Venetian Blind Repair Advice
Here is some venetian blind repair advice, which will keep you from getting exasperated when anything goes wrong with your favorite window coverings. Venetian blinds are made of thin sheets of materials, connected with strings, and there is a wand or tilt cord for controlling the opening and closing of the blinds. Such a mechanism is not foolproof, and many things can go wrong due to several reasons. When something malfunctions, it is important to know the source of the problem, so that it can be rectified. Here are some solutions for common problems; however keep in mind that when you embark on any DIY projects it usually voids the warranty on your blind.
Venetian Blind Repair: Fixing Lopsided Tilt Cords
This is a common problem when the blind is being used extensively, and a lopsided cord will seriously affect the functioning. You can replace the lopsided cord by following these steps-
- The tilt cord of the blind is not connected to the lift cord and it just goes over, and out of the pulley. If the end of the tilt cord is knotted, you can cut it off, and remove the cord by just pulling it off. Take the new cord, thread it over the pulley, and then keep passing it until you see it on the other side.
- The end of the cord will have to be slipped on the pulls, and at the end, the cord will have to be knotted to keep the pull in place, and you are done.
Venetian Blind Repair: Maintaining your Venetian Blinds
A good part of venetian blind repair is mainly maintenance work that will keep your blinds functioning smoothly. Here are steps for cleaning the slats and replacing ladder tapes whenever required.
- Remove the blinds from the window by unclipping it from its brackets. Lay it in an open position, flat on a table.
- As given in the previous procedure, untie and pull out the lift cord, and carefully keep the equalizer clip aside.
- Now the slats can be removed, but while doing so, stack them in the same sequence. Slats are made of different materials like plastic, aluminum, wood and so on. Therefore, while cleaning them, make sure you are using the solution or detergent, which is safe for that particular material. Wooden slats might require extra care as they can lose their shine or polish if cleaned with the wrong solution.
- For replacing the ladder tapes, take them out, by pulling out the hooks that are holding them in place. Usually one hook will be holding tapes on either side.
- Now, in the box above, place the new tapes and slide in a hook for each pair. The hook will hold the tapes from the back and front, at the box sides.
- Take the cleaned slats, and start sliding them between the tapes. Take care while placing the slats, so that they are facing the right way, otherwise you will have to take them all out again, and repeat the process.
- Fold the tape ends underneath, and bind the one on the last slat to the bottom rail.
- Start threading the cord into your blind by starting at the bottom on the side of the tilt cord. Work your way up, and then go across the top, thread it into the control pulley, and go down the other side. The cord should be inserted in the tape center, so that the placement of ladders comes on the cord’s alternate sides.
- Any excess piece at the end should be cut off, and both the chord ends should be knotted, and secure to the last rail. Now secure the equalizer clip on top and you are done.
- Before securing the blind onto the window, check out the functioning of the control pulley. Any lint or dirt sticking in the pulley mechanism should be vacuumed clean, and then spray a lubricant for smooth performance.
Venetian blind repair is not complicated, once you get the hang of it, and it will save you a lot of frustration when you blinds are not working smoothly.
