The Thickness of Vertical Blinds

Rail Measurements

• Before worrying about the size of vertical blinds slats, you must ensure that you are looking at blinds that fit the space you have available. The head rails, or mounts, from which vertical blinds hang are generally designed for patio and balcony doors or tall windows, and they come in a range of widths to fit that purpose. Standard vertical blind mounts include lengths of 5-foot, 6-foot and 8-foot widths. If you have a door or window outside of this range, you may need to have your blinds custom-made.

Slat Sizes

• Like the mounts for vertical blinds, vertical blind slats are designed for use on patio or balcony doors and tall windows and generally come in lengths of either 84 or 94 inches. The width of the slats on vertical blinds varies, but vertical slats are generally wider than horizontal slats. Common widths for vertical slats, made from common blind materials, range from 3 to 5 inches, though you can find slats slightly smaller or slightly wider at many stores. If you want a slat size that goes far beyond this range, you must have blinds custom-made.

Slat Types

• Vertical blinds, like horizontal blinds, don’t just come in a range of sizes; they also come in a variety of colors and a number of different materials. Aluminum, plastic and wood are all commonly used to make vertical blinds. Aside from affecting the appearance and price of the blinds, material choice also affects the slats. Metal slats may be just slightly thicker than paper, while wood slats generally have a thickness of at least 1/8 inch and can be made thicker to suit your needs.

Front-to-Back Thickness

• Just as the width of vertical blind slats varies, so does the thickness of those slats from the back side by the window to the front side that shows in the room. Aluminum blinds generally have the thinnest design of vertical slats, with a thickness not far above paper-thin, while wood slats generally have the thickest slat design, with minimum thicknesses of about 1/8 inch. In custom designs, wood slats can generally be made even thicker to meet your design needs.