What are the differences between window treatments and window coverings?

All I want is a little clarity. I’m the type of person who gets annoyed by imprecise language, especially when it comes to my own industry. You see, it’s my job to write about blinds and blinds and the terms, window treatments and coverings are the butt of jokes all the time without regard to their actual meaning.

I decided to do some research and get a definitive answer, which I would share with the public. I don’t expect to create some kind of revolution, I just want to shed some light on a rather nebulous couple of words.

First, I went to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and found nothing, no definition for any of the words. How is it possible? These are quite common terms. This confuses me. I use an online tool at work that tells me how many times per day the public searching the Internet uses keywords. The word window treatments is used about 2,600 per day and the word window coverings is used about 625 per day. And yet these words are not clearly defined. I feel a conspiracy, just kidding.

My next resource was Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia of descriptions and explanations written by everyday people. I found the following entries:

A window covering is a material used to cover a window to reduce sunlight, to provide additional waterproofing, or to ensure privacy. Window coverings are usually on the inside of windows, but can be on the outside in some situations. Types of coverings include: shades, drapes, blinds, including: venetian blinds, mini-blinds, window shutters, various types of boards, nailed or screwed to the window frame, which can be used as temporary window coverings.

In interior decoration, a window treatment can refer to any of the following items placed on or around a window: drapes or drapes, including sheers, blinds, including venetian blinds, a valance, tie-backs used to hold down drapes. May also include treatments applied directly to the glass, including: frosted glass (through acid, etch, sandblasting, or plastic films or panels), distorted optics such as wavy glass, stained glass panels, or ornaments.

It seems to me, based on these two entries, that there is little difference between their meanings. Both include blinds, shades, shades, and venetian blinds (an old term for what is now commonly known as mini-blinds). Where they seem to stray, at least based on these descriptions, is that window coverings include shutters (in this case, plantation shutters) and window treatments can include treatments for the glass itself.

Both have the basic meaning of something to decorate or cover a window for privacy and light control (room darkening) and to accent a room’s décor. So essentially what we have here are two ill-defined words that have virtually the same meaning. Therefore, I would like to take a personal decision on this subject and say that window treatments should be any treatment: shades, shades, and blinds on the inside (inside) of a window, while window coverings should be anything. treatment: blinds, shutters blinds and awnings to the outside of a window. That seems clearer to me. It doesn’t mean that suddenly everyone will jump on my definition bandwagon, but I am hopeful.