How to Deal with Roller Shades That Stick

Home & Garden Blog

Roller shades typically perform very well with a minimum of maintenance. They are designed to be opened or closed as needed on a daily basis and as such have sturdy construction and are made from top-quality materials. However, occasionally something can go wrong and the shades may not perform properly. There's no cause to worry though and some simple adjustments should fix the issue. What do you need to do in these situations?

How Do These Shades Work?

Firstly, a quick description of how roller shades actually work. Essentially, the top of the shade is composed of a hollow tube that has a wound-up spring within. These components can vary in size, but they are usually created from aluminium. Whenever you pull down a roller shade the tension on the spring increases. When you stop pulling down, the pin and ratchet will maintain this tension against the spring at the top of the roller. At the end of the tube is another pin that's free turning and mounts within a bracket.

Four Adjustment Methods

There are four different steps you may have to take in order to adjust your roller shades, if things are not working quite right.

  1. Firstly, tighten the tension on the spring. To do this, pull the shade about halfway down and then remove it from its brackets. You just need a simple screwdriver to do this. Then, roll the shade back to the top by hand, but be careful to ensure that you are rolling it evenly as you do so. Then, just replace it into the bracket and tension levels should be restored to normal.
  2. Sometimes, you may need to loosen the tension on the screen. To do this, roll the shade all the way to the top. Once again, remove it from its brackets using a screwdriver. Then, unroll it by hand approximately halfway down. Replace the roller into its brackets and check the tension. Repeat these stages until you are happy with the result.
  3. To reset a fully uncoiled spring, remove the shade from its brackets and unroll it halfway down. With a pair of pliers, find and then turn a pin which is located on the spring side. Turn this pin until you feel some tension and then back off a few turns until the special latch hooks onto the ratchet. This latch limits movement in only one direction. Once you're happy with the amount of tension you can replace.
  4. Finally, if you find that the spring is locked in the coil, remove the shade from the brackets once again. With a pair of pliers, grip the pin on the spring side and twist it in a clockwise direction to free the latch. Release your grip quickly and this will unwind the coil

If you find that you are having to make adjustments in this fashion on a more regular basis, you may need to look at replacing your roller shades (at shops like Roslay Blinds & Curtains). They may be getting towards the end of their life span.

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