When you order custom cellular shades from us, you provide measurements for your windows, choose your fabric and options, and wait for a perfectly fitted shade to arrive at your door.
But what happens between placing your order and opening that box?
At EcoSmart Shades, custom really does mean custom. Each shade is built to the specifications of an individual order, with our shade builders cutting, assembling, and testing it before it leaves our facility.
We’re taking you behind the scenes to show you exactly how a custom cellular shade goes from an order on our screen to a finished shade in your home. Let’s get into it!
Step 1: Your Custom Shade Order Comes In
Once we have your measurements, fabric selection, and other specifications, our production team has everything they need to start building your shade.
Every shade is made according to the measurements and specifications of the individual order, assembled, and rigorously tested to make sure it meets our standards.
Step 2: Cut the Rail
Next, we cut the shade’s rail to the appropriate width.
Because cellular shades are made specifically for your windows, the components can’t simply be pulled off a shelf in a standard size. The rail needs to correspond with the measurements provided with the order.
This creates the foundation for the finished shade and makes sure it will properly fit the intended window!
Step 3: Punch the Rail
Once the rail has been cut to size, it’s time to punch it.
The necessary openings are punched into the rail so it can accommodate the components that will eventually allow the finished shade to raise and lower properly.
It’s a small step, but an important part of preparing the raw materials for assembly.
Step 4: Cut the Cellular Fabric
Now, we move on to the part of the shade you’ll see the most: the fabric. The cellular fabric is cut according to the dimensions of the individual order.
Unlike a flat piece of fabric, cellular shade material has its distinctive honeycomb construction already built in. Those cells create pockets of air between the window and the room, which is what gives cellular shades their insulating properties.
Cutting the fabric to the right dimensions is essential for both the appearance and performance of the finished shade.
Step 5: Add the Stiffeners
Next, we insert stiffeners into the top and bottom cells of the fabric.
Without these pieces, the cellular material could simply fall out of the rail. The stiffeners provide structure and allow the fabric to remain securely attached once the shade is assembled.
It’s one of those components you’ll probably never notice when looking at your finished shades, but it’s essential to how they work!
Step 6: Drill the Holes for the Strings
Next up: stringing. Before that can happen, we drill the necessary holes through the cellular fabric for the strings.
The strings need to pass through the shade so that the fabric can raise and lower evenly when you operate it.
Once this step is complete, all of the raw materials are ready.
We now have the individually prepared pieces that will become your finished cellular shade.
Step 7: Assemble the Shade
This is where all those separate components finally come together.
Our shade builders assemble the rail, cellular fabric, strings, and other components into a complete, functional window shade.
Although you receive one finished product, getting to this point has required individually measuring, cutting, and preparing its different components based on your order.
And we’re not quite finished yet.
Step 8: Test, Test, Test
Before a cellular shade can leave our facility in Williston, Vermont, we need to make sure it actually works the way it should.
Each finished shade is tested for a few important things.
Is it level? Does it sag? Does it stay down?
We raise and lower the shade and check its positioning to make sure everything is operating correctly.
This quality-control step gives us a chance to catch problems here, rather than having you discover one after installing your new shades at home.
Step 9: Bag It Up and Send It Your Way
Once a shade has passed its tests, it’s ready to go.
The finished shade is bagged and prepared for shipping. From there, it makes its way to its final destination: your window!
Ready to see the finished product for yourself? Now that you have a better idea of how your cellular shades are constructed, take a look at our offering of custom cellular shades and find the right fabric, light control, and configuration that works for your space!