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Old 09-12-2015, 02:56 PM   #1
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Pleated Shade Repair...

Well, it happened. One of my pleated Day-Night shades in the main room broke a string last night... and now, of course, it won't stay in place.

Doing research this morning I found a first-aid re-stringing kit from United Shade. They have a nice video showing just how "easy" this is supposed to be. I was just wondering if anyone else has already done this... and if it's really as easy as they say?

Here's a link for the video...

https://youtu.be/h5v3sejW-4s
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Old 09-12-2015, 07:10 PM   #2
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I had to restring a pleated shade in my last trailer while on a trip. Downloaded a video and the whole job was pretty easy to do.
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:02 PM   #3
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Let me know how it goes. I have one in the garage and one in the main living area that have broke. I also have a couple of anchors that pulled out of the wall. I found some anchors I may give a try...more surface area to handle the tension of the strings...http://www.amazon.com/RV-Designer-A3...T7FT61MFQZY8KD

Cale
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Old 09-12-2015, 09:45 PM   #4
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I've been working with these people, and have ordered some blinds to replace the ones the dogs attacked. Haven't yet received order, but they seem pretty good so far: Complete List of Wood, Fauxwood, Honeycomb & Cellular Window Blinds & Shades - JustBlinds.com
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Old 09-13-2015, 11:29 AM   #5
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I've been working with these people, and have ordered some blinds to replace the ones the dogs attacked. Haven't yet received order, but they seem pretty good so far: Complete List of Wood, Fauxwood, Honeycomb & Cellular Window Blinds & Shades - JustBlinds.com
Those for sure look nice, especially the two inch type. My only reservation about using those would be the ability to ensure they are anchored well into the wall. I have blinds very similar to those in my FL house. They are screwed into the window header, which is good, because they are somewhat heavy and you have to apply a good amount of force to raise them up. If we had them, they would be raised every day, I am unsure if the extra strong and ridiculously durable walls we have would be up to the task...

Cale

On edit, as I sit here drinking coffee and perusing their site, they have some nice looking pleated shades...I was referring to the 2 inch faux wood shades...sorry...
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Old 09-13-2015, 04:31 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
Those for sure look nice, especially the two inch type. My only reservation about using those would be the ability to ensure they are anchored well into the wall. I have blinds very similar to those in my FL house. They are screwed into the window header, which is good, because they are somewhat heavy and you have to apply a good amount of force to raise them up. If we had them, they would be raised every day, I am unsure if the extra strong and ridiculously durable walls we have would be up to the task...
...
Our thoughts, too, regarding wall strength. I'd like the translucent "woven wood" roll ups, but my wife likes to shut out all light for daytime naps. All considered, we ordered 1" mini blinds to replace the originals. They sent us 10 samples at our request, then had our ordering info ready when we matched the color.
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Old 09-13-2015, 05:09 PM   #7
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Our thoughts, too, regarding wall strength. I'd like the translucent "woven wood" roll ups, but my wife likes to shut out all light for daytime naps. All considered, we ordered 1" mini blinds to replace the originals. They sent us 10 samples at our request, then had our ordering info ready when we matched the color.
For total black out, I use Reflectix cut to size in various windows. I also use it when parked to protect from the sun, or when camping if there happen to be obnoxious lights nearby.

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Old 09-14-2015, 10:52 AM   #8
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Tom, Did the bedroom shade, now the other bedroom shade and one of the living room shares needs to be done. Fairly straightforward. You might want to take a pic of the string routing before you start. There are some crossovers. Large blinds with more than 2 strings are a bit more complicated, but all doable.
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Old 09-16-2015, 05:08 PM   #9
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Thanks for the replies, everyone...

Armed with my new repair kit, and with another viewing of the video... I decided to tackle the project this morning. Removal of the valances & the blind were pretty simple. While the video shows blinds that are screwed into the wall (or valance), my blinds are installed in clips. Simply push up & pull the bottom of the blind towards you, and they come out.

Now we get tot he fun part: removing the end-caps from the rails. In the video, they just pop right out with minimal effort. Kinda reminds me of those videos that show someone mounting a rear Goldwing tire on a rim with the greatest of ease. Anyone who's ever done it knows better.

Well my end-caps were GLUED in... and trust me, they didn't wanna come out. I ended up destroying 3 of the 6, and the surviving 3 are highly damaged. Oh well...

Anyway, the next few parts went pretty much as advertised. The actual restringing the blinds thru the small eyelets was a bit tedious... but with a bit of patience, it really wasn't all that difficult. My only tip: Take a match or a lighter, and singe the end of the string so that you can thread it thru the eyelets easier.

Sliding the center rail back on to the fabric took a little more time than the video showed because... as my blind is made, I had to remove both the top (night) fabric AND the bottom (day) fabric. Not difficult to remove, but not all that easy to get back on. Again, a little patience helps a lot... I just wish I had more of it!

One final note in re measuring, cutting, and then tying the end of the cord around the retainer base. I didn't use the ones in the kit. Mine were fine. That said, the video & instruction booklet with the kit say to measure the total drop, and/or check the label on the blind for length. Well, the label on my blinds say 26 x 42... and yes, 42" is the length from the top of the blind to the bottom of the window. However, the retainer base on mine is not screwed into the wall at the bottom of the window... but instead is located a few inches higher, 'above' the knob for opening the window. This length is more like 39"-40"... which is the length that I cut mine.

Everything is now reinstalled, and works as advertised. Now I just need to find some replacement end-caps. Not a big priority since they are hidden by the valances.

Thanks again for your feedback. Here are a few photos from the project:

Blind removed from the side window of the slide out:



Here we go...



The tag...



The destroyed & surviving end-caps...



Restringing complete, time to slide the rails back on...

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Old 09-16-2015, 05:59 PM   #10
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Tom
Ever notice how videos make it look so easy but never is. I've done a couple in our Teton & the ones with three strings are do able but a pain. Oh & trying to match the color string on a 12 year old shade is another problem.
Looks like you figured it out & your pictures will help the next person that tackles the job.
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Old 09-17-2015, 09:54 PM   #11
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I am afraid that if I were to take the shades down to repair them, I would just the silly things away...



Cale
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Old 09-18-2015, 05:15 PM   #12
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I ended up going for the original look. Instead of going through the dealer to the manufacturer, I found justblinds.com I ordered them to fit, they cost about $25 each, and they fit perfect, and match perfect. If yours says color "Alabaster" on the inside of the frame (Made in China), then the PERFECT color match for these (made in USA) is "Almost Gloss White." The cam mounting clips, the wall tie downs, etc, are a perfect match. We are very happy with this easy, snap-in replacement.
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Old 09-19-2015, 03:26 AM   #13
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Sure am glad I didn't throw out that sack needle (for anyone to young to remeber burlap sacks, that's what they used to sew up sacks before industrial sewing machines) it will be perfect for the job.
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Old 09-20-2015, 02:59 AM   #14
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ATCguy... what was the cost of the kit vs a new strung blind?? Where did u find the kit??
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Old 09-20-2015, 03:19 AM   #15
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ATCguy... what was the cost of the kit vs a new strung blind?? Where did u find the kit??
Camping World... about $15. In store or online.

Pleated Shade First Aid Kit - United Shade 65000 - Drapery & Curtains - Camping World
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