Signs Your Window Treatments Need Minor Repairs

When was the last time you took a close look at your blinds? Not just happened to glance at them when you walk into the room, but we mean take a really close look? If you’re like most people, your answer is probably “never.”

Because of natural wear and tear, your average window treatment has an average shelf life of about eight years. That being said, you may be able to prolong your blinds’ and shades’ lives by fixing small damages before they turn into major problems.

Signs It’s Time to Update Your Window Treatments

Blinds

• Broken or warped slats. Damaged slats can be the result of dozens of different things — UV exposure, humidity, accidents, natural wear and tear, etc. Unfortunately, even just one damaged slat can make it difficult to raise or tilt your blinds. Not to mention, damaged slats can be a big eyesore.
• Faulty lifting mechanisms. Do you have to tug on your blinds or pull the cord at just the right angle in order to get them to go up or down? Now is the time to have those mechanisms replaced before they cause any more damage to your system.
• Frayed cords. Frayed cords are another issue that often goes ignored, despite the fact that it’s the first sign that the internal mechanisms are beginning to fail and therefore damaging the cords.
• Dusty and dirty blinds. Dirt and dust do more than just affect the appearance of your blinds — they can actually affect the internal gears responsible for tilting and lifting your blinds. Thankfully, real and faux wood blinds are easy to clean and maintain.

Shades

• Frayed edges. Another issue that’s all too easy to ignore are frayed edges on your fabric shades. Torn or discolored edges could mean that your shades are wider than the window opening and are scraping against the frame every time they’re raised and lowered.
• Fast or slow-moving shades. Your shades shouldn’t smack against the ceiling when you roll them up, but they also shouldn’t move at a crawl. If your shades go up too fast, it’s likely because the tension spring inside the roller is wound too tight. If they roll up too slow, it’s because the roller is too loose.
• Your shades won’t come down at all. The tension spring has an important role to play in moving your shades — if it’s been locked up inside the headrail, your shades won’t be able to come down at all.

Shutters

• Louvers that won’t stay open or close tightly. If your louvers won’t stay open or closed, no matter how much you move the tilt wand, it may mean that your louvres need to be adjusted for proper tension.
• Broken louvers. One of the most obvious signs that you’ve got a problem on your hands is a broken louver. Not only is this an eyesore in your home, but it can also affect your privacy and your home’s energy efficiency.
• A louver that’s “popped” out of place. Did an entire louver fall from the frame after opening or closing your shutters (or worse, your kids were playing around with them)? So long as the louver isn’t broken we may be able to snap it back into place.

Energy Efficiency

Have you noticed that your energy bill has steadily gone up one summer after the next? It’s easy to forget that window treatments do more than add color and texture to a room. They also help to reduce energy transfer through your windows and lower your HVAC bills. With summer just around the corner, upgrading to treatments that block UV rays is an inexpensive way to lower the temperature in your home.

If you’re not interested in replacing your treatments, making simple repairs to the ones you already have (like a shade that can’t be pulled down) can still make a big impact.

Safety Concerns

Window blinds often need to be updated for reasons other than style or functionality. If you haven’t changed your blinds in years, or even decades, you may be missing out on safety features that can give you peace of mind.

You’ve child-proofed everything from your cabinets to your stairs, but what about your window treatments? Between 2012 and 2017, more than 50 children died as a result of window cord strangulation.

Thankfully, there’s an easy way to eliminate the threat of window cords entirely — replace them with treatments that do not have cords. Motorized window treatments help keep your kids and pets safe from dangling cords. As an added bonus, they also offer improved comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency.

At Bloomin' Blinds, our greatest priority is your comfort and satisfaction. That is why we offer a wide variety of motorized blinds, shutters, and shades to meet all your needs. Contact us today to find your nearest location!