Twitter, as always, threw up some good industry related commentary on Sunday night. This time it was the turn of @RhinoAluminium to start things off, and did so with this question:

Integral blinds… Nice touch or an unreliable nightmare? What to do if the customer request them? Are there any good solutions? Let me know.

I gave the team at Rhino my personal opinion that they are a great product. We have been selling them for at least 8 years now and they have been one of the most reliable products we have ever sold. We sell a lot of them in bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories and stable doors. They’re great for those who want total privacy. They’re also great for people who want blinds but who don’t want something extra to clean. Integral blinds are also a great way to have a blinds system which doesn’t require any drilling into new frames, tiles or plastered walls.

We generally sell the pull chord type and have been very reliable. I can think of less than a hand full of incidents where integral blinds have had problems since I started in this industry. However, there are some out there who believe that they are more trouble than they are worth.

The comments on Twitter the other night were a little divided. Some thought they were trouble and a pain when it comes to installation. And to be fair, if the fitters aren’t very skilled or haven’t been trained in fitting them, then yes they will be a pain to fit.

Others have complained about unreliable products, such as the chords snapping and the glass being scratched. These blinds certainly did divide opinion. One thing I can say is that these products are great providing you find a quality supplier. As with anything else, there are varying qualities. Personally, we have had a great supplier for quite a few years and not had much to complain about.

But I would like to know your opinions. Are they a great product that adds that extra touch of quality and innovation? Or are they a nightmare waiting to happen due to poor quality and unreliability? As ever, post your thoughts in the comments section below!