The Washington times., 1925-05-16
ROLLERS
DISCUSSED BY :
EXPERT
Fabric Used Should Be oi
Best Quality to Insure
Satisfaction
BY w. STOKES SAMMONS,
Of the Shade ShOp,


When 1 first began writing about
Row to make windows more beauti-
full | found that women were ask
ing a lot of important and practical
questions about shade cloth. They
wanted to know first what to look
for in window shade cloth and what
to avoid.
To begin with. it is a great mis-
take to think that a thick cloth
which keeps out all of the light,
will wear better. A translucent
shade frequently gives better SER
vice, cannot be seen through from
the outside, and sheds it's tone
over the entire room.
Another mistake is to think that
anyone who only buys window
shades two or three times in a
lifetime can ever become SO thor
oughly versed on shade cloth as to
take up a piece of this material
and say with much assurance,
This will be an excellent wear
ing CLOTH" or THAT is a good
piece of goods to avoid because it
will not give good service
A few feet from the sidewalk,
window shades, whether they cost
rs cents. or $500 look equally well
side, their clear color and firm
texture puzzles an expert. He can
hardly tell if shade cloth of a GER
tain grade is the best of it's kind
or not.
Shade cloth of any grade can be
made a trifle poorer without it's
being ever noticed. Knowing this
to be true it inspired me with a
new faith in our big progressive
manufacturers when I found that
the manufacturers of good shade
cloth had never allowed any of it's
shade cloth factories to make
shades that deceived the purchasers.
Beautiful in color and fine in
texture as your shades may be,
your whole pleasure" in them de-
pends upon the smooth, silent, true
action of the roller. You never
think about this accurate piece of
mechanism and you never see it,
but a touch on the shade pull re-
leases its spring and your shades
roll silently up or down and stop at
just the spot desired. The silent,
accurate and unfailing action of
the roller isn't an accident 1t
comes as the result of scientific
design, good materials, good work
manship and proper care. The
manufacturer is responsible for the
first three, but the last depends
upon you.
Cheap rollers do not pay. 1
always specify very definitely the
kind of rollers to be installed on
the windows am decorating. When
your shade cloth is hung on the
best rollers, you know that it will
roll absolutely straight and hang
without a suggestion of a wrinkle
or fullness. An ugly Jagged wrinkle
running cris-cross over the shades
entirely destroys the beautiful effect
that you have tried So Hard Z to
produce. 1t is as if the glass in
the lower part of your window had
a rough imperfection in it, bubbles
and streaks, perhaps. rs
Naturally l always demand the
best rollers because / know every
bit Of material that goes in them
has to pass the most rigid inspec-
ton. Then they have some special
features of construction which are
very valuable. One advantage is
that the ends or the rollers are
covered by nickel-plated enclosure
or guard. This is a protection to
dpSII0S p0Cd use IL prevents
pulling them into the spring-end
and tearing them.
The ravelings from such a tear
work into the open end Of the roller
and the spring refuses to perform.
shades and draperies aer ruined.
The brackets and ends Of the best
rollers are nickle- plated. That is
worth a good deal in a rainy, fog.
gy climate or on any windows that
are opened at the top as your bed
room windows are. At the same
time where roller ends and brackets
must show. the nickel plating adds
to their attractiveness.
There are a lot Of things about
rollers that 1 have learned in all
these years I have been trying to
make windows source OF happi-
ness instead Of a constant annoy
ance. Sometimes all your roller
trouble comes from the fact that
the wood in your roller wasn't sea.
soned thoroughly. IF roller warps
slightly in a steam or furnace heat
ed room, in winter time, then noisy
action may result. But I'm not
going to tell you any more about
what can happen. Just be sure TO
get the best rollers when you buy
new shades.
Brackets must be set absolutely
even, of course. and fastened Sc
enough to the frame so they
hold the roller perfectly rigid. Be
sure that your shade cloth is just
wide enough and plenty long
The shade must cover
the glass, not allowing a light to
show at the sides and yet not ex-
tending over the sash too for. The