People living in apartments will likely have blinds installed on their windows. Having broken or damaged blinds is a common occurrence in apartments.
Luckily, you can fix apartment blinds quickly through a few simple steps. You have to get a replacement for the damaged slants and fix them yourself.
The entire process of fixing your apartment blinds is detailed in this thorough guide.
What Causes Blinds to Break?
Before we discuss how to fix apartment blinds, let’s go over why they get damaged first. The main causes entirely depend on how you have been maintaining your apartment blinds.
Most often, the reason why they break is that they were opened too swiftly. Similarly, they can also break if you close them too swiftly as well.
You should use blind cords for opening and closing the blinds instead of your hand. This reduces the chances of breakage and damage.
Moreover, the constant swinging of blinds from the air can also result in damage and breakage. This is because it is slowly weakening the systems that support the vanes.
To avoid this problem, you should keep your windows and doors closed when you keep the blinds open. As a result, there will be less wind.
Lastly, your naughty children and pets might also be causing damage to the blinds. For example, they might be adding too much pressure by gnawing at the blinds.
Hence, keep the blinds closed when children and pets are around. Or, simply keep the blinds away from them.
How to Fix Horizontal Apartment Blinds
Most apartments have horizontal blinds since these provide a compact, elegant, and organized look. However, maintenance can be tiresome since you can often run into various issues.
Here are some problems you might experience with horizontal blinds and the proposed solutions:
When Blinds are Stuck
When blinds are stuck, it is often due to the corded tilt. Hence, you should remove the blinds from the window, lay them flat on the ground, and inspect.
If you see any problems with the cord, it is necessary to push the wheels. This will put them back in their place.
Doing so will make them work just fine. If there is a problem with the cord lock, you must free it.
To do this, you will need a screwdriver.
Blinds Keep Closing
If your horizontal blinds keep closing, there may be an issue with the cord lock.
Again, you should lay the blinds on the floor and diagnose the problem.
You can use a screwdriver to fix a frayed, jammed, or pitched cord lock. However, if the cord lock is broken, you will need to replace it.
Oversized Blinds
If you have ordered the wrong size of apartment blinds, you can fix them.
This can be done by measuring one slant and cutting each to adjust the size.
Once you have shortened them, fix the blinds to the windows. You can then start using them to see if they work properly.
Distorted Tilt Mechanism
This is an easy problem to fix. Simply remove the blinds and place them flat on the ground.
Then, take out the end stiffener. Replace it with a new grip.
You can then move the tilt rod to remove the additional tilt and fit it back into place.
Broken Vanes
A broken vane means that you will need to replace it with a new one. You will need to lay down the blinds on the floor and examine them to do this.
Once done, remove the cord caps from the bottom. Then, unthread the damaged vanes and replace them with new ones.
Replacing requires you to knot the blinds back in place. Once done, you can put the blinds back on the window.
How to Fix Vertical Apartment Blinds
If you have problems with your vertical apartment blinds, there are some problems you might experience.
In this case, you can fix the common problems in the following manner:
Damaged Slats
If one or two of the slats on your vertical apartment blind is damaged, you can easily fix them. First, you will need to get replacements for them from a supplier.
Once you get them, you can easily switch them out with new ones. Simply slide the card into the stem that is attached to the headrail.
Then slide out the slat. You can then attach a new slat to the stem.
Slat Connecting Chain has Broken
This is another problem you might experience with your vertical apartment blinds. Most have a connecting chain that helps keep the blinds in sync.
When the chain becomes worn out, it can break. You will likely need a new one from the supplier to fix this.
Replacing the broken chain is actually pretty straightforward. First, you will need to remove the clips that keep the chain attached to the slat.
Then, attach the new ones and put the clips back on.
Slats Won’t Rotate
The inability of the slats not to rotate is common in both vertical and horizontal blinds. This is because of an issue in your tilter mechanism.
Take the blind off the window and lay it on the ground to fix this problem. Examine the chain control system to see if the chain has not come off or anything.
If the chain has come off the sprocket wheel, you just have to loop it back in. If you notice any parts being worn out or tilted, you will likely need to replace them.
One of the Slats is Rotated Out of Sync
If one of your slats becomes misaligned, you can quickly fix this. Some manufacturers allow you to fix this while others might not quickly.
For example, you can twist the stem in some cases until it clicks back into place. However, don’t twist or push too hard.
Some manufacturers might not allow for such a mechanism to take place. Hence, twisting too hard can break the stem or slats.
If the twisting mechanism does not fix the blinds, consider contacting a professional.
Blinds Are Difficult to Open
One of the most common problems with apartment blinds is the inability to open them. There are a couple of reasons why this might be the case.
Take the blinds off the window and examine the headrail by looking inside it. If you notice any dust inside, this might be the cause.
The dust would likely be hindering the opening and closing mechanism of the blind. Even if you cannot find any apparent damages, consider using a lubricant.
The lubricant can help smoothen the railing and allow for easy opening and closing. If this does not work, it means your operating cord is broken or worn out.
In such a case, you must restring the blind. This is best done by a professional because a DIY project can potentially go wrong.
Final Words
Fixing damaged apartment blinds, whether vertical or horizontal, is relatively straightforward. You must ensure proper care and maintenance of your blinds.
This way, they will not be damaged frequently. Hence, you can ensure that the blinds will last you for many years.
Before you attempt to replace or repair the blinds, get advice from a professional. The professional can tell you what needs to be done in order to fix the blinds.
Other articles you may also like: