The Best Window Blinds for Fort Lauderdale: What Holds Up to Humidity, Sun and Salt Air
Which blinds last in Fort Lauderdale? From our workroom on Powerline Road, the honest answer is a different blind for each room, decided by the air, the sun and how close the window is to the surf. Here it is room by room, with the makers' limits and the climate numbers behind it.
The best blinds for Fort Lauderdale, room by room
The short answer. In Fort Lauderdale the room decides the blind, because humidity, not style, is what ruins the wrong one:
- Air-conditioned living rooms, bedrooms and studies: real basswood blinds or hardwood shutters. Wood stays near its target moisture when the AC keeps the room below about 60% humidity, and basswood is light enough to run wide.
- Kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and homes left closed for the summer: faux wood (PVC) or composite blinds, aluminum, or composite and polymer shutters. They do not take on moisture. Pick light colours on south and west windows.
- Modern rooms and the widest windows: aluminum, the horizontal blind that spans furthest (1 in slats to 96 in on one headrail).
- Sliding glass doors: PVC or fabric verticals, panel track, or Allusion sheer verticals you walk through.
- Walls of glass and view windows: usually not a blind at all, but a solar screen roller shade, which runs wider and keeps the water in view.
Then check two rules before ordering: under the 2022 safety standard, custom horizontal blinds come without free-hanging cords or cord loops, and some condo associations require window treatments to look white from outside.
We supply and install every option on this page: wood blinds and shutters from our family's mill in Quebec, Lutron's motorized blinds and shades, and roller shades fabricated in our own Fort Lauderdale workroom, so we have no reason to push one material. The figures are the makers' (Lutron, Graber, Norman, Bali, Mermet, Phifer), the agencies' (NOAA, EPA, CDC, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the University of Florida, the Florida Solar Energy Center) and, where no maker publishes a number, a large retailer's, each linked under Sources.
What Fort Lauderdale does to a blind #
Four forces decide whether a blind lasts here: humidity, what humidity does to wood, sun on the slats, and salt air near the beach. The numbers behind each.
1. Humidity, outdoors and in
South Florida air is humid all year: morning relative humidity averages 78 to 86% in every month at Miami and West Palm Beach, afternoons 55 to 66%, and the average daily dew point at Miami reaches 70 F by May 24 (a University of Miami climatology). Indoors the AC decides. Air conditioning pulls the room well below that (in FSEC's vacant test homes, two to four hours of AC a night brought average humidity to 48 to 59%), but a closed-up house with no conditioning floated at 62 to 73% in FSEC's measurements, above EPA's line of 60% (ideally 30 to 50%) and CDC's 50%, and close to the 70 to 90% at 77 to 88 F where UF/IFAS says mildew thrives.
2. What humidity does to wood
Wood takes on moisture until it matches the air. The USDA Wood Handbook puts it at 9.2% moisture content at 50% relative humidity and 16.0% at 80% (70 F), and wood left outdoors in Miami averages about 12 to 14% all year. Basswood, the standard wood-blind species, shrinks and swells more than most (9.3% tangential, green to oven-dry). Computed By the handbook's coefficients, a 2 1/2 in basswood slat moves about 1/64 in between 50% and 60% humidity but nearly 1/16 in between 50% and 80%, and uneven movement is what cups and twists a slat. Coatings slow the change but do not prevent it, the handbook says.
3. Sun on the slats and the glass
Dark slats in direct sun run hot. No blind maker publishes a temperature limit for PVC faux wood; one large retailer advises against dark-stained faux wood in windows that can reach 115 F or that face constant south or west sun, and rigid PVC siding, the closest published proxy, distorts at about 142 to 192 F. The glass has its own limit: glass makers want an interior shade at least 2 in from the glass with vented gaps (Vitro; Viracon gives 1 1/2 in at the bottom and top or side, 2 in to the glass) and Vitro ranks light-coloured venetian blinds as the worst case for glass stress. The heat side of the choice is in our ranking of every product for heat.
4. Salt air near the beach
Corrosion climbs steeply toward the surf: IMOA reports the highest coastal rates generally within 400 to 600 m (1,300 to 2,000 ft) of the shoreline, which takes in the towers along A1A from Fort Lauderdale beach to Galt Ocean Mile and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Surfaces rain never washes collect the most salt, so interior hardware by an open slider is the vulnerable case. Stainless-steel associations prefer 316 over 304 for coastal exposure, and coastal aluminum finishes are specified to AAMA 2605 or AAMA 611. Inside a sealed, air-conditioned unit, salt is a minor factor.
Every blind option, material by material #
Each card separates what the maker publishes from what we see on our own jobs. Where no maker publishes a figure and a retailer does, the card says so.
Air-conditioned living rooms, bedrooms, studies
Real wood (basswood) blinds #
Published figure Basswood is light, so wood blinds reach wider than faux wood: up to 84 in on one headrail on one large retailer's premium line, and 72 in by 80 in for a single Lutron wood blind (96 in as two blinds under one valance). The price of real wood is humidity. The USDA Wood Handbook puts wood at 9.2% moisture content at 50% relative humidity and 16.0% at 80%, basswood shrinks and swells more than most species (9.3% tangential, green to oven-dry), and the handbook's installation target for damp, warm coastal areas is 11% (8 to 13%). Graber states that real wood blinds 'should not be installed in high humidity situations', naming bathrooms, laundry rooms and some kitchens. Lutron rates its basswood blinds for indoor use, about 32 to 104 F, below 90% relative humidity, non-condensing.
Our experience Our first choice for living rooms, dens, studies and bedrooms that are air-conditioned all year, in 2 in or 2 1/2 in slats from our family's mill in Quebec, or as Lutron wood blinds on a motorized tilt. They look most at home on divided-light windows and French doors.
Sources USDA Wood Handbook, ch. 4 · Wood Handbook, ch. 13 · Graber, real vs faux wood · Lutron spec 085665 · Blinds.com basswood line
Kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, closed-up homes
Faux wood and composite blinds #
Published figure The slats are PVC or a polymer composite, so they do not take on moisture: Graber calls faux wood 'the champions when it comes to high humidity and moisture'. Two limits come with it. Weight: faux wood is heavier than basswood, and single blinds are capped at 63 to 96 in wide depending on the line, with one retailer stating its faux wood is 'not recommended for large windows'. Heat on dark colours: no maker publishes a temperature limit, but that retailer advises against dark-stained faux wood in windows that can reach 115 F or face constant south or west sun, and rigid PVC siding, the closest published proxy, distorts at about 142 to 192 F. 'Won't warp or fade' claims on retail pages cite no test.
Our experience What we specify in kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, pool baths and homes left closed for the summer, in white and light finishes on south and west glass, and split into two blinds on a shared headrail past about 72 in.
Sources Graber faux wood and composite · Blinds.com Classic faux wood (heat note) · Blinds.com faux wood (large windows) · Bali faux wood (96 in) · Cardinal IG14, PVC distortion
Modern rooms, baths, the widest windows
Aluminum blinds #
Published figure Humidity does nothing to aluminum, and it spans the furthest of any horizontal blind: Bali lists 1 in slats in 6-gauge aluminum up to 96 in on a single headrail and 144 in as three blinds on one, and 2 in slats in 8-gauge aluminum to 84 in single and 142 in on one headrail. Both carry an 'antistatic, antimicrobial polyester-baked finish' that Bali says resists corrosion; no maker publishes a salt-spray rating for interior aluminum blinds.
Our experience Slim 1 in aluminum for modern interiors and bathrooms, and for the odd wide window where a single slat colour has to run across. In beachfront towers with sliders left open to sea air, we suggest rinsing the slats with fresh water now and then; sheltered surfaces that rain never reaches collect the most salt.
Sources Bali 1 in aluminum · Bali 2 in aluminum · SSINA coastal handbook
Oceanfront rooms, baths, kitchens, seasonal homes
Composite and polymer plantation shutters #
Published figure Engineered composite (wood fibre with a polymer finish) is the moisture-tolerant middle: Graber's composite shutters are 'an engineered material that can withstand moisture and high humidity', with panels up to 36 in wide and 2 1/2, 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 in louvers; Norman's Woodlore Plus pairs a composite frame with ABS louvers, panels up to 36 in, and offers a waterproof option where water exposure is prolonged. Solid polymer panels need aluminum reinforcement once they get large (one retailer adds it past 24 by 50 in or 72 in tall). Fade and 'energy' claims on shutter pages are qualitative; no maker we found publishes accelerated-weathering hours.
Our experience Composite in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and oceanfront rooms, with stainless hardware where salt air reaches. Shutters typically run $25 to $45 per square foot installed with us, depending on material, louver size and shape.
Sources Graber composite shutters · Norman Woodlore Plus · Norman wet-room guidance · Poly-resin panel reinforcement
Formal, air-conditioned rooms
Hardwood plantation shutters #
Published figure Hardwood gives the lightest panel and the finest paint or stain finish, and it follows the same moisture rules as a wood blind: stable in a conditioned room, moving in a damp one. Computed By the Wood Handbook's coefficients, a 3 1/2 in basswood louver moves roughly 0.08 in (about 5/64 in) between 50% and 80% relative humidity, against about 0.02 in between 50% and 60%.
Our experience Lacquered basswood shutters with 3 1/2 in louvers and a hidden tilt, no visible tilt rod, on the guest house windows of a golf course home in Boca Raton, on windows up to 18 ft high, with a blackout honeycomb behind each shutter for a dark morning. Hardwood for the formal rooms, composite wherever water or salt air gets in.
Sources Wood Handbook, ch. 13 (coefficients) · Wood Handbook, ch. 4 (EMC)
Sliding glass doors and wide glass
Verticals, panel track and Allusion sheer verticals #
Published figure The blind family built for sliders. Vertical vanes are typically 3 1/2 in wide; a single vinyl vertical runs to about 120 in wide at one large retailer. In humidity, PVC vanes are the safe choice: Blinds To Go notes that high humidity 'can lead to mildew on standard fabrics', while PVC vanes 'resist moisture'. Sheer vertical systems such as Louvolite's Allusion combine voile with rotating vertical louvres.
Our experience Fabric vanes for the classic function, panel track for wide modern openings, and Allusion sheer verticals you walk straight through on pool and balcony sliders. PVC vanes still earn their place in a humid room.
Walls of glass and view windows
When the answer is a shade: solar screen roller shades #
Published figure Past about 72 to 96 in, a single horizontal blind is out by the makers' own limits, and its slats and ladders sit across the view. Lutron's battery and wired roller shades reach 108 in wide; Mermet's vinyl-coated fiberglass screens come 122 in wide, carry GREENGUARD Gold, block about 97% of UV at 3% openness, and list ASTM E2180 (antibacterial) and ASTM G21 (fungal resistance) as their test methods, without publishing scores. Mermet's care guide allows mild soap and water and a 10% bleach-based cleaner for mold or mildew spots on the coated screens.
Our experience On the oceanfront we have used it at Salato in Pompano Beach (Mermet E Screen in White, 3% and 5%) and on Hillsboro Mile (Lutron Basketweave 90 in Bright White): white when the room is buying a cooler afternoon, charcoal when it is buying the view. The heat side of that choice is in our heat ranking; the see-through side in transparent shades and blinds.
Sources Lutron spec 085312 (108 in) · Mermet E Screen sheets · Mermet cleaning guide · ASTM E2180 scope
Bedrooms and conditioned rooms
Zebra, honeycomb, roman and woven shades #
Published figure These are soft shades with different humidity tolerances. TOP's acrylic-foam polyester blackout is rated for humid environments; Lutron rates its honeycomb shades like its blinds, indoor, below 90% relative humidity, non-condensing; retailers advise against cellular shades in high humidity because the soft cells absorb moisture and odours, and against untreated bamboo and woven woods in bathrooms, where damp conditions encourage fungal growth; UF/IFAS notes that mold feeds on the natural fibres used in furnishings.
Our experience Zebra shades for bedrooms and offices that want one shade for both jobs, honeycomb for conditioned bedrooms, woven woods and natural-fibre roman shades only where the AC holds the room near 60% or below.
Sources TOP Roma blackout datasheet · Lutron honeycomb spec 085745 · Blinds.com cellular guide · SelectBlinds on bamboo shades · UF/IFAS FCS3255
Which blind goes in which room of a Fort Lauderdale home #
Our experience What we specify most often, with the humidity that drives it. The visit settles your windows.
| Room | What the air does | Best blind | Shade alternative | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room, family room, den (air-conditioned all year) | Usually below 60% with the AC running; in FSEC's vacant test homes, 2 to 4 hours of AC a night brought it to 48 to 59% | Real wood blinds; hardwood shutters; aluminum in modern rooms | Solar screen roller on a wall of glass | Nothing on humidity grounds; dark faux wood on hot west glass |
| Bedroom | Same as above when conditioned | Real wood or faux wood blinds; shutters | Blackout roller, dual shade or honeycomb | Light-filtering fabric alone if night privacy matters |
| Kitchen | Cooking steam spikes; grease | Faux wood or composite; aluminum | Vinyl-coated or polyester roller | Real wood near the range; woven woods |
| Bathroom, pool bath, laundry | Steam and condensation after every shower | Faux wood, composite or polymer; aluminum; waterproof ABS-louver shutters | Vinyl or polyester roller | Real wood, honeycomb, natural-fibre romans, woven woods |
| Sliding door to balcony or pool | Outdoor air whenever it is open: Miami and West Palm Beach mornings average 78 to 86% RH | PVC or fabric verticals, panel track, Allusion sheer verticals | Motorized solar screen; drapery on a track | A horizontal blind over 72 to 96 in wide |
| Covered lanai or Florida room | Tracks outdoor air; salt near the beach | Exterior-rated screens first; among blinds, PVC or aluminum in light colours | Exterior solar screen on an exterior motor | Indoor motors (none is rated for a lanai); real wood |
| Home closed for the summer | FSEC measured 62 to 73% average with no conditioning | Faux wood, composite or polymer | Vinyl-coated screen fabrics | Real wood and natural fibres unless AC or a dehumidifier holds about 60% |
Every blind material compared for Fort Lauderdale #
Widths are single-unit maximums from the makers' and large retailers' published listings; a custom order can differ. The sources are on each card above.
| Material | Humidity | Sun and heat | Salt air | Widest single unit | Best rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real wood (basswood) blinds | Moves with humidity; maker guidance: not for high-humidity rooms | Paint or stain finish; Lutron tilt motor rated to 104 F | Fine inside a sealed, conditioned unit | 84 in (retail basswood); Lutron 72 in, 96 in as two | Conditioned living rooms, bedrooms, studies |
| Faux wood and composite blinds | Unaffected | Light colours on south and west glass; no maker heat limit published | No metal slats | 63 to 96 in single headrail (heavier) | Kitchens, baths, laundry, closed-up homes |
| Aluminum blinds | Unaffected | Fine; slats run warm in sun | Baked polyester finish; rinse near the surf | 96 in (1 in slat), 84 in (2 in); 142 to 144 in multi | Modern rooms, baths, wide windows |
| Composite and polymer shutters | Moisture-tolerant; waterproof options | Qualitative UV claims only | Stainless hardware where salt reaches | Panels to 36 in (composite) | Baths, kitchens, oceanfront rooms |
| Hardwood shutters | Moves with humidity | Paint or stain finish | Conditioned rooms only | Panel by panel | Formal, conditioned rooms |
| Verticals and sheer verticals | PVC best; fabric can mildew | Fabric choice | PVC wipes clean | About 120 in (vinyl vertical) | Sliding doors, wide glass |
| Solar screen roller shade (alternative) | Coated fiberglass; ASTM G21 listed on Mermet's sheets | About 97% UV blocked at 3% | Soap, water, 10% bleach spot clean | 108 in (Lutron); fabric 122 in | Walls of glass, view windows |
Motors, cords, condo rules and the empty summer house
Motorized blinds in Fort Lauderdale heat #
Lutron's Triathlon and Serena wood blinds tilt by motor and lift by hand on a cordless lift, and Lutron rates them for indoor use from about 32 to 104 F below 90% relative humidity, non-condensing. Its Natural Light Optimization tilts the slats through the day to diffuse direct sun and closes them after dusk. Somfy's Tilt 50 WireFree motor for 2 in horizontal blinds carries a higher published ceiling, 32 to 140 F, indoor (IP20), on lithium batteries. Neither maker says whether that is room air or headrail temperature, and neither rates its indoor motors for an open lanai, so a covered patio takes exterior-rated screens and motors. More on the systems: Lutron wood blinds, motorized shades.
Cords and children: what the rules say now #
Stock blinds sold off the shelf have had to be cordless, have inaccessible cords or cords of 8 in or less since a federal rule took effect on December 28, 2022. For custom blinds, the industry standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 took effect on June 1, 2024: it eliminates free-hanging operating cords on custom products and bans continuous cord loops and bead chains on custom horizontal blinds. On September 24, 2026 the CPSC proposed making custom window coverings that miss those requirements a substantial product hazard; comments close November 23, 2026. Cordless and motorized blinds satisfy both the standard and the proposed rule, and our horizontal blinds are cordless or motorized.
Condo rules: what Florida law says, and what your building says #
Florida's condominium statute, 718.113(5), requires each board to adopt hurricane-protection specifications, which may include colour and style; it does not mention blinds, shades or drapes. Rules for interior window treatments come from each association's declaration and rules, and a typical rule says all window treatments shall be white as seen from the exterior of the building. White blinds, white-backed blackout fabrics and drapery with a white lining satisfy it; a dark faux wood or a charcoal screen may not. We read the building's rules before we quote a tower.
The house you leave closed for the summer #
The summer months a seasonal home sits empty overlap hurricane season (June 1 to November 30, peak September 10) and the wettest stretch of the year. FSEC measured closed-up Florida homes averaging 62 to 73% relative humidity with no mechanical conditioning, and found AC set to 83 to 85 F gave generally poor humidity results, while short nightly AC runs or a dehumidifier held 48 to 60% in the better cases. UF/IFAS advises leaving the AC no higher than 85 F, and window treatments that keep valuables out of view without making the house look closed up; motorized shades on a schedule do both. Unless the AC or a dehumidifier will hold the house near 60%, we specify faux wood, composite or polymer blinds and shutters and vinyl-coated screen fabrics, and keep real wood and natural fibres for homes that stay conditioned.
Blinds, shutters and the shades beside them
Wood where the room is conditioned, synthetics where the air is not, and a shade where the glass is too wide for a blind.
Where to see blinds in Fort Lauderdale
Our workroom and showroom are at 4539 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 (954-881-9331), with a second showroom at 500 South Pointe Dr #150, Miami Beach. Better still, we bring real wood, faux wood and aluminum slats, shutter louvers and screen fabrics to your windows, at the hour the sun is on them, because the finish that works on a north window can bake on a west one. Ask for the material, the colour, the maximum width and the operating system in writing.
Frequently asked
What are the best window blinds for a Fort Lauderdale home? #
It depends on the room's humidity and the window's sun. Real basswood blinds or hardwood shutters belong in rooms that are air-conditioned all year: wood settles at about 9% moisture content at 50% relative humidity and stays close to the 11% the USDA Wood Handbook recommends for damp, warm coastal areas. Faux wood (PVC) or composite blinds and composite or polymer shutters belong in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and homes left closed for the summer, because they do not take on moisture; choose light colours on south and west windows. Aluminum suits modern rooms and the widest windows (1 in slats to 96 in on one headrail). Sliding doors take fabric or PVC verticals, panel track or Allusion sheer verticals. A wall of glass with a view usually wants a solar screen roller shade, not a blind.
Do wood blinds warp in Florida humidity? #
In an air-conditioned room, real basswood does well. Wood follows the air: the USDA Wood Handbook puts its equilibrium moisture content at 9.2% at 50% relative humidity and 16.0% at 80% (70 F), and basswood is one of the higher-shrinkage woods, so a 2 1/2 in slat moves nearly 1/16 in across that swing by the handbook's coefficients. That swing is what a bathroom, a laundry room, a covered lanai or a closed-up seasonal home produces, which is why Graber states that real wood blinds should not be installed in high-humidity situations. Lutron rates its basswood blinds for indoor use below 90% relative humidity, non-condensing.
Do faux wood blinds warp in the Florida heat? #
Humidity does not bother them; heat on a dark slat can. No blind maker publishes a temperature limit for PVC faux-wood slats, but one large retailer advises against dark-stained faux wood in windows that can reach 115 F or that face constant south or west sun, and rigid PVC siding, the closest published proxy, softens at about 142 to 192 F. Faux wood is also heavier than basswood, so single blinds are capped at 63 to 96 in wide depending on the line. Light colours, narrower blinds and a vented gap behind the slats are the answer on hot glass.
What blinds are best for a bathroom or kitchen in Florida? #
Faux wood (PVC) or composite blinds, aluminum blinds, or composite and polymer shutters. Graber calls faux wood 'the champions' for high humidity and moisture; Norman steers wet zones to its waterproof ABS-louver shutters with stainless-steel hardware. Among shades, vinyl-coated or polyester roller fabrics wipe clean, while honeycomb, woven wood and natural-fibre roman shades absorb moisture and are better kept to conditioned rooms.
What are the best blinds for sliding glass doors in Florida? #
Verticals are the blind family that spans a slider: PVC vanes for humid rooms (fabric vanes can mildew), fabric vanes for a softer look, panel track for wide modern openings, and Allusion sheer verticals you can walk straight through. A single vinyl vertical runs to about 120 in wide at one large retailer. Horizontal blinds top out at 63 to 96 in on a single headrail, so most sliders are better served by a vertical system, a motorized solar shade or a drapery on a track.
Are aluminum blinds a good choice near the ocean? #
Inside an air-conditioned unit, yes: humidity does not affect aluminum, and the slats carry a baked polyester finish that Bali describes as resisting corrosion, although no maker publishes a salt-spray rating for interior blinds. Corrosion rises steeply toward the surf (IMOA reports the highest rates within 400 to 600 m of the shoreline), and sheltered surfaces that rain never washes collect the most salt, so on a balcony slider left open, rinse the slats and specify 316 stainless or anodized hardware where it shows.
Composite or wood plantation shutters in Florida? #
Composite or polymer for bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, oceanfront rooms and seasonal homes; hardwood for formal, air-conditioned rooms where a lighter panel and a furniture-grade finish matter. Graber's and Norman's composite lines run panels up to 36 in wide, Norman offers a waterproof option with ABS louvers, and solid polymer panels need aluminum reinforcement past a certain size (one retailer sets it at 24 by 50 in or 72 in tall). Our shutters typically run $25 to $45 per square foot installed, depending on material, louver size and shape.
Blinds or shades for a Fort Lauderdale condo? #
Often shades, for two practical reasons: width and view. Condo glass runs floor to ceiling and wall to wall, and Lutron's battery and wired roller shades reach 108 in wide against 72 in for its wood blinds, with solar screen fabric that keeps the water in view. Blinds earn their place in bedrooms and dens with ordinary windows, and in kitchens and baths in faux wood. Check the building's rules first: some associations require window treatments to look white from outside.
What window treatments are allowed in a Florida condo? #
Florida's condominium statute (718.113(5)) requires boards to adopt hurricane-protection specifications, which may include colour and style; it says nothing about blinds or shades. Rules for interior window treatments come from each association's declaration and rules; a typical rule says all window treatments shall be white as seen from the exterior. White blinds, white-backed blackout fabrics and drapery with a white lining satisfy it. Read your documents before ordering a dark blind for a tower.
Can blinds be motorized, and do the motors handle the heat? #
Yes. Lutron's Triathlon and Serena wood blinds tilt by motor and lift by hand, rated for indoor use from about 32 to 104 F below 90% relative humidity; Lutron's Natural Light Optimization tilts them through the day to diffuse direct sun and closes them after dusk. Somfy's Tilt 50 WireFree motor for 2 in blinds is rated 32 to 140 F, indoor (IP20). Neither is rated for an open lanai; a covered patio takes exterior-rated screens and motors.
Are corded blinds still allowed? #
Stock blinds sold in stores have had to be cordless, have inaccessible cords or cords of 8 in or less since a federal rule took effect on December 28, 2022. For custom blinds, the industry standard ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 took effect June 1, 2024: no free-hanging operating cords and no continuous loops or bead chains on custom horizontal blinds. On September 24, 2026 the CPSC proposed making non-conforming custom window coverings a substantial product hazard (comments close November 23, 2026). Cordless and motorized blinds meet both; our horizontal blinds are cordless or motorized.
What should I install in a home I leave closed for the summer? #
Plan for humidity. Florida Solar Energy Center measured closed-up Florida homes averaging 62 to 73% relative humidity with no mechanical conditioning, while EPA asks for below 60%, and UF/IFAS warns that above 85 F indoors humidity runs past 55 to 60%, which it calls unsafe. If the AC or a dehumidifier will not hold the house near 60%, specify faux wood, composite or polymer blinds and shutters and vinyl-coated screen fabrics, and keep real wood and natural fibres for homes that stay conditioned.
How do I clean blinds and shades near the beach? #
Follow the maker's care sheet for the material. Faux wood and aluminum wipe with a damp cloth. Mermet's coated solar screens take a soft cloth with mild soap and lukewarm water, a 10% bleach-based cleaner for mold or mildew spots, and a dry in the down position; Phifer's SheerWeave care allows mild soap and water and bleach diluted to 10% or less. Acrylic-backed blackouts, polyester screens such as GreenScreen, honeycomb and woven woods are dust-only or damp-cloth fabrics, which matters on an oceanfront balcony door.
What do custom blinds cost in Fort Lauderdale? #
We quote blinds per window after a free in-home measure. For scale: our plantation shutters typically run $25 to $45 per square foot installed; a motorized roller shade for one 72 by 84 in window runs from about $733 on our Essential motor to about $3,141 on wired Lutron, budgetary and before tax, from our published price list. Online, entry prices for small stock-size blinds start around $40 for 1 in aluminum and $52 to $65 for faux wood, before measuring and installation.
Where can I see blinds in person in Fort Lauderdale? #
Our workroom and showroom are at 4539 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale (954-881-9331), with a second showroom at 500 South Pointe Dr, Miami Beach. We bring real wood, faux wood and aluminum slats, shutter louvers and screen fabrics to the window, because the colour that works on a north window can bake on a west one.
Every figure on this page, by document #
All documents accessed 10 October 2026. Humidity normals for Fort Lauderdale itself are not published by NOAA's comparative climate tables; Miami and West Palm Beach bracket Broward. Where a maker publishes no limit (faux-wood heat, salt-spray hours for interior blinds), the page says so and uses the nearest published figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (USW00012849)
- Florida Climate Center (FSU), mean relative humidity, Miami and West Palm Beach
- University of Miami, Miami climate (dew point climatology, 1991-2020)
- Florida Solar Energy Center for FPL, humidity in vacant Florida homes (FSEC-CR-1487-04)
- EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
- CDC, Mold
- UF/IFAS Extension, Closing Your Seasonal Home (HE887, 2026)
- UF/IFAS Palm Beach County, Closing your Florida home for the season
- UF/IFAS, Basic Mold Prevention (FCS3255)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook, chapter 4 (moisture relations)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook, chapter 13 (dimensional change)
- Graber, Real Wood Blinds vs. Faux Wood Blinds
- Graber, composite and faux wood blinds
- Graber, composite shutters
- Norman, Woodlore Plus shutters
- Norman, bathroom window treatments
- Lutron, Serena and Triathlon wood blinds specification 085665
- Lutron, wood blinds brochure (Natural Light Optimization)
- Lutron, Serena and Triathlon roller shades specification 085312
- Lutron, honeycomb shades specification 085745
- Somfy Tilt 50 WireFree RTS specifications
- Blinds.com, Classic 2 in faux wood (heat and colour note)
- Blinds.com, 2 in faux wood (large-window note)
- Blinds.com, Bali 2 in faux wood
- Blinds.com, premium 2 in basswood
- Blinds.com, Bali 1 in aluminum
- American Blinds, Bali Heritage 2 in aluminum
- American Blinds, poly-resin shutters (aluminum reinforcement)
- American Blinds, vinyl vertical blinds
- Blinds To Go, vertical blinds buying guide
- Cardinal Glass, IG14 vinyl siding distortion (PVC heat behaviour)
- Vitro Architectural Glass, TD-109 thermal stress
- Viracon, VTT-011 thermal stress breakage
- IMOA, coastal salt and stainless steel
- SSINA, Designer Handbook: Stainless Steel for Coastal and Salt Corrosion
- Window + Door, coating considerations for coastal communities
- Mermet USA, E Screen grouped spec sheets 04.25
- Mermet USA, Disinfecting and Cleaning Guide (06.10.24)
- Phifer SheerWeave cleaning instructions
- ASTM E2180 scope
- Blinds.com, cellular shades buying guide
- SelectBlinds, can bamboo shades get wet
- TOP Window Covering, Roma blackout datasheet
- WCMA, FAQ on ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022
- Federal Register 2022-25040, stock window coverings rule
- Federal Register 2026-19579, CPSC proposed rule on window covering cords
- Florida Statutes 718.113 (2025)
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, tropical cyclone climatology
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
“I’m absolutely blown away and in love with my ripple food curtains !! Everything about them from the install to the fabric and quality . My house feels so much more like a home I couldn’t have asked for anything better . I recommend to everybody !”
“I couldn’t believe how much of a change these new drapes could make! This company upgraded my apartment overlooking the water and it now has a fresh, art deco’ish vibe I can only picture in my head. The space feels modern and elegant without losing its at home feeling. From start to finish top notch work. I highly recommend them if you want your place to look like something out of a magazine.”
“I’m really happy with my new curtains! The team from Exotic Shades came to my place helped me choose the right fabric, and guided me through the whole process. Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to. Great service and beautiful results. Highly recommend A+”
Exotic Shades & Draperies, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach
Exotic Shades & Draperies is a South Florida window-treatment company that designs, sews and installs its own work: Lutron and Somfy motorized shades, custom draperies sewn in our Fort Lauderdale workroom by five in-house seamstresses, plantation shutters and blinds. Established in South Florida in 2024, backed by more than 20 years of window-treatment manufacturing and installation experience. Lutron certified dealer, Somfy Expert, Crestron and Control4 integration. The same in-house team measures, installs and programs every project; when shading has to integrate with another control system, we bring in our smart-home partner Adom Smart Home.
Fort Lauderdale workroom and showroom
4539 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 · 954-881-9331
Miami Beach showroom
500 South Pointe Dr #150, Miami Beach, FL 33139 · 954-872-9007
Where we install
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties: Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and Aventura through Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, with projects in the Caribbean and New York.
How a project runs
Free in-home measurement, a written quote from the same engine as our published prices, fabrication in our own workroom, installation and programming by our own team, and service on the systems we install.
Custom blinds and shutters across Fort Lauderdale and the coast
From Las Olas Isles, Harbor Beach, Rio Vista and Victoria Park to Coral Ridge, Galt Ocean Mile and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and from Miami Beach to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, measured and installed by our own team.
Tell us the rooms; we bring the right blind for each
One free hour with our team routinely saves owners thousands in avoidable mistakes. Book a private, complimentary consultation - we bring wood, faux wood, aluminum and shutter samples to your windows.