Unlike dogs, who will likely not attempt to look out of windows that are behind blinds, cats are extremely curious, and will want to know what is on the other side. As a result, depending on what sort of blind you have on your windows, there may be a chance that your curious cat will get themselves into trouble. Whether or not the blinds are dangerous for your cat, or the other way around, is another factor to consider.

Due to cats’ ability to go about their business as they please, without regard for anyone or anything that is in their way, often blinds will suffer from their exuberance. There are some types of blinds that are a better choice for cats, so read on for more information about how the different styles of blinds measure up against a cat.

If all else fails and you have already experienced your cat destroying your blinds, Blind Concepts provide a service for cleaning, repairing and replacing broken blinds.

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds might seem like the best choice for any situation as they have a simple design, no hooks or chains and are easy to use, however, unfortunately, they are not the best choice with cats. Without a second thought, a cat will use the fabric on the roller blind to climb up, while chasing insects, or stretching, which will cause holes in the fabric. The type of fabric being used is also important to consider with the issue of cat fur, which will need cleaning regularly.

Vertical Blinds

As you can imagine, horizontal blinds will not work well with cats, as they will likely crash into them when attempting to view something they have seen on the other side. However, vertical blinds allow for the cat to see past the blinds to whatever has piqued their interest on the other side. Cats will naturally be attracted to the swinging of the vertical panels, and could happily spend a lot of time with this activity alone.

The main issue with vertical blinds is that if they have the chains on them, then it is very likely that the cat will either get tangled in them, or break them, so you may need to reattach the chains over and over. With these blinds, there is also the issue of fabric being damaged by the cat.

Venetian Blinds

Like other blinds, the most important factor in the longevity of your venetian blinds is the material. Metal venetian blinds will not last too long with an exuberant cat, as they will likely become bent over time. The other factor would be to do with the cords and whether they are dangling in a cat attractive fashion.

Child-friendly cords can alleviate this problem too. The most hard-wearing material for cats is wooden blinds, and in the venetian blind style they will generally last the best.

Rising living costs have many householders looking for cost savings, and those with the skills and knowhow, are turning to DIY home maintenance more readily than ever before. Many tasks around the home are not difficult and don’t necessarily require a trade qualification. The exception is electrical repairs, which should always be done by an electrician.

Common Issues With Blinds

Window blinds are a typical item that wear and require attention to keep them looking and functioning at their best.

The typical issues with Venetian Blinds are broken slats. With vertical blinds, they can become jammed and cannot slide. In roller blinds, the common issue is when they no longer roll up straight.

There are many other things that can go wrong, depending on the style of the blind.

Benefits of DIY repair for Window Blinds

There are advantages to being able to repair common issues in your window blinds yourself.

The first is convenience. Assuming that you have the knowledge needed to identify the problem, it should be a simple task to repair the blind and rehang it. The second is saving money, with the only outlay being the cost of the parts.

Another advantage is the time saving. Rather than finding an external repairer, sending the blind to their workshop then waiting for the work to be done, you can have the window secure again in an afternoon.

CONS of DIY BLINDS REPAIR

Of course, there are also disadvantages especially if you are unfamiliar with the workings of window blinds. To do the repair yourself, you could spend hours researching the problem and looking for a solution.

The internet offers “how-to” videos, so there is more time spent familiarising yourself with the repair process. You may need new parts, so further time would be spent sourcing suppliers, checking prices and availability then waiting for them to be delivered.

Temporary Window Treatments

Meanwhile, the blind is not performing its function so the window would need a temporary solution such as hanging up a sheet to block it off. In a bedroom this may not be a problem but in the living areas of the dwelling, where we entertain guests, it would not be very elegant. The window may also need to be kept closed, which may make the room stuffy and uncomfortable, especially in summer.

WINDOW BLIND REPAIR Services

All of this can be avoided by contacting our team at Blind Concepts. Our blind repair service restores the function and quality of a range of blinds. Typical repairs include replacing slats and slat hangers, resewing slats and replacing chains, cords or wands. Call us to discuss your problem and the type of blind and we will provide you with the best solution and a free quote.

Well-chosen window treatments are the final touch that make our dwellings look smart and stylish, whether that be curtains, blinds, shutters or some other combination. While looks are important, choosing window products that are fit for purpose is also necessary. Nowhere is this more important than on windows that have specific functional needs.

When Letting in Light is Not a Good Thing

A good example of this is block-out blinds. They may not be the first choice for every window, but there are some circumstances where they are essential for the comfort of the householders. A case in point are our front-line workers who are often on the job at night, so for them, being able to get quality sleep in a darkened bedroom during the day is vital.

Block-Out is Best

Many homes now have media rooms, home offices and other spaces where encroaching sunlight on screens and workstations is disruptive, and where standard blinds are inadequate for light control. Block out blinds will solve this problem allowing occupants to enjoy their pursuits.

A Good Fit is Essential

Most styles of blinds are available in a range of fabrics, with the most popular block-out options being roller blinds, honeycomb blinds and Roman blinds. Some non-fabric blinds such as venetians are available with block out features. However, more important than the fabric type when it comes to block-out blinds is how well they fit the window.

A poorly fitted block-out blind will inevitably let in slivers of light. This draws the eye towards this light source, which then disrupts the atmosphere that the block-out blind is supposed to produce.

Property owners considering buying block-out blinds should ensure that the product is a perfect fit. If not, consider having the blind or blinds custom made to get the desired block-out effect.

Damaged Blinds Defeat the Purpose

The same principle applies to existing block-out blinds. Although they are still functional, there may be small tears around the edges or other minor damage that is allowing light, however small, into the room. This impairs functionality and defeats the purpose of the product.

We are very familiar with this situation. Here at Blind Concepts, we specialise in cleaning and repairing soiled, shabby and damaged blinds of all types and styles.

Our cleaning process uses minimal amounts of water and chemicals, gently removing dirt, stains, grease, grime and bacteria. We also offer a repair service to restore the look and functionality of damaged blinds. Both processes save our clients’ money as they are able to get extra years of use out of their blinds.

Property owners generally spend a lot of money on their window blinds, and although the quality can range from excellent to average, depending on the brand and the price, there are always situations where problems arise with the way the blinds operate. These problems may not present themselves for some years, and some happen with annoying frequency.

Blinds Will Eventually Need Repairs and Maintenance

The problems also vary depending on the style of the blinds, especially those that are popular with the general public. Venetian blinds made from timber, plastic, aluminium, wood-composite and other materials are still in demand, along with verticals, Roman, Holland, Oriental and other blinds. While all these styles will wear well for a time, eventually they will need repairs and maintenance.

Here at Blind Concepts, we specialise in the cleaning, repair and replacement of old and damaged interior blinds. Many of the problems that owners have with their blinds can be repaired, and our ultrasonic cleaning process can also restore them to their original condition, saving our clients the cost of new installations.

Cords and Tapes on Venetian Blinds can be replaced

Venetian blinds have a couple of recurring problems that need solutions. The tilt and turn wand and other mechanical parts can become damaged through constant use and the slats can break or warp. If the cords break or the tapes become shabby, replacement kits are available.

The kits contain full instructions on how to remove and replace the cords or tapes. It is also the perfect opportunity to remove and replace broken or damaged slats.

Problems with Verticals either Simple or Complex – No In-between

Problems with vertical blinds are often simple issues such as the blades getting stuck backwards or becoming crooked; these are easily fixed by checking each blade individually and adjusting where necessary.

Another simple fix is replacing the bottom link chains, which are easily damaged. However, sometimes the problems are more complex. Verticals have many parts, some of them quite small, so more difficult repairs are best left to experts.

Clumsy Repair Attempts on Roman Blinds Can Cause Further Damage

Over time, Roman blinds may wear at the pull cord, and the plastic ring used to manipulate the blinds will break. The repair requires the blind to be removed from the window and laid, fully extended, on a flat surface.

The broken cords or rings are then removed and replaced. While this seems simple enough, again, this is a job for someone experienced as it is very easy to damage the blind further while attempting the repair.

These are just some examples of problems with blinds and suggested solutions. If you have any of these issues with your blinds and you don’t want to try the solutions yourself, contact our team of repair and replacement experts.

There is a growing awareness that dumping everything we don’t want into landfill is having a negative effect on our environment. Of course, much of the landfill content is genuine rubbish, but there is a significant part that is reusable. What is missing is the desire by most of us to think carefully before we discard items that, with a little effort, could be repurposed.

Blinds Need Repairing? Try Doing It Yourself

Window blinds are a good example of a product that responds well to a few simple repairs that can extend their useable life. Not only will these repairs have the blinds looking as good as new ones, but it will also save the householder the expense of buying new blinds. All it needs are some practical, do-it-yourself skills and a little imagination.

There are several different styles of blinds that lend themselves very well to being repaired, including verticals, Roman blinds, venetians made from a range of materials, Holland and oriental blinds. Venetians are still one of the most popular styles and the most common repairs needed are replacement of broken cords or frayed tapes.

Another Use for Old Venetian Blind Cords

It is possible to buy replacement cords and tapes in kit form, and these contain full installation instructions. This is also a great opportunity to replace any broken slats at the same time, and in the case of wooden blinds, to apply a new coat of wood stain. The blinds will look like new, and you could also roll up the old cord and keep it on hand for household tasks like tying plants to garden stakes.

Broken Chains on Verticals are a Breeze to Fix

Vertical blinds will last for years, but over time, the most common issue they have is that the bottom chain has broken. If this is not replaced, these great, practical window treatments look shabby and spoil the overall look of the whole room. The chain has clips on it that attach to the slats to keep all the blades in sync with each other. Simply buy a new length of chain and clips to replace the old ones.

Difficult Repairs – Call the Experts

Other blind repairs are more difficult and time consuming, so if you don’t want to tackle the job yourself, we are here to help. At Blind Concepts, we pick up your blinds and repair them in our workshop, then return them to you for rehanging. We do most common repairs, but if your blinds require an unusual repair, just let us know what the damage is, and we can work out a suitable solution for you.

If we all do our bit to keep recycling our window blinds for as long as possible, our planet’s natural resources will still be available for the use of generations to come.

Winter is the perfect time of the year to assess your interior décor before joining the flurry of activity that conscientious householders undertake to welcome Spring. Hours sitting inside gives you time to think about updating furnishings and accessories.

Repairs to Window Blinds Maximise their Value

An overlooked area in this annual exercise is the window treatments. While most householders include curtains in a spring clean, taking them down to wash or dry clean before rehanging, very often the window blinds get a cursory run over with a vacuum cleaner. Closer inspection, though, reveals needed repairs to get value out of these expensive items.

Are You Turning a Blind Eye?

Are you one of those householders who deal with a sticking roller blind or broken slat on a Venetian by ignoring the problem? Did you realise that if these issues were fixed and the blinds restored to their original shape and purpose, it would take very little expenditure if you do the repair yourself?

This is something we know a lot about here at Blind Concepts. A major part of our business is offering blind repairs and cleaning services to our clients, and we specialise in old and damaged interior blinds. The correct repair techniques restore the quality to these blinds and extend their useful life.

Common Roller Blind Issues

There are some window blind problems that are quite common and easy for a handy person to rectify. Roller blinds, for example, sometimes start tracking to one side instead of going up and down straight. There are several reasons for this, but the easiest one to check for is insects or other materials rolled up in the blind. Pull it down to its full extent and wipe over with a damp cloth. This will remove any foreign bodies, and as a bonus, the blind will be clean.

Broken Slats? An Easy Fix

Broken slats on a venetian blind, especially a timber one, look shabby and interfere with the flow of light and air. Take a pair of pliers and undo the plugs on the bottom blind slat. These hold the lift and tilt cords. Pull the lift cord gently through the centre of the slat up the row of blinds until the damaged slat is released. Remove it and slide the replacement slat into position, then feed the lift cord back through the centre; finish off by replacing the plugs.

If the amount of work required restoring your blinds to their original condition is too much for you, our service makes life easy. Once you accept our quote, we repair them at our workshop and return them for rehanging. It couldn’t be easier.

Blinds are a convenient, versatile and attractive alternative to curtains or shutters as a window dressing. They are available in a range of styles, materials, sizes and shapes, allow the occupants to control light and shade easily, are easy to install and for the most part, easy to keep clean. However, blinds are not completely without problems.

Slatted Blinds that are Stuck at the Top

Slatted blinds, for example, come in timber, plastic, aluminium and other composite materials and one problem that they all have in common is sometimes, they get stuck at the top of the window. The cause is usually that the cord used to raise and lower the blinds gets caught in the mechanism.

Usually this is a relatively easy fix. The first thing to try is to grab the cord, draw it upward until it is level with the bar at the top, then give it a gentle tug to release the lock. If this does not help, a little more work is needed. Take the blind down, find the lock mechanism and with a flat head screwdriver, push against the pin that is inside. This should free the lock and allow you to replace the blinds.

Getting a Roller Blind Chain Back on its Tracks

Roller blinds were once the “poor relation” of the window treatment world and relegated to bathrooms and children’s bedrooms. They have had a renaissance in recent years and now come in elegant fabrics, lovely colours and hold their own in any setting. A common problem, however, is that sometimes, the roller blind chain comes off its tracks and it doesn’t operate correctly.

The first thing to do is to take the roller blind off the bracket, then hook the chain back onto the tracks. Once you have inserted the cap back into the roller tube, simply hook the blind back up onto the bracket.

Freeing Up Vertical Blind Blades

One of the features of vertical blinds is their ability to be quickly rotated into position. When this no longer happens, there is usually something stuck in the slots where the blades are connected to the carrier stem, which can be manually removed. If the rod itself is jammed, a quick spurt with a lubricant spray in the spot where it connects to the blinds will usually free up the blade.

Repair Solutions Not New to Us

These types of repair solutions are nothing new to us. Here at Blind Concepts, we clean and repair old and damaged interior blinds. We know how expensive these blinds were originally, and when we extend their life for several more years at a fraction of this cost, our clients are happy with their fresh new blinds and with our service.

With the government ban on the use of light-weight plastic bags from retailers due to take effect very soon in Queensland, the reuse and recycle message is back in the forefront of conversation. World-wide, the oceans are choking in plastic and although tonnes of rubbish each year are recycled, tonnes more end up in land-fill or are dumped in our waterways and oceans.

Don’t Discard – Re-purpose

It makes sense, then, to look at other ways we can reuse products that no longer serve a purpose, rather than throwing them out. With a little imagination, many items can be re-purposed. Take mini-blinds, for example, which have been a favourite for many years and have other uses when their window dressing days are done.

This is an approach that we can fully support, as it is the philosophy on which our business is based. At Blind Concepts, we offer blind cleaning and repair services to customers who prefer to get some extra mileage out of their blinds instead of buying new ones. Not only does this make economic sense, but also it reduces the amount of material that is dumped each year.

Recycling Sometimes Takes Imagination

Sometimes, it just takes a little imagination for us to see the potential in recycling, and this is certainly the case with mini-blinds. Use the slats to create permanent identifying markers for your plants. Cut the slats to size, and then use either paint or a permanent ink to write the plant name on the slat, then push it into the soil.

Old Blind Slats a Substitute for Masking Tape

Doing a quick touch-up painting job and finding that you have no masking tape? For small jobs, hold a slat against the wall and paint along its length for a straight, professionally applied swish of paint. Swap for a dry slat when you move to the next section. It’s quick and easy.

Many Craft Uses for Slats

For people who enjoy craftwork, wooden slats are perfect for spreading glue. Whether you are doing a project of your own or helping your children create a holiday scrapbook, you will get an even spread of adhesive with no mess or sticky fingers. For the ultra-creative, bond a circle of slats to the back of a plain, round mirror, trim them to size then paint. You now have a wonderful feature piece for an empty wall.

Keep Slats in Storage for Immediate Use

When you take down your old mini-blinds, pull them apart and store them out of the weather. If you do this immediately, your slats will be on hand for any use that comes up. You will have the convenience of a ready resource and you will find multiple opportunities to use it.

Street appeal is one of the most highly desired attributes a property can possess, according to most real estate agents. First impressions are often the most lasting, and a property that is untidy loses much of its original appeal. It also loses its value, which is a major issue if the property is for sale.

Check your blinds

The same goes for your own property, whether it is an apartment, townhouse, duplex or a free-standing dwelling. The lawn may be freshly mowed, the gardens tended and the fencing in top condition, but if the window blinds are broken and need repairing, the property will not look its best.

This does not mean that all the blinds need replacing, especially if you have some experience with hand tools. Many of the problems can be repaired, and in this era of the internet, the do-it-yourself enthusiast has only to follow some video instructions.

Do your Venetians have a broken slat? Open the blinds and remove the two plugs at the bottom that hold the lift strings. Remove the lift strings only as far as the slat you are repairing. Replace the broken slat and move the bottom of the blind up by one space. Rethread the string and tie it off at the base. Sounds easy!

Have you got a roller blind that won’t stay down? You will need to remove the roller from the bracket, take off the metal cap on the end and use a can of air or a brush to clean and remove the dust and dirt from the ratchet. Lubricate any moving parts with household oil, replace the cap, return the roller to its brackets and check the tension to make sure it is fixed.

Roman blinds, verticals, timber venetians, oriental and Holland blinds as well as blinds made from aluminium, wood composite and lacquered or oiled cedar blinds are the most popular and there will usually be a web site that explains step by step how to fix your type of blind. If, after checking out the relevant instructions, you don’t have the confidence to do it yourself, there is an alternative.

We are Blind Concepts, a Brisbane company that specialises in repairing and refurbishing old and damaged interior blinds. We can clean and repair all these types of blinds, using the latest in cleaning technology. We take the blinds to our workshop, clean and repair them and then return them to you usually within 24 hours. If this sounds easier than the do-it-yourself option, give us a call.

With our cost of living still rising with no end in sight, most Australian households are on a mission to save money and reduce living expenses wherever possible. We have always been a do-it-yourself populace and the current economic situation spurs us on to greater efforts. If a task needs doing, and we have the resources and skills to tackle it ourselves, we are onto it.

Window Blinds Essential in our Climate

Whatever our living situations, in our climate we all have window blinds. Even the “grey nomads” who criss-cross the country to see our natural wonders before they settle into retirement, have blinds on the windows of their mobile homes. They are essential in our climate to control the weather extremes.

Are You a Do-it-Yourself Practitioner?

As we all know, any type of window blind looks great when it is first installed, but before long, it will need cleaning and perhaps some repairs to keep it sparkling. If you are an avid do-it-yourself practitioner, you can give it a try, provided you are not afraid to climb the odd ladder or two.

At Blind Concepts we offer an alternative solution if you are having second thoughts. At our one-stop service shop, we repair and refurbish old and damaged interior blinds. Verticals, roman blinds, oriental, plain or exposed batten, Holland blinds and Venetians can all be renewed with our ultrasonic cleaning technology. However, if you still want to go it alone, we offer you a few tips.

Gentle Wash on the Clothesline an Easy Clean for Venetians

Even with regular dusting, Venetians eventually get to the stage where they need a good wash. The quickest way to do this is to take the blinds down, hang them on the clothesline, wash with a gentle detergent, rinse gently with a garden hose, allow them to dry and then rehang them. Be careful with timber Venetians, however, as excess water will cause them to warp.

Follow Manufacturer’s Care Instructions for Fabric Blinds

Plastic blinds will respond to cleaning with detergent and water, but fabric blinds require caution. You should always check the care instructions before attempting to clean them. Only use the recommended cleaning method for the best results. Make sure they are completely dry before closing them.

Besides DIY, the other task we have become good at is outsourcing. Our hectic work and social calendars don’t leave much time for cleaning the blinds. If it seems like too much hard work and you would rather spend your weekends at the beach or pool, then check out our services and let us do the hard work for you.