arches is quite easy (they install practically in minutes) either in an existing opening or over a regular standard window or arched door. Usually installation instructions are provided by the manufacturer or deal from where you get them from. Also sometimes you get the mounting screws delivered for free as well, depending on where you buy your arches from.

They are not only quite inexpesivev but also have movable stats that simply beautify the decor of any room. They are made to usually fit perfectly 96% of all the arched windows in the US alone. This in my book is truly a major plus since if you have arched windows in your home, you do know how difficult to find that perfect blind or treatment that molds it down to a tee.

You can find them in many colors including various white shadows such as regular white, alabaster and antique white. Also you get them in wood colors like pecan, oak and chestnut. Many are made of faux wood that are made to look just like the real wood.

However if you want the real thing, real wood arches are available as well. The real wood variety is usually made of 100% basswood and they are finely grained so they can be easily painted or stained over. The basswood is quite lightweight so when you have to raise or lower your louvers you can do so quite easily with minimum effort even if you have blinds with wider slats. Of course faux wood is much cheaper than real wood, and as the two don't really differentiate too much in looks, if you prefer the cheaper alternative, you should go for it.