Many parents have memories of zipping window blinds up and down as a child. At the time, it seemed like harmless fun. But the “game” sometimes ended in tragedy, due to inadvertent accidents relative to cords. Just a few months ago in Miami, a two-year-old girl died after being strangled by blind cords, which hung dangerously close to her crib. This tragedy, and many others, could have been avoided by following best practices for blind management and installation.

The hazards of window treatment cords have become such a hot-button issue that they spurred concerned parents to create the Parents for Window Blind Safety Group, which advocates for cordless blinds as a way to save lives. The group notes 571 cases of window blind strangulation reported to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission since 1986, but many believe that nearly half such incidents go unreported.

For families with corded treatments, here are some safety tips:

• Never allow young children to play with blinds or to even raise or lower them.
• Utilize hooks to keep blind cords at the top out the blinds and out of reach.
• Retrofit corded blinds with cord-stops and remove looped cords which pose the biggest risk of strangulation.
• Replace outdated corded-treatments with new cordless versions.
• Move cribs and beds away from cords whenever possible.

Ball Custom Window Covering

One company that promotes cordless treatments and other safe varieties of custom window coverings is Ball Custom Window Coverings (BCWC). Based in Walnut, California, we service homes and commercial properties in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire.

Our services include: 

• Providing complementary, no-obligation estimates for home and office.
• Offering quality work backed by a service guarantee.
• Proudly installing our product, with complimentary installation, performed by licensed and experienced technicians.
• Installing a myriad variety of shutters, blinds, and shades including traditional, modern, motorized, transitional or casual
• Positioning blinds, shades and shutters to retain heat in winter and maximize cooling in summer.

The expert staff and installation crew at Ball Custom Window Coverings advises clients to help select the perfect choice of shades, blinds and shutters for commercial and residential properties. Just a few of our offerings include bamboo, woven wood shades, cellular honeycomb shades, roller and solar shades, Roman shades, sheer shades, cornice boxes, faux wood blinds, mini blinds, plantation shutters, vertical blinds, wood blinds, and many others. Our prices beat the big box stores. And we will help you pick the perfect window covering to suit your budget, design aesthetic, and schedule, which is why we were chosen “Best Window Covering” store in 2016 by Reader’s Choice Magazine readers of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. There is no need to measure or install, just pick up the phone and call (626) 272-1597.