Can My Blinds be Repaired? Common Window Blind Issues and How to Fix Them

Love your window blinds but they’ve seen better days? They can be made like new by you–or the craftspeople at a local window blind repair shop like Adler’s Blinds.

While blind restoration is a special skill, the professionals at Adler’s Blinds can do just about any repair you might need:

• a frame pulling out
• damaged slats
• damaged cords
• split pleat(s)
• hard-to-open blinds
• broken handles
• cord tensioner troubles
• cord cleat issues
• remote control problems

Some fixes can be done at your house, but more complex ones require the blinds to be brought into our shop. We can come to your house and take the blinds down, then bring them back once they are ready and reinstall them.

When you call, ask if the repair can be done in situ and for a cost estimate to decide whether you want to invest in the repair or replace your blinds.

Want to Do it Yourself?

Here are some ways to address the most common window blind issues on your own:

Replacing the Slats

Before you start, consult with a professional in your city or town to ensure the slat’s holes are lined up with your slats.

• Remove the bottom rail plugs to get to the lift cord with a knot.
• Untie it and tug the cord away from the blind front. Only pull the cord out as much as needed to take out the slats you want to take off.
• Trade out the slats.
• Restring your blind. Work left to right on the rungs of the ladder as you move down the window treatment.
• Thread cord that lifts the blind into the bottom rail hole and knot it. Make sure the cord is lined up and the bottom rail hangs evenly.
• Replace the plugs. Utilize a rubber mallet or wrap a hammer in a cloth to avoid scratching the plugs.

Making your Blinds Shorter

• Take off the bottom rail plugs to free up the ladders made of string and make the lift cord with a knot visible. Untie the knot and yank the cord enough to let the slats you want to take out loose.
• Take off the bottom rail and many slats as you need to shorten the blind. Decide on the correct length and put the bottom rail into the ending ladder rung.
• Snip the string ladder over the rung that hangs beneath the bottom rail. You should have sufficient ladder to put these strings into the route holes on the base of the bottom rail.
• Thread the lift cord through the hole of the bottom and make a knot. Make sure the cords are level and the bottom rail hangs horizontal.
• Adjust to the length you want by moving the knot in the lift cord. You can also stick more or less of the ladders in the bottom rail route. Don’t attempt adjusting the length by pulling the lift cord.
• Replace the bottom rail plugs.

Diagnosing Tilt Problems

• Before changing the tilt mechanism, check to see if the tilt rod is can turn or is bent.
• You can also spray headrail components with a silicon spray to fix unusual stiffness and squeaking.

Diagnosing Lift Problems

• Check to see that the lift cord runs vertically into the cord lock mechanism with no barrier or detour.
• The lift cord should not be twisted.
• When the blind is lowered, the roller pin should be loose; able to move freely up and down on its pathway.
• Make sure the lift cord is not tangled between the lift cord apparatus and the headrail when the lift cord mechanism is put into the control route/punch in the headrail.