Ballauff says it has the largest range of pinoleum blinds in Europe but, it tells Blinds & Shutters, it’s not happy to leave it at that

What started as a simple blind made from pine reeds has become a very wide range of products using a variety of timbers, including cedar and, more recently, non-timber products such as bamboo, jute, sea grass and rattan. These new materials are uniquely different, too. There are over 35 varieties of bamboo, for example, which can be turned into many different finishes, while the grasses have a totally different texture and style. Such is their versatility that they can be processed to give a woven, almost textile finish.

Adding these new materials also gives the blinds so many more colour options. When Ballauff joined forces with the Little Green Paint Company last year to offer a choice of 120 paint finishes that was just the start of an explosion of colour. Adding the natural and very vibrant colours available from bamboo, sea grass and jute, and bearing in mind the very different finishes that these offer, the consumer is now spoilt for choice.

Surprisingly, wood is a bit lighter than bamboo making it more suitable for roof blinds in conservatories where weight is an important consideration. The ability for the different materials to complement each other, however, ensures that mixing wood pinoleums on the roof – either in a natural colour or painted – with the more subtle shades and textures of bamboos and grasses can give a very contemporary look to any conservatory.

Ballauff takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and ensures that all of its timber comes from sources which have FSC, OLB or PEFC certification. Indeed, Ballauff has held an FSC licence for its north American-sourced Western Red Cedar for the last five years. Bamboos and grasses are harvested in a different way though and bamboo, for example, actually flourishes when it is cut. If left alone its growth slows down, whereas if harvested regularly it grows faster.

The development of these raw materials, in Ballauff’s case from steep-sided slopes in Vietnam, has a significant impact on the local communities. These often poor communities, which are traditionally agricultural, benefit from the increased demand for a product which for them grows naturally. Improved planting and harvesting regimes have helped to increase production and the resultant sales have brought significant advantages to the local communities, including more employment, better wages and improved education and health facilities.

There is therefore nothing third-world about Ballauff’s new ranges of pinoleum blinds. These are top quality, up-market products which are currently gracing some of the finest houses in Europe. Take a look at what the range has to offer your customers.

• Ballauff T: 01342 713923