I have to say that the Panamanian economy does surprise me in its robustness. Im simply not seeing any of the consumer frugality and panic that I’m reading about elsewhere.

I think the canal, the colon free trade zone and our economy’s reliance on exporting raw materials will keep us in good hands. This is a good sign for those of us in the blind business, and in the any business in this great country.

Having already introduced the Screen View (20%), it is only natural to set the tone by introducing the mother of all solar screens, the 5% Standard Collection. The 5% meaning that of the entire surface area only 5% is opening, while 95% is closed. Many people confuse the 95%/5% by interpreting that this fabric blocks 95% of incoming light and heat, in where they fail to account for other factors such as color, composition and whether it is hung inside or outside the window.

Standard Collection - Pearl Linen

Why is it called the Standard Collection? Simply because it is a multi-use fabric. In fact, many fabricators work ONLY with a 5% weave simply because it can be used in any application. A light colored Standard Collection fabric will work in high heat areas, while a darker weave allow for less heat sensitive areas to enjoy a view. The only reason you’d need any other type of fabric is for specific situations, such as having a 20% Screen View if you required a lighter color that could allow for a better view, or in the case of the more efficient 3% 650- because you have a rare, heat sensitive location.

There you have it, if you have trouble deciding where to start quoting or what to ask for- go by the standard and work from there. Always selecting light colors if you have a hot area, dark colors if are in a cooler area and want a view, or somewhere in between if you want to compromise. If you feel you have a ridiculously hot balcony, you might want to select a 3% 650 fabric to be on the safe side, and if you absolutely need both a light color and a view go for our Screen View collection.

… or if you’re not sure and want someone to come and measure all of this in a technical manner, give us a ring!

Thanks to our initial success we’ve putting together a line of drapery products for sale to our customers. Drapes and curtainry and important to the finish of a window treatment that includes blinds that it’d be silly for us not to offer it.

Blinds often tend to provide the function, the bulk, the body, while drapes and side panels can act as a point of accent either with colors, patterns or textures that blinds might not be apt to possess. We’re going to be starting with an offering of basic solids, sheers and curtain blackout and see where it all takes us.

Keep watch on the catalog page for the product addition.

Well, as any of you who have visited the frontpage, the main purpose of the website is to offer blinds in the still-hot, recession-proof market of Panama. Yes, Chavez pissing off any Venezuelan with money, being a major trade hub and a 5.2 billion canal expansion project will do that. Ain’t it sweet?

Anyways, due to the dreary politics of international banking in which Panama acts as a safe haven for people wanting to keep their money anonymous and safe and that the United States simply doesn’t like it when anyone messes with their dominance in “their” hemisphere- or that anyone dare challenge Miami as the trade or financial capital of Latin America…. Panama has found itself on somewhat of a banking blacklist. Typical fare.

What does this mean to web shop owners who want to do business with bank accounts here? Nobody wants to or can do business with you. Not sure which of the two it is, to be honest.

Persianamania currently works by making appointments and doing in person transactions, direct bank transfers and lastly we have a relationship with the well-known 2CheckOut where they are an actual reseller of our product and the payment is done between the customer and 2CO directly, at the exact same price they’d get in person, of course, but the customer nonetheless has to leave the site. The issue with this is that it can be discomforting to people not expecting it, and could lead to sale loss due to this mistrust.  This conversion hurdle is why I’ve been looking at Ms. Merchant Account as another alternative for my customers to 2CO. In addition to on-site card processing they do international and overseas merchant accounts, and so far the processing rates don’t seem to be exhorbitant, but I simply need one answer: Will they take my good and honest blinds business from Panama? We’ll find out soon enough.

Tres. BLACKOUT SCREEN

Made of Vinyl, blackout screen provides between 99% and 100% blackout depending on who you ask. But nonetheless it is a complete closed, impenetrable fabric which is as durable as Solar Screens and just easy to clean. Some manufacturers attempt to make their screens more decorative taking decorative fabrics such as suedes or linens and backing them with Vinyl and calling them blackout. But while these versions are certainly more decorative, the price of fashion is lessened durability and in many cases a real headache in order to remove stains.

Cuatro. WOVEN WOODS

Bamboo, Yute, and other natural materials are woven in a way to give it the elasticity and thickness to operate on a roller or roman mechanism. Woven Woods are classic and highly decorative, particularly in warm, rooms with primal tones- but it is important to note that they suffer from the same drawbacks as privacy screens as they are harder to maintain. Be warned that depending on the weave and composition, woven woods can be less durable than most privacy screens as natural materials fade faster than their synthetic alternatives.

While nothing really compares to a Woven Wood in splendor, many manufacturers have found a way to make faux woven woods in a passable manner. As with most things in life accepting these as a sturdier alternative requires compromise.

Cinco. INSECT MESH

Loose weave Fiberglass, Wire Mesh or Polyester Coated Vinyl provides minimal sun control and privacy but protect from insects. While all of the above screens, thanks to the tightness of their weave, provide equal if not superior insect protection to Insect Mesh- Insect Mesh is usually much more economical than any other screen type.

Note that you you must buy screening based on the insects that inhabit your area. If you have tiny mosquitoes or ‘NoSeeUms’, you should look at tigher weaved screening.

Uno. SUN CONTROL SCREEN

Sun Control Screens are considered the most industrial product of the screen family. of all of the selections, as they are made with energy efficiency and durability in mind. While manufacturers have found ways to make these blinds in a variety of designer colors, they are a function first item in that they are the most efficient in cutting glare, reflecting the sun and keeping UV rays and heat out while still letting some degree of light to filter through.

Main Features of Sun Control Screen:
a. Durable: most durable of all screens. easy to clean.
b. Energy efficiency: made with temperature control in mind.
c. Filtration: Weave designs are focused on allowing controlled light filtration for optimal working and living spaces.
d. Due to the inherent fire retardancy of the vinyl coating, a solar screen will never help a fire spread.
e. Most solar screen offers privacy during the day.
f. Solar screens also act as insect mesh.

There are three common compositions of Sun Control Screens:

A1. Polyester Coated with PVC:
An inner polyester cord provides color to the weave, while a vinyl coat acts as a reflective property and protects the inner coloring, allowing you to clean any stains easily with a mild soapy solution without the worry of having the color fade or the weave crumple. The marriage between PVC and Polyester is the reason the sun control screen is the most durable of all screening material. Note that some manufacturers may add materials to increase efficiency and function, check with your local blinds provider.

A2. Fiberglass coated with PVC:
Take what I said about Polyester coated with PVC and apply it to Fiberglass. Some folk tend to shy away from Fiberglass due to its toxic nature, but note that since the weave is coated with PVC, the material would only become toxic if burnt.

A3. Any of the above, with an aluminum backing:
An efficiency step forward that is seen from several solar screen manufacturers is aluminum backing. While this relatively new technology is quite expensive, it squeezes out a bit more efficiency out of your blind as the aluminum backing repels more of the sun’s rays.

Dos. PRIVACY SCREENS

Privacy Screens provide can provide near equal solar protection to solar screens, except for one big difference: durability. Privacy Screens can be made of a variety of natural and synthetic materials: Fiberglass, Polyester, Cotton, Linen and many other materials. They are more apt for home use for some simple concern, they are not easy to maintain and their composition can affect their useful life. As such manufacturers to offer Privacy Screens in decorative and designer colors, which often gives them a softer look than sun control screens. Privacy Screens, depending on the material, can be very tough to clean once given a nasty stain.

Check out my new squidoo lenses.

In spanish: Persianas Enrollables and in english: Roller Shade Blinds

Squidoo Lenses are a general information source and can offer good information about most topics. I tried to put some basic consumer-specific information there that hasn’t been communicated in this blog. Feel free to hop on over.