From Draper’s Blog
Draper supports green building projects and takes sustainable design seriously. On our blog we post articles about how our products support green building, daylighting, shading, and other information about how to get the most out of the products and resources that are available to support an environmentally conscious build.
- Four Takeaways from Draper’s Annual Employee Meeting
On a recent, relatively mild spring day, visitors to Spiceland, Indiana, would have witnessed something strange. The streets of this 800-plus population town were filled with more than 700 people, some walking, others driving, all headed for the same destination: the old Spiceland gym. Residents didn’t bat an eye, though. ... read more - FlexShade Recharge Allows Motorization Without Wiring
Commerce Tower, located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is on the National Register of Historic Buildings as the first “curtain wall” building west of the Mississippi. So when a renovation was planned for the landmark, no detail was too small—including solar control. Commerce Tower was planned as a vertical neighborhood, ... read more - New Modular System Cleans Up Large Wall Pad Cut-Outs
Wall pads are an important part of gymnasium safety. But what happens when there’s something in the way? We’ve all seen situations in gyms where there is a fire extinguisher cabinet, drinking fountain, AED cabinet, or other large obstacle located right in the middle of where wall padding is supposed ... read more - Draper Delivers Even in the Busy Season
The arrival of spring in the United States means more than warmer temperatures and budding flowers. It also means the construction industry is gearing up for its busiest time of year, and an uptick in window shade orders. The busy season makes it more important than ever that a manufacturing ... read more - Updates That Make Our Shades Even BetterSplashy new product announcements always seem to get the most attention. But often the most important innovations and improvements are smaller upgrades and advances that are easily overlooked. We’ve recently made several changes in and additions to our window shade line that are small parts of the product, but represent ... read more
- TV Show Features Behind-the-Scenes Look at Draper Shade Production
Giving customers insight into the heart of a manufacturer is an important part of doing business, especially when so many companies conduct business with a kind of “scorched earth” strategy. One way Draper lets people see the real us is through what we call The Draper Experience. We invite them ... read more - NEXD-the Next Generation of Heavy–Duty Shade Clutches
There are some settings where a standard clutch-operated window shade won’t stand up to rigorous treatment over time. However, due to cost issues a manual shade is still preferred. It’s for such situations that we first introduced the FlexShade® XD heavy-duty clutch. Now the next generation of the heavy-duty XD ... read more - What You’ll Find in the New Solar Control Shading CatalogNothing inspires the imagination of a potential customer like beautiful pictures of real-world solutions. That’s why our new Solar Control Shading Catalog is chock full of project photos. Besides great new images, here are a few things you’ll find in the new catalog: Streamlined Navigation You don’t want to waste ... read more
- How Draper Supports Spec WritersSpecification writers are really just doing what someone else tells them to do, right? Not hardly. Spec writers are responsible for putting together a specification describing the building and everything in it. They must consider and account for a plethora of technical details. The easier it is for them to ... read more
- Icebreakers: Six Questions to Ask a Potential SupplierBeginning a relationship with a potential supplier should be about more than product pricing. Issues such as customer service, warranty, quality, and shipping schedules must also be considered. Before you even get to those issues, however, there are other questions to consider. Questions that get to the heart of what ... read more
- How Draper Supports Interior DesignersInterior designers just play with color and fabric swatches, right? If that’s your view, you need to rethink! They are extremely important to an architectural firm. They have a great deal to do with how a designed space looks and feels. The interior designer researches, plans, and manages the overall ... read more
- Draper Goes Big with Cassette-Style InstallationVery large window openings require extra-wide window shades. However, wider shades also typically mean larger, heavier headbox profiles that are more expensive and can be harder to install. That’s why we’ve introduced two new motorized shading solutions available up to 25’ wide with smaller, lighter profiles. The Motorized FlexShade® XL ... read more
- How Draper Supports Project ArchitectsWhat do project architects really do? Just some design work, right? Not so much. They typically are responsible for everything from balancing client needs, to coordinating with engineers and designers, to developing construction documents and specifications. All while they design the building. Draper has several resources to make the project ... read more
- Coming to Grips with Battery-Powered ShadesAre you still on the fence about battery-powered shades? Since Draper introduced the FlexShade® Recharge a year ago, many dealers and end users have embraced battery shade technology, but we do still get questions from people who are skeptical. What those people may not realize is that the Recharge uses ... read more
- 2018 FlexShade Price List—Coming Soon!This week, Draper shade dealers will be receiving emails allowing them to download the 2018 FlexShade Price List. The new price list will take effect February 19 and there are several exciting additions. FlexShade® NEXD The next generation of the premium XD clutch is here and it’s available with cassette-style ... read more