Blinds have long become an integral attribute modern house. Everyone chooses according to their own taste and in accordance with the requirements of the interior of the room, but perhaps the most common choice is horizontal blinds. They are made from various materials– aluminum, wood, plastic – in various colors and lamella parameters. They are reliable, functional, provide good shade, are easy to clean and do not take up extra space on the windowsill.
However, like any other type of blinds, horizontal blinds sometimes need repairs, which you can do yourself, having a small set of tools on hand.
Horizontal blinds can last for ten years without breakdowns, but this service life is seriously reduced if used incorrectly.
Design of horizontal blinds
In order for you to better understand the tips for repairing horizontal blinds, it’s worth taking a closer look at their structure. This diagram shows the main elements:
The slats of horizontal blinds are mounted on a rotating mechanism and are controlled by adjusting the shaft using a cord and a control knob. The user can rotate the slats to set the ideal position, giving the desired degree of illumination in the room; In addition, with the help of a control cord, the slats, interlocked with each other, are raised and lowered, also helping to regulate the illumination and access to the window.
The lower bar serves as a weighting agent and fastening for parts of the control mechanism.
The most common causes of failure of horizontal blinds
The reason for the failure of the blinds can be anything - after all, this mechanism is designed to protect from the sun and prying eyes, and it is quite fragile, which makes it vulnerable to damage. The most common causes of failure of horizontal blinds are the following factors:
- Incorrect installation of blinds
- Too much frequent use
- Sudden jerks, sloppy movements when operating blinds
- Access for small children and pets to blinds
- Contamination of the slats
- Independent modernization of the device, which led to wear of parts
What to do if the blinds are broken?
The first step is to diagnose the breakdown, find out what happened and why the blinds failed.
Then, if necessary, you need to disassemble the structure to the desired state. Attention - when disassembling, fold all the parts of the blinds sequentially! This will help avoid the loss and appearance of “extra” parts after repair.
A good technique would be to photograph sequentially the stages of disassembling the blinds.
Types of malfunctions of horizontal blinds and their elimination
The canvas of horizontal blinds may stop closing and opening, in addition, it may begin to scroll around its axis. If this happens, then the cause must be sought in the rotating mechanism.
Repair of the rotating mechanism of horizontal blinds
- Remove the side caps from the top cornice;
- Unclench the sides of the cornice;
- Pull out the axle rotary mechanism using pliers;
- Insert the new mechanism and put the blinds back together.
Sometimes it is not the control mechanism that breaks, but the lamellas themselves. In this case, you will have to take the following steps.
Repair of slats of horizontal blinds
- Push the cord plug out of the bottom bar;
- Cut off the ends of the knot and remove the cord;
- Remove the broken slats and put new ones in their place;
- Tie the cord in a knot;
- Insert the plug into the bottom bar.
If the slats are in order, but the problem is a torn ladder, the blinds will also have to be removed, but after that the following sequence is performed.
Repair of a ladder of horizontal blinds
- Remove the side caps on the top cornice;
- Pull the upper end of the ladder out of the caliper (it is located on the axis of the rotating mechanism);
- Detach the blade to remove the cord;
- Pull out the ladder;
- Install the clamp on the new ladder;
- Pass the cord through the holes in the slats;
- Secure the cord and ladder using the plug in the bottom bar.
When threading the cord through the slats, make sure that the position of the ladder jumper alternates - to the left/right of the cord
So, now you are familiar with the main faults and how to fix them, and if necessary, you can independently solve the problem of broken horizontal blinds. If you still have questions that you cannot solve, you can always turn to specialists for help, who will diagnose the problem and carry out repairs so that your blinds will serve you for many years to come.
Elena Ostinova
Woman's way
And again let's turn to our beloved and irreplaceable plastic blinds. The reason for our attention to them this time is quite common and unpleasant. In other words, a breakdown.
The design of our beloved and popular products is quite fragile, light and elegant (this is their aesthetic appeal). But these qualities, plus a whole series external influences, often lead to their breakdown. There are many reasons why blinds break:
- drafts,
- temperature changes (detrimental to plastic),
- careless handling of product elements, etc.
Most often, of course, delicate planks (slats or sashes) break.
But there is a more serious breakdown when the lower guide breaks.
It usually breaks in the central part where there is a hole for adjusting the length of the threads
Of course, the first thought that comes to mind is to replace this guide with another plank, for example, made of wood or a metal tube. After all, it’s stronger this way and the material will always be at hand...
But it's worth thinking about:
- firstly, the structure becomes heavier and, therefore, will work worse,
- secondly, such a foreign strip can simply break the glass when there is a gust of wind, touching, etc.
We offer a less “traumatic” and “damaging” method. We don't even need to disassemble or remove our blinds.
The ubiquitous and irreplaceable plastic bottle in everyday life will help us, as always.
Let us apply our ingenuity to it and the issue is resolved.
The method is incredibly simple.
1. First from plastic bottle cut out a small fragment.
2. Roll it into a tube required diameter. So that she enters the middle of our broken guide
3. Then we insert one end of our plastic tube into one half of the guide cavity, and the other into the other, and move them as shown in our photo.
4. For greater strength of our repaired area, we suggest gluing the fracture site with appropriate glue (permissible for plastic)
Formed one-piece design which is what we were trying to achieve.
The entire repair process does not take much time and does not require much effort and financial costs. We don’t even need to dismantle the damaged product, and this greatly simplifies our task.
In a similar way - using glue and the flat part of a plastic bottle or other available materials, you can fasten the slats of blinds that have broken above, without disturbing their aesthetics and without changing the design intended by the manufacturer.
Every item has its own expiration date, and blinds are no exception. It happens that situations occur that cause a breakdown. Do not rush to part with the damaged item right away. Assess the damage and possible ways recovery. You need to know what caused the problem. and how to fix it. We will look at a list of common breakdowns of horizontal and vertical models and give advice on repairs.
Repair of blinds structureImportant tip! If you are repairing the structure yourself, choose a new part responsibly. For example, if you need to replace a lamella, it is better to photograph an example or take a sample with you to the store and show it to the manager. This way, you will be given something that matches the model.
Repair of horizontal blinds
It happens that repair of horizontal blinds becomes necessary. For unknown reasons, the design stopped working. If you determine the problem yourself, there is no point in calling professionals. Repairing blinds is a simple operation, and you can do it yourself. Let's look at frequent breakdowns of horizontal models:
- Broken control cord- happens if you pull it carelessly. If small children live in the house with adults, this happens often. The mechanism of how blinds work is an extraordinary mystery for them, which is why children love to pull the control thread. To improve the operation of the structure, find the location of the break. If it is in a visible place, try to carefully sew both ends of the rope. The second option is to replace the cord. Open the cornice and carefully remove the remaining part. Then insert the new one in the same way as the old one.
- Rotary mechanism malfunction– if the blinds stop opening, or are opened by turning along the axis, the problem lies in a malfunction of the rotating structure. To replace, you need to dismantle the slats and remove the side fastenings from the cornice. Next, use pliers to dismantle the structure. With a slight movement we open the cornice and take out the old mechanism , instead of which you need to install a new one. Then we reassemble the structure.
- Broken lamella– if it happens that the lamella is damaged, and it cannot be restored to its former appearance, it is better to replace it with a new one. It's a simple process. We squeeze out the cord plugs of horizontal models, cut off the end nodes, pull the cord out of the structure, replace the damaged part with a new lamella. Next, we assemble the parts in reverse order.
Repair of vertical blinds
To begin with, we define faulty part. When we are sure what is broken, we repair the vertical blinds. When disassembling the structure, we remember the location of the parts. We work sequentially so as not to make mistakes when we put the parts back together. We will need:
- crosshead screwdriver;
- pliers;
- wire for threading rope.
Broken cord - to get rid of such a breakdown, replace the cord with a new one. To do this you will have to dismantle the structure. Open the special box where it is located. Remove any remaining old cord from there. Install a new thread through the special holes. Assemble the box in the same order as when disassembling.
Dismantling the vertical structure Abrasion of lamellas – the lower edge of the lamellas wears out more often. It can be hemmed or trimmed. If the slats are heavily worn, it is advisable to replace them. To do this you will need to buy the same part. The price for them is affordable, depending on the manufacturer’s brand and materials. To replace the lamella, the following steps are necessary:
- squeeze the side cord latches out of the bottom bar, cut off the end knots and pull out the cord;
- remove worn lamellas and replace them with new ones;
- thread the cord through the special holes;
- tie knots;
- reinstall the structure.
To learn in detail how to remove slats from vertical blinds, watch this video:
Repair of blinds by specialists
There are breakdowns that are difficult to deal with on your own. In this case, contact a specialist for help. Please note that, as a rule, two people respond to a call. For one, sometimes the task turns out to be overwhelming. Repair prices vary. This depends on the region, the nature of the malfunction and the purchase of a new part.
For proper repair Professionals advise replacing several lamellas at once. Thus, the new part is less noticeable against the background of the others. Especially if the blinds lasted for a long time, there is a possibility that the slats have faded due to exposure to the sun. Therefore, a few new pieces to match the old ones will only refresh the design.
In any case, before making a decision, assess the nature of the damage. Sometimes it makes more sense to buy new model rather than repairing the old one with your own hands.
Vertical blinds are a simple device consisting of the following parts: cornice, connecting and turning chains, control cord, slats, hangers, bottom weights. If you wish, you can fix some problems that arise during the use of these curtains with your own hands.
Types of damage to mechanism elements
The design of the blinds is simple, however, during operation several common breakdowns of the device parts occur:
- rupture of the chain connecting the lamellas;
- a break in the cord moving the strips along the cornice;
- damage to the “shoulders” ( plastic parts located at the top of the curtain structure and connecting the fabric to the cornice);
- breakdown of the runners on which the lamellas are attached.
Repair of vertical blinds
Very significant advantage The product is the simplicity of the mechanism and the availability of spare parts presented by manufacturing companies in markets and stores, the ability to disassemble it yourself.
You can repair curtains with your own hands, the main thing is to carefully disassemble the product, and then reassemble it, following all the steps.
How to change the connecting chain
Quite often, the integrity of the chain connecting the lamellas at the bottom is broken (due to careless handling of the product). A new part can be purchased at a specialized store.
Replacing a damaged control circuit
Such a rupture occurs infrequently (usually as a result of sudden movements). The main requirement for this type of DIY repair is that the sliders must be in the open position.
How to fix the control cord
This element in the design of curtains is quite difficult to spoil. A common phenomenon is a decrease in the quality of the cord and, as a result, the part jumps out of the control mechanism.
How to install new hangers
Failure of this element It's quite easy to fix with your own hands. IN hardware store a new part of the appropriate size is purchased (according to the width of the lamella).
Repair stages for replacing the slider
To repair such a violation requires attention and skill. You need to carefully disassemble the mechanism and reassemble it in the same sequence.
In addition to standard care of the structure (as for any curtains, they require dry cleaning or wiping off minor dirt with damp wipes), you must follow the basic rules of careful handling of the product and then repair of vertical blinds will not be required.
- If the lamella movement device jams or the strips do not unfold, do not apply force. If there is no visible cause of the malfunction, it is better not to disassemble the mechanism with your own hands, but to seek help from specialists;
- requirements for operation - the lamellas can be moved along the cornice only in a position perpendicular to the window;
- due to the fact that the mechanism is equipped with plastic components, the control is better - smooth, free movements;
- Since the fabric of these curtains loses color over time, when replacing one curtain, it is advisable to update several adjacent ones so that the shade of the new element does not catch the eye.
There is no need to rush into writing off damaged blinds; it is advisable to first consult with professionals. If, however, the mechanism of your curtains is damaged, you should get rid of such blinds, or disassemble them into parts.
It may happen that repairing curtains will cost less than installing a new product, even if there is damage to various elements.
A video about repairing blinds with your own hands will be interesting to anyone who has these devices hanging on their windows at home or in the office. The fact is that every day we can open and close the blinds several times - this sooner or later leads to a malfunction of their mechanism. If you know how to fix blinds, you can deal with any breakdown in the shortest possible time.
Also from this article you will learn how to choose blinds so as not to experience breakdowns for a long time. It is better to prevent trouble than to deal with it later!
Repair of horizontal blinds
From this video you will learn how to deal with the most common failures of horizontal blinds. In particular, you will see how to replace a torn ladder and a broken control mechanism. From the same story you will learn how to shorten blinds to the desired length with your own hands.
To prevent blinds from having to be repaired, you should choose them responsibly. From this story you will learn what types of blinds there are and which models break more often than others.
