How to Align Vertical Blinds
Those long, lovely louvers on your patio door do a great job of letting in breezes when they’re tilted open. But that gentle slap-slapping can cause problems when you go to close them. One of the most common issues with vertical blinds is when they are out of alignment, causing them not to properly open or close. This happens when one or more of the stems on the blind’s track twists out of place (e.g., from the weight of a slap-happy vane) so the vertical vane (a.k.a., louver) attached to it doesn’t turn as it should.
This easy-to-follow video shows you quickly how to fix vertical blinds that are not aligned right. Whether you use tilt cords (or a chain or wand) to open and close the louvers, just follow these simple steps:
- To realign your vertical blinds, pull the chain (or twist the wand) to turn the louvers to the closed position. Since one or more louvers are out of alignment, they may stick out or appear reversed. No worries; that’s what we’re here to fix.
- Keep pulling on the chain or twisting the wand until it stops moving.
- When you feel the chain stop moving, give it a firm, steady tug. (If using a wand, no need to tug on it; just keep twisting.) You’ll hear a loud, grinding noise, as if you’re stripping the gears, but don’t worry; this is perfectly normal.
- Now pull the chain or twist the wand to turn the louvers in the opposite direction until they stop and you hear that teeth-gritting grind again.
- The misaligned vane(s) should now turn properly and pop back in place with the others.
- Pull the chain or twist the wand to open and close your verticals as you would normally do to make sure all is in working order.
And that’s how to fix vertical blinds that won’t open or close
properly. To keep them from getting out of sync, be sure the louvers are
always tilted open before drawing your verticals across the window.
And while we’re on the subject, there’s another reason you may
sometimes have difficulty opening and closing your vertical window treatments.
Static.
Static build-up can cause
fabric,
faux wood, even
louvers made from PVC to stick together so they don’t hang evenly and are hard to operate. A
simple solution is to spray affected areas on the vanes with an anti-static
spray, or rub them with a dryer sheet. Just be sure to treat both sides of the
louvers, as shown in this video:
Opened or closed, if your verticals have seen better days, it may be time to replace them. Browse the selection of classic and popular panel track vertical blinds here on SelectBlinds.com, including favorites like these for covering sliding glass doors and windows throughout your home.
Classic Smooth Vertical Blinds >> SHOP NOW
Designer Panel Track Collection II >> SHOP NOW
Designer Fabric Verticals >> SHOP NOW
Premium Faux Wood Vertical Blinds >> SHOP NOW
Premier 2 In Light Filtering Vertical Blinds >> SHOP NOW
