Broken Vertical Slat

The plastic material of the vertical slat gets old and brittle and eventually breaks just above the hole where it clips on to the track.

Replacement vertical blinds vanes are available through Amazon.com or eBay, but the trick is to match the pattern or color of your existing slats.

Vertical Blind Replacement PVC Vanes White,OffWh,Ivory    US $3.50

Vertical blind replacement slat / vanes Stucco Alabaster texture 66 inches long    US $3.55

Vertical Blind Replacement PVC Vanes BlackTextured    US $4.75

Vertical blind replacement slats / vanes Off White 3.5w 84l lot of 5 Slats    US $12.55

Vertical blind replacement slats / vanes Brighton Polar White 10 slats 88 long    US $22.55

Vertical blind replacement slats / vanes Leno Cashmire 10 slats at 94 Long    US $31.55

If new blinds aren't in the budget this year, then you'll want to watch this video about vane repair with vane savers. These little vertical blind repair clips are inexpensive and will allow you to get some more years of use out of that old vertical blind.

Can you use a stronger string?

That's a question I hear a lot. I often have customers say that the lift cord in their blind or shade did not hold up very well to normal usage. They want to know if I can use a replacement cord that will be stronger and more durable.

In most cases, it's not possible to use a heavier or larger cord because it just won't fit through the cord guides or the cord lock. Many cell shades are designed to use a cord that is only 0.9 mm in diameter (that's smaller than the thickness of a dime) and there's not enough clearance for anything bigger.

It's all about the type of braid

Solid Braid vs Diamond Braid

Most, if not all, modern day shade cords are made of nylon or polyester. Cording made from these materials are very strong even in small diameters such as what is used in blinds and shades.

One thing that makes a big difference in how well the cording holds up to normal wear and tear is the way the strands of the cord are braided. The photo on the right shows the difference between "solid braid" (top) and "diamond braid" (bottom).

Strength is equal but surface characteristics are very different

As the photo shows, the surface of the solid braid cord is tighter and smoother. Inside the mechanism of a blind or shade the tighter, smoother braid means less friction and less friction means increased durability.

The solid braid cord is slightly more expensive than diamond braid due to higher manufacturing (braiding) costs but compared to the price of a new blind or shade it's no big deal and the improvement in durability it provides makes it worth it.

So, the next time you replace your window blind cord (or are shopping for a new blind or shade), be sure to specify solid braid shade cord. I wouldn't use anything else.

How to restring a center draw traverse rod

If you have to replace the cord in a two-way draw traverse rod, here's a video that will show you how it's done. This guy has obviously done this before.

And I thought I was the only one who knew about the old paper clip trick!

There is one more step in the process that he doesn't cover. When you are ready to rehang your drapery, you will need to anchor the second carrier to keep it from slipping so that the curtain panels will always come together in the center of the window. There is a good article about how to center a two-way draw curtain rod at RepairWindowBlinds.com.

If you need to replace some broken or missing traverse rod slides you can order those here in packs of 12 from RepairWindowBlinds.com.

Traverse Slide Front View	Traverse Slide Side View
Traverse Rod Slides
pack of 12 white plastic slides
$3.25 + $2.00 shipping

Tie Back Curtains

Is that old blind or shade looking a little rough?

Even if new blinds aren't in the budget this spring, you can still freshen up the look of your windows without breaking the bank. Here are some sweet deals on good quality curtains, curtain rods and pole sets on eBay.

New Pottery Barn French Stripe Drape 84" PAIR Curtains RED    US $129.99

New Pottery Barn French Stripe Drape 84" PAIR Espresso Curtains    US $129.99

NIP Set of 2 Pottery Barn Kids SWEET LAMBIE Curtains Panels 50 x 96"    US $74.95

POTTERY BARN KIDS 2 PC SHEER LINEN CLOUD CURTAINS W/CLOUD LIKE WORDS 41" X 62"    US $32.99

POTTERY BARN KIDS HOT PINK GINGHAM CRIB BED SKIRT, FITTED SHEET & CURTAINS    US $49.00

Pottery Barn Kids Classic Stripe Curtains Drapes Panel 84x88 Double lined blue    US $99.99

Bestselling Curtain Hardware Sets

• #7: Source Global Universal Add a Rod, 28-Inch to 70-Inch, White
• #1: Dritz Drapery Weights 1 Inch Square With Tab-4/Pkg
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• #9: Blockaide Add-A-Rod - PEWTER - Improvements
• #3: Source Global Universal Add a Rod, 28-Inch to 70-Inch, Metallic gold

Frayed String on a 2" Wood Blind

Three blinds on one headrail.
This particular blind was from a large window that was almost 8 ft. wide. It was actually 3 wood blinds all on the same headrail.

You've probably seen windows like this. They usually have two smaller panes of glass on either end that can be opened or closed and one larger fixed pane in the center. A typical treatment involves 3 separate blinds, one for each pane. Breaking a big blind up into 3 smaller blinds reduces the size and weight of each individual blind making them more reliable and easier to operate.

The frayed and broken strings were all on the larger blind in the middle.
Even though the window covering had been split up into three smaller blinds, the larger of the 3 was still big enough to cause trouble.

These two photos show lift cords as they are routed through the holes in the bottom of the headrail. You can see the clear plastic inserts that are intended to protect the cords from the unfinished edges of the "route holes" that have been punched through the metal headrail.

Lift Cord on the Smaller Blind

This photo shows the lift cord for one of the smaller blinds. The cord is shown passing through the small round hole in the center of the headrail. The plastic insert is intact and doing its job of protecting the cord from the metal edge.

Lift Cord on the Larger Blind

This photo shows one of the lift cords for the larger center blind. You can see how normal daily usage and the weight of the blind has caused the cord to cut through the plastic insert. The lift cord is now rubbing against the metal edge of the route hole. This photo was taken after the frayed cord was replaced so you don't see any fraying - yet.

Why restring if the weakness is in the design?
The obvious solution would seem to be to replace that plastic insert, but it's usually not that easy. Parts availability is often an issue. Even if a replacement part is available it is likely to fail again for the same reason.

Though restringing is only a temporary fix, it does allow you to continue to use the blind while you plan for replacement.

2" Faux Wood Window Blinds 22-5/8" x 58-1/2", Off-White    US $30.00

2" Real Wood Window Blinds 26-3/8" x 60-1/2", Sienna    US $47.00

2" Real Wood Window Blinds 27-3/4" x 62-7/8", Pine    US $50.00

Designview Premium 59 x 72 in. Arctic White Faux Wood Blinds 565150    US $24.99

2" Faux Wood Window Blinds 25-1/8" x 33", Natural    US $29.00

2" Faux Wood Window Blinds 26" x 43-3/8", Chestnut    US $30.00

2" Real Wood Window Blinds 28-1/8" x 52-1/4", Cherry    US $40.00

2" Faux Wood Window Blinds 48-1/4" x 58-7/8", Pearl    US $40.00

Custom Faux Wood Blinds 32 - 36"W x 31 - 36"H White Free Shipping Trader Blinds    US $35.00

The ever-vigilant watchdog.

I was told that a key would be left under the mat by the front door and I was to let myself in, install the shades, and then lock up again leaving the key under the mat where I had found it.

The neighborhood is an older area where some of the houses are identified by the lot numbers that were used before house numbers were assigned, some have the newer house numbers, and - just to keep things interesting - some have both. The numbers can jump around following no apparent pattern. It is quite possible to get confused and end up at the wrong house.

On this particular day everything seemed to go without a hitch. I was able to drive directly to a house that had the right number showing. The house was located on a corner lot as expected. Then I noticed the front door had no mat. Instead it had one of those metal grates that are often built into the porches in this area for the purpose of allowing people to easily clean the snow from their boots in the winter. There was a small piece of red fabric sticking out of the corner of the grate, and when I pulled on it up popped a key. I was in!

That's when I heard the dog.

Right on the other side of the front door was a very unhappy sounding dog. When I walked back off the porch to double check the house number the barking stopped, but every time I approached the door the dog would start in again letting me know that he really wanted to have me for lunch.

I tried to call the woman who sold the job in order to verify the details about the location of the house but all I got was her voicemail. I knocked on the door - nobody answered - except the dog.

Almost everything about the house seemed to fit the description I had been given. The number was right. It was a corner lot. There was no door mat, but there was a key. The house was supposed to be unoccupied, but there wasn't supposed to be a dog. Now what?

That's when I heard the neighbor laughing at me.

It turns out that a bear had recently broken into this house searching for food and in the process had caused quite a lot of damage. The owners, who are absent most of the time, had invested in an electronic watchdog that is triggered by anyone (or anything) approaching the front door.

I quickly unlocked the front door and stepped inside, mostly to escape the undisguised glee of the neighbor. There on the floor was a small speaker that continued to threaten me with dismemberment until I yanked it's power cord. The rest of the job was uneventful and the "dog" didn't bark at me again until I plugged it back in just as I was preparing to leave.

I don't know how well that gadget would work on a hungry bear, but it sure fooled me.