Question 1

How do I get a bend or crease out of a Silhouette blind?

Accepted Answer

Run a hair dryer over it on the cold setting. The soft fabric vanes hold a crease from being folded or bumped, and a few minutes of cool air relaxes the fabric and lets the vane fall straight again — no heat, which can distort it.

Question 2

What is the right way to dust a honeycomb (cellular) shade?

Accepted Answer

Vacuum it gently with the small brush attachment. A feather duster just lifts the dust back into the air and drops it straight into the cells; the brush attachment on a low setting actually lifts it out. Do it every few weeks and the shade keeps its colour for years.

Question 3

What is the best way to keep flooring looking new?

Accepted Answer

Vacuuming regularly is the single most important thing. Most wear on carpet and hard floors is grit being ground in underfoot, so lifting it before it works into the fibre or scratches the finish does more than any deep clean. For hard floors, a soft-brush or bare-floor setting avoids scuffing.

Question 4

How should I deal with a spill on wool carpet?

Accepted Answer

Blot it, do not rub, and get to it quickly. Press a clean cloth down to lift the liquid rather than working it in a circle, which pushes it into the pile and frays the fibre. Cool water handles most fresh spills; wool is naturally stain-resistant, so speed matters more than any product. Leave the stubborn ones to a professional rather than soaking them.

Question 5

How do I stop heavy furniture leaving dents in carpet?

Accepted Answer

Use floor protectors under the legs and shift the piece a couple of centimetres every so often. For a dent that has already set, work the pile back up with your fingers or a spoon edge and hold a little steam or an ice cube over it. As the fibres take up the moisture they spring back.

Question 6

Wool or nylon carpet — which should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Wool for feel and longevity, nylon for hard-wearing value. Wool springs back beautifully, resists crushing and soiling, and is naturally flame- and stain-resistant before any treatment — worth it on a stair or a main room. Nylon is tougher against abrasion for the money and takes stain treatments well, which suits a busy family floor or a rental. We will tell you honestly which one earns its place in your room rather than pushing the dearer fibre.

Question 7

What is Berber carpet, and where does it work?

Accepted Answer

Berber is a looped construction rather than a colour. It is tight, low and hard-wearing. Berber - essentially looped carpet - holds up in hallways, basements and on stairs where a soft cut pile would flatten over time, and it hides footprints and vacuum lines. The only caution is snagging around pets and claws; we will point you to the loop weights that cope, or to a cut pile if a pet makes a loop a bad idea.

Question 8

What carpet is best on stairs?

Accepted Answer

A dense, hard-wearing pile — wool or a good nylon — in a construction that wraps the nosing cleanly. Stairs take the most traffic in the house and every step lands on the same edge, so density matters more than softness. Older Etobicoke and Toronto stairs are rarely a standard width or perfectly square, which is why we measure before placing your product order.

Question 9

Carpet, hardwood or vinyl in a basement?

Accepted Answer

Vinyl or a moisture-tolerant option, usually — not solid hardwood. Basements move with humidity and the occasional bit of water, which lifts a solid wood floor and can leave carpet damp. Luxury vinyl plank ignores water and photographs like wood; an engineered floor copes far better than a solid one; and a low loop carpet with the right underlay is perfectly nice in a dry, finished basement.

Question 10

What is the difference between light-filtering, room-darkening, and blackout?

Accepted Answer

Blackout blocks all the light essentially; room-darkening cuts most of it but not the edges. Light filtering filters the light translucently so the glare is not harsh but you still get the sunlight. A true blackout is what you want in a nursery or a shift-worker's bedroom, and it usually needs the right fabric plus a track or side channels to stop the light leaking around the edge. Room-darkening is enough for most bedrooms and is softer and less severe in the day. Tell us how dark the room really needs to be and we will match the fabric and the fit to it.

Question 11

Which blinds are best for a cold or draughty window?

Accepted Answer

Cellular (honeycomb) shades. The cells trap a layer of air at the glass, which is the cheapest insulation you can hang on a window. A double-cell shade insulates more than a single, and they come from semi-sheer through to full blackout. On a west window that bakes in summer, they cut heat gain as well as loss. For a big window or a patio door, the same honeycomb runs vertically as a Vertiglide.

Question 12

Are motorized blinds worth it, and are they safe around children?

Accepted Answer

They are worth it for hard-to-reach windows, big runs of glass, and anyone who wants a whole room to move at once — and cordless or motorized is the safer choice around children and pets because there is no operating cord. We fit Hunter Douglas PowerView and other motorized options; the sensible order is to choose the covering that suits the room first, then the power and control method that fits it.

Question 13

Do you charge for measuring?

Accepted Answer

The measuring comes for free after consultation and an estimated quote for a job, either in store or online.

Question 14

Do you install what you sell?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we work with contractors we've known for years, who move the furniture, remove and dispose of the old flooring, and understand the in and outs of fitting the product. It is the part of the job that decides whether a good carpet or floor actually looks good once it is down.

Question 15

How long does an installation take?

Accepted Answer

Most rooms are finished in a day. The real wait is the manufacturer's lead time on the material, which takes anywhere from three business days to about a month, depending on the product you are looking for. The install itself is quick once it arrives.

Question 16

Can I take samples home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you should. Colour under your own light, at the time of day you actually use the room, is the most important test. We would rather you borrowed three samples and lived with them for a few days than picked one just under our lights.

Question 17

Where are you, and which areas do you cover?

Accepted Answer

Our showroom is at 100 The East Mall, Unit 5, in Etobicoke, and we serve Etobicoke, Mississauga, Toronto and Oakville. We are a family showroom rather than a big-box store. Walk in any time we are open, or call ahead if you would like us to set aside time with samples for your room.

Question 18

How do I get a quote?

Accepted Answer

Call (416) 253-0880 or send us the room through the contact form. A few photos and rough measurements are enough to start. For anything going on the floor or the window, we then book a free measure after a consultation, which can be done over the phone, via email, or in person.

Question 19

Are you open on Saturdays?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM, and Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. You are welcome to book an appointment or simply walk in. If you would like a particular person or a longer sit-down with samples, a quick call ahead means we can set the time aside specially for you.