How to Disassemble and Repair Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are not only a value-conscious choice – their simple construction makes it possible to complete basic, cost-effective repairs at home. Ease of operation, durability and choice of easy-to-maintain materials make vertical blinds frequent choices for sliding glass doors and other high-traffic areas – where they also suffer wear and tear. When it comes to troubleshooting your blinds look to the three main components: head rail, slats and clips.

Things You'll Need

• Replacement slats
• Replacement clips
• Flat head screwdriver
• Pliers

Instructions

1. Diagnose the problem with your blinds. If the slats are plastic, look for a crack or break near the clip. Check the clip for cracks or breaks. On fabric slats, look down to see if the small piece of plastic or wood that keeps the slat from floating around or curling up has come free. If the slats no longer slide or twist, look to the head rail.

2. Replace a broken slat. You can gently free the broken slat from the clip by sliding a credit card under the clip and pulling gently on the slat. Slide a replacement slat into the clip. A flat head screwdriver can also be used to make space for the slat, but take care; clips are plastic and can be brittle.

3. Repair a fabric slat using a needle and some thread. If the weight at the bottom of the slat has fallen out, slide it back in and stitch it in place. If the piece is lost, replace it with a small weight piece of wood.

4. Remove and replace broken vertical blind clips. Replace the entire clip or, depending on the blind, just the stem that holds the slat. Rotate the blinds so they are open all the way. Try to squeeze and gently twist and pull the clip from the rail. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers if needed to squeeze. Position the new clip over the gear and push into place. Depending on the clip, twist and pull the stem free and push in a new clip.

5. Before beginning work on the head rail, check your warranty; home repairs to the head rail may invalidate your warranty and some head rail repairs are not simple. If the chain or rope that opens and closes the blinds breaks or needs to be shortened, remove the slats. Pull the end cap off the rail. Remove the old chain, paying attention to how it was installed. Once the old chain is removed, install a new chain and reattach the slats.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy replacement parts when you first purchase the vertical blinds, so you have matching parts if anything breaks. Most hardware stores sell replacement slats and clips for generic vertical blinds, so finding replacement plastic slats is seldom difficult. However, for custom-made vertical blinds, it may be necessary to go through the manufacturer.

• Before doing work on the head rail or clips, check the warranty on your vertical blinds, because this will sometimes invalidate the warranty.

References

• Blinds.com: Troubleshooting