Wood venetian blinds
Wood venetian blinds have 50 mm wooden slats. Where real wood suits, why faux wood is the choice for kitchens and bathrooms, and what they need to fit in a recess.
What it is
A wood venetian blind is made of wooden slats, 50 mm wide.
The slats tilt to let light in or shut it out, and real wood gives the light a warmer tone.
Looks and hangs like
Wood and faux wood are both heavy, so a big blind is heavier to raise.
One maker splits a real wood blind wider than about 1.8 m into two; another makes it up to 2.5 m wide.
What to check at fitting
Inside a recess, a 50 mm wood blind needs at least 70 mm of depth, and about 80 mm to keep its fascia inside the recess.
It must also clear the window handle.
Kitchens and bathrooms: choose faux wood
Real wood can warp, swell or crack where steam or condensation forms, so South African makers advise against it in bathrooms and closed kitchens.
Faux wood looks much like wood and takes the damp. Ask your installer for faux wood there.
Cleaning
Dust it with a soft cloth. For marks, use a barely damp cloth and dry the slat at once; no water or polish.
Cords and child safety
A venetian blind has lift and tilt controls that can carry cords. EN 13120 covers venetian blinds.
Window cords and chains can strangle a child.
Keep cords and chains at least 1.6 m above the floor.
Keep beds, cots and furniture away from the window, so a child cannot climb up to a cord.
A cordless blind has no cord to reach. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends cordless window coverings in every home where children live or visit.
A chain tidy or tension device holds a looped chain to the wall.
The Irish body advises asking whether the blind meets the European standard EN 13120, and whether its safety device meets EN 16433 and EN 16434.
This is guidance from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Ireland's consumer protection body.
Ask your installer for a cordless blind, or how the cord or chain will be fixed.
Measuring
Measure the recess at its narrowest, step by step.
Sources
Written by Sill from makers' fitting guides and published safety guidance, and last read on 18 October 2026. Sources are listed below.
- How to measure for a venetian blind (PDF)
- Window.co.za: Wooden blinds
- Custom Blinds: Wooden blinds
- Blinds Online: Wood blinds
- Blinds Direct: Basswood 50 mm venetian blinds
- SIS catalogue: SS-EN 13120:2009+A1:2014, internal blinds
- US Consumer Product Safety Commission: Window coverings safety alert (PDF)
- Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission: Window blinds
- Sill's notes from fitters' and makers' guides