How To Fix Apartment Blinds - My Little Apartment

What Causes Blinds to Break?

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Individual blinds breaking can be so irritating and may even have you considering discarding your window treatments, but is throwing the blinds away worth it just because of a single broken vane?

No, it isn’t. Depending on the blinds you have, there are a couple of ways and tricks to fix your blinds, without necessarily involving a specialist.

But what causes the vanes to break? It all depends on how you handle your vanes, and how you protect them from the factors around and within the environment that could harm your window treatments.

Common causes of blinds breaking are because they have been swung open or closed too fast.

The weight of the slat may be applying too much pressure on the delicate hook and the plastic clip that holds the blind in place, and swinging them too fast, either horizontally or vertically may add stress to the support and eventually damage the supporting clips.

It is advisable to open and close blinds using the blind cords rather than by hand.

Within the environment, the constant swaying from wind weakens the supporting systems of the vanes and over time, your blinds could break. You should avoid having your doors or windows open while the blinds are closed to avoid this problem.

Another is that pets and children could also pull or gnaw at the blinds, adding extra pressure on the fastenings, which easily break. It is therefore good to keep them away from the blinds or keep the blinds open when they are in the room.

How to Fix Horizontal Blinds

Most homeowners go for horizontal blinds because they give your windows a proper and compact look.

Though they are extremely versatile and functional, maintaining them can get tedious. Below are some common problems and their solutions when dealing with broken horizontal blinds.

1. Stuck blinds

The wand or the corded tilt are the mechanisms involved in opening or closing horizontal blinds. When the blinds are stuck, remove the blinds and place them on a flat surface to diagnose the problem.

If the issue is with the cord, you have to find the corded tilt sits at the headrail and push the wheels back into place, and your blinds will work fine. If it is an issue with the cord lock, then you could use a screwdriver to free the lock.

man behind the window and green stuck blinds on the window

2. Broken vanes

When you have a broken vane, you remove the blinds from the window and lay it on a flat surface, then remove the cord caps found at the bottom of the vanes.

Now unthread the vanes to the broken vane(s) and replace, then knot them back in place, and install them back on the windows.

3. Blinds won’t stay open

When your horizontal blinds won’t stay open, it may be having issues with a loose cord lock. First, take the blinds and place them on a flat surface.

The issue might be with a jammed, frayed, or pitched cord. This could easily be fixed by using a screwdriver to put the cord locks in place. If the cord lock is broken, this could call for a replacement.

4. Changed tilt mechanism

When the tilt mechanism becomes faulty, remove the blinds from the window and lay them on a flat surface, then remove the end stiffener at the end of the headrail.

Now move the tilt rod to release the extra tilt and fix them into the newly adjusted position. Lastly, replace the end stiffener with a new grip.

5. Oversized blinds

This problem may be a result of measurement issues with the manufacturers, and you will have to shorten them into the needed size.

To successfully do this, remove the bottom rail and expose the individual slats. Using one as the primary length, adjust the slats until you get the desired length and fix them back into position.

To check the efficiency, press the lift cord through the rails while lowering and raising the blinds just to be sure they work well.

How to Fix Vertical Blinds

Venetian vertical blinds light and shadows

Vertical blinds often have issues with the individual vanes or the track holding the vanes in place.

Fixing them, however, could leave you with a series of questions, wondering if it is easier to replace the blinds or just mend them individually. Whether it is the vanes or the tracks holding them in place that has a problem, let’s look at a few ways to fix them.

6. Use a Paper Clip

Using a paper clip offers a more solid, stable, and durable solution to the base of the vanes. To put it in place, clip and slide it over the broken vane to replace the piece of plastic holding the vane at the top.

Tape it around to ensure a firm grip of the vane and using a hole punch, puncture into the middle of the tape. To ensure functionality and efficiency, swing it close and open it to check.

7. Use a Tape

You can easily fix your broken top with tape. First, set aside a few strips of tape.

Now, individually take the strands and stretch them over the broken area of the vane, ensuring to leave a small space between the tape and the vane’s base. Lastly, see if the tape has firmly grasped the vane before adding a few more strips of tape for a firmer grip.

8. Business Card or Plastic and Tape

When employing this method, you have to get a little crafty. You are required to first trim the business card or plastic to fit the gap left after the vane break, then carefully fix the trimmed card to the gap.

Using the tape, fasten the card or plastic to the vane, and to ensure more grip, you could wrap some more tape on the correction piece.

9. Broken Stem

A broken stem usually needs immediate replacement.

To accomplish this, ensure that all stems face the same direction, then push your stem replacement into the stem-holder till you feel it click in place. Swing the vanes close and open to test if the replacement works well.

10. Blinds Hard to Open

Individual blinds can at times get stubborn to open or close, or can even fail to rotate, causing inefficiencies.

A quick solution for this is using lubricants, like silicone spray or penetrating oil, to ease the friction at their point of connection between the vanes and the stem rod.

Fixing Blinds That Won’t Turn

Stubborn vanes and those not turning in the desired way are a common problem for both vertical and horizontal blinds.

This could be a sign of overlapping between vanes, or the cord holding the vanes in place might be jammed.

To fix this, you just have to gently detach the individual vanes from each other or unlock the jam at the cord joining the vane to the main stem using a screwdriver.

Can You Replace The Blinds in Your Apartment?

Blinds can always be replaced, no matter the type of blinds you have. There are, however, some factors that you should consider before making that decision.

If you have horizontal aluminum blinds, for example, it may take you a while longer to find a match and do the actual repairs on the blinds.

It is, however, good to consider prices and explore other replacement options to make informed decisions moving forward.

Other materials like plastic and faux wood are more durable and easy to maintain, and could easily be replaced in any case of any individual vane breaks.

This applies as well to blinds made of cloth and other materials used for both horizontal and vertical blinds.

Close up man hand opening horizontal window blinds

Are Broken Blinds Considered Normal Wear and Tear?

Normal wear and tear is defined as gradual wear or deterioration associated with use but not with regard to carelessness, abuse, or negligence by the homeowners. Damage is, however, linked to the homeowners, whether intentional or by accident.

Broken blinds are considered normal wear and tear since even if you stick to all the maintenance measures, they often break and become unusable.

Among the common signs of normal wear and tear for window treatments are faded drapes and blinds, broken or frayed pull strings on the blinds, and heat-blistered blinds.

Conclusion

Blinds are a versatile treatment option for your windows. However, proper care and maintenance should be observed to uphold the efficiency and durability of the blinds.

For an easy fix, having spare vanes on hand could easily save you the energy and time required to fix broken vanes.

Either way, whether you choose to replace the blinds or repair and fix them individually, it is always recommended to get professional advice on how to go about the task to avoid damaging the blinds in the future.