For Do-It-Yourselfers, consider this . . .
"You'll remember the quality of your purchase, long after you forget what you paid for it. Guarantee yourself a job well done, and lots of time saved; call us instead."
Some Common Problems Encountered
Installing:
1. Forget to put valance clips on at the right time; must deinstall blind to get them on properly.
2. Drill torque too high– kickbacks break window glass (or worse, slider doors). Which side you’ll break depends on whether you’re right or left handed. The door side and Lo-E glass is much more expensive.
3. Mounting brackets – not secured with screws in top, side or rear mount position – must unscrew, then remount treatment since a tightly fitted (or even just slightly miss-measured) treatment will not allow you to mount flush for proper look if screw is in wrong spot.
4. Improper shimming makes it impossible to remove treatment once the side locks have been set and you think you’re done; be sure it’s a final mount prior to setting any required shims to get a professional look.
5. How do you prevent the blind from shifting left and right when you pull on the cord to raise or lower it?
6. Remember to lock brackets at right time, but before final appliqué; without it being ready, you’ll have to undo much of your effort. If in a tight spot, (like over your sink) the resulting neck or knee-cap pain might not be worth the savings over the cost of hiring a professional installer. You can pay a doctor and pharmacist, or an installer.
7. Install child safety cleats after blind is set – blind doesn’t close properly. Remounting required and filing of holes in wood necessary. Touch up paint now required.
8. Failure to prepare proper templates for side by side windows will result in non-uniform look. Both brackets and control templates required.
9. Safety factor: cellular mount brackets not properly aligned to within 1/16” inch – treatment falls out of window when pulled on to release shade or open it.
10. Mounting bracket mispositioned -- on numerous spiral mechanism products –will prevent smooth operation in both or single functions: either closing or opening the treatment, or both.
11. Cellular mis-held during mounting; fabric caught in bracket – tears. Warranty voided – very expensive!!
12. Do you know which side of the bracket hole to position the screws for mounting?
13. Do you have the flexible drill extension to place screws in ceiling mount brackets? Some have slotted holes that will require this tool in order to mount through double-slotted brackets when a ceiling (as opposed to side) mount is required. Not real expensive, but – do you have one? Do you know what size to get?
14. For mini-blinds, do you know which screw to position on which bracket 1st? More importantly, do you know why?
15. When installing a treatment over a door with glass, failure to use the simple ”cellophane tape” trick on the spacer to extend the bracket to ensure clearance over the frame usually results in breaking the glass – especially when using (and you must for metal doors) self-tapping screws.
16. Mis-positioned “hold-downs” result in being able to operate the tilt mechanism feature of the custom blinds you purchased. Realignment in an effort to fix this common error results in visible holes in your metal door – nothing something that can be filled.
17. So, you decide to (or must) mount outside on the beveled molding, how do you get the treatment to mount flush on such a surface – such that it is not leaning forward or backward and not fitting your opening properly?
18. Not allowing enough time to get the job done. From start to finish, a professional who knows what to do and has all the special tools and many spare parts allocates 20 to 30 minutes per treatment. For a house with 16 windows, that is an entire work day – even with training. How long will it take you?
19. Longer blinds (over 36" wide) require extra support brackets; mounting them must be done carefully to ensure there is no mechanical interference with the headrail components. The trick is to know where -- don't mount a 48" blind support bracket in the center! Know why? But where should it go?? Call us -- get it done right the first time!
Measuring:
The Window or Opening
Take the right measurement. You are buying custom treatments. This means, when you order them, you own them. Depending on whether you want them on the molding or inside the molding, you must consider the manufacturer’s requirements for figuring deductions. You will forget or not consider the impact of the center mullion in doublewide windows. This error guarantees you will not achieve the expected look (and your valance returns will be incorrect). Also, most manufacturers advise taking three measurements for widths – do you know why or which one to use for your situation/intent?
For Verticals. Exactly where will you place the mounting brackets for your sliding door (or be able to)? Now that you’re confident of this choice, what measurement do you give the ordering department? There are deductions for the length so the tines do not drag on the floor. You’ll probably forget to figure the extra rug you keep at the entry side of the slider. If you must remount because of a mismeasured length, how will you get all that weight to hold above any header timber in just a drywall?
Valance Returns.
First – do you know what they are and why they’re important?
Do you know how to figure their length?
That they may vary depending on whether you select a decorative or standard type? These are the items that provide your finish look and must be considered as the most important step. How do you find out what the manufacturer needs to know in order to get the look you want? Call their 800# for customer service?
First, find it. 2nd, call it. 3rd: try to find someone who can answer the question. 4th: assume you successfully find someone who can; do you think you’ll comprehend their answer?? Take good notes and don’t lose them! In 4 weeks when the product arrives, you’ll need to refer to them.
Inside Mounts vs. Outside Mount
What are your plans for the final look? Will you need a trained eye for advice on what to consider when making this choice?
Deductions…they all differ, based on manufacturer. If you getting different types of treatments from more than one manufacturer, the most common error is to mix-up or only follow the instructions of a single manufacturer. Result: at least one product that doesn’t fit; possibly both or worse, all. And Yep – you guessed it -- you own ‘em!
Return of Product
OK, so one out of four products will arrive damaged or simply not suitable for mounting when (or where) intended.
Steps to Handle:
Re-Pack it properly; from their customer service people get an RMA number (Return Material Authorization Number), describe the problem in writing and bring it to your local UPS drop-off center (do you know where that is?). Wait for a return shipment and hope it arrives in useable condition the 2nd time before your desired deadline. Keep in mind, if you run into a problem, it’s likely due to an inherent, repetitive issue with the manufacturer, so don’t be surprised to see it repeated. If so, Repeat “Steps to Handle”.
Conclusion.
This is not rocket science. But if you want to do it yourself, and you can, take all of the above (and stuff that’s been left out) into consideration. Figure your best time and cost estimate, then double them. Now you should compare those numbers to what a professional team can do for you that does nothing but this specialty every day.
When my car needs service, I go to trained mechanic with the all the knowledge and tools to get it fixed. I may pay more than doing it myself, but it gets done right. And usually the first time.
Consider the real Cost of Ownership by clicking here.
Question: Can you get the valance on this blind to fit this well -- and on an inside mount??
