Safety First: Child-Friendly Window Treatment Options for a Secure Home
Nearly half of all incidents that involve children getting caught in window treatment cords result in death. Custom window treatments can address this often overlooked hazard in the home. By choosing the right window treatments, you can eliminate cords and other safety risks that can be dangerous for liittle ones in your home. Learn about the potential risks of your old and outdated window treatments, safety laws, and the best window treatments to make your home safe.
Understanding the Risks
Window treatments can present several risks to children. Buying inexpensive or unregulated window treatments can present a greater risk because they may lack the same safety features as high-quality window treatments.
Strangulation Hazards
Window treatments with long free hanging cords present a choking hazard to children. The cord can get tangled around the child’s neck, and because of their lack of dexterity and experience, they can struggle to get free. Injuries range from bruising and scarring on the neck to quadriplegia, brain injury, and death.
To avoid this risk, replace your corded window treatments with cordless options or approved corded or motorized options. Gotcha Covered works with several manufacturers who have multiple cordless window treatment designs to choose from. This lets you choose the perfect custom window treatment design without sacrificing child safety.
Falling Risks
If your window treatments are not properly installed, they present a falling risk. Children are not always gentle when moving about, so they can pull on your window treatment and cause it to fall. Heavy window treatments create a risk of injury if a child is underneath when they fall. Long drapery if not installed properly can also be a risk if it falls and covers a child, preventing them from being able to breathe.
Custom window treatments can eliminate the risk. The risk of falling is reduced because the window treatments are custom-designed for the window. This means they will fit onto the window for a secure installation. Then, the experts at Gotcha Covered do the installation. That way, homeowners can be confident that their window treatments are securely installed.
Child Safe Window Treatment Laws
Window treatments are becoming safer for American children, with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) updating their safety standards. As of June 1, 2024, most window treatments sold must meet the ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 standard. To do this, they must be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords. Cords should be secured around cord tensioners at least 1.5 meters from the ground, out of reach of children.
Canada also takes child safety seriously, with the Corded Window Covering Regulations (CWCR) enacted in 2022. The goal is to reduce child strangulation from window cords. The regulations outline the length of and size of window treatment cords.
Safe Window Treatment Options
Homeowners have several window treatment designs to choose from when replacing their unsafe window treatments. Gotcha Covered values homeowner’s safety. Our design consultants carefully listen to each client’s concerns and needs. Then, they suggest window treatment options that will fulfill them.
Cordless Window Treatments
Replace your window treatments with cordless designs. These could be roller shades, honeycomb shades, or shutters. Cordless window designs are ideal because they do not have cords or cables that children can get caught in.
Motorized Window Treatments
Replace your old window treatments with motorized designs. This eliminates the cords and gives you complete control over when and how your window treatments adjust. You can motorize a wide variety of window treatments, giving you the freedom to customize your home without sacrificing safety. You can program the window treatment’s adjustment for the day of the week and time of day. This gives you added protection by controlling the amount of UV rays that come in and increasing your home's privacy.
Wand Control Treatments
Instead of free-hanging cords, some window treatments have a hard wand that controls the window treatments. A wand is nice because it eliminates the risks that cords create. They are also more stable, making them easier to operate.
Additional Safety Features
The best approach is to replace outdated and unsafe window treatments with safe options. However, you may have window treatments that you are not ready to replace. If this is the case, there are safety devices available that can increase the safety of your home.
Breakaway Safety Tassels
If your current window treatments have cords, consider adding breakaway safety tassels to them. These small plastic pieces are constructed of two pieces that lock into each other. A chord attaches to each piece. When operating the window like normal, the tassel acts like a single piece on the end of the cord. The tassel will break into two pieces if a child or pet becomes tangled or caught in the cord. The tension and pressure placed on it will cause it to release, freeing whoever is caught in the cord. This can save your children from choking.
Cord Tensioner Devices
Another option for cords in your window treatments is to use a cord tensioner device. Cord cleats get mounted on the wall, and then you wind the cord around the cleat. This keeps the cord up high and out of reach of small children. Tension devices mount onto the cord with the cord winding around or in the device. Then, the cord gets neatly contained with the tension device. Another tension device design features a small loop that mounts on the wall. This keeps the cord or chain tensioned flat against the wall. You can release it through the device’s operation if you need more cord length.
Safety Shroud Tape
If you have Roman or woven wood shades with an exposed cord, you can use safety shroud tape. Once applied, it will prevent dangerous loops from forming, which can create a safety risk.
Tips for a Child-Friendly Home Environment
Ensuring your home is safe for your children is an ongoing task. As your baby begins to crawl and walk, they explore more of your home. You can make it a safer space by making some small changes. That way, your children are free to explore and learn at their own pace.
Furniture Placement
To make your home more friendly to little ones, place furniture away from the windows. This will discourage children from climbing on the furniture and then being within reach of the window treatments. It will also discourage them from climbing onto the furniture and then onto the window treatments.
Regular Safety Checks
Perform routine safety checks of your window treatments. Check for possible wear and tear or damage. These can create a safety risk in otherwise safe window treatments. If you find any damage, make the necessary repairs.
Educating Children
Take a proactive approach with your children by educating them. Teach them about window treatment safety. Talk to them in an age-appropriate way about avoiding potential safety risks with window treatments. In addition, they should be taught not to climb on furniture or hang on the window treatments. As they get older, you can reinforce the message of safety by talking to them again.
Playful Colors and Styles
While safety is paramount for parents, don’t forget that you are adding window treatments to a child’s room. The space should reflect the child and their excitement for the world. Consider fabrics that are enjoyable to touch, bright, or fun.
Care Requirements
Children are messy and somehow magically get messes all over everything. If you want to have a child-friendly home, choose fabrics that do not stain and are easy to clean. Avoid dry-cleaning only fabrics or delicate sheer or light weaves. Consider giving any textiles a stain-repellent treatment that will help them repel liquids and not get stained.
Expert Tips from Gotcha Covered
Working with the expert design consultants from Gotcha Covered will help you choose beautiful and safe custom window treatments. Our knowledgeable team of professionals cares about our homeowner clients and their families. We work with top window treatment manufacturers to find the perfect solution for each window in their home, including child-safe window treatments.
Book a complimentary in-home consultation with your local Gotcha Covered design consultant.