Blinds, Shades and Shutters - Need to adjust length of mini blinds

Problem: Mini blinds installed inside window frame. Were never cut off to fit the length. Excess has been allowed to rest on sill. Upper portions are BADLY stained - unable to clean. Is there a way to remove these top portions and thus be able to pull up the "unused/unstained" section ? Any help and advice will be much appreciated. Thanks.
bobnrobin

Remove the two caps on the bottom rail, pull out the cord, cut the knot and remove the cord from the slats up to the top rail. Now you can remove the stained slats and replace them with the good ones, re-string the cord through the slat holes and don't forget the knot at the bottom.

It might be easier to do as you first thought depending on what you see when ya peek inside the top of that headrail..

The sets of strings that the slats set on are called ladders.. each ladder is connected to a rotating drum inside the head rail.. the two verticle strings that make up each side of a ladder are connected to opposite sides of the drum.. when the drum rotate it brings one side of the ladder up and the other side down, making your blind tilt..

How the string is connected to this drum and its final length set is your biggest obstacle.. is it a knot through a slot.. is it the string through a few slots that allows you to adjust the length without needing a perfectly placed knot..

are you comfortable doing this and confident you will have the patience to make it level..

If so, undo it and trim the ladders to your new size leaving the excess you'll need to reattach it to the drums.. this will mean trimming out a few top steps of the ladder so your left with the just the 2 sides of the ladder..

ahh screw it .. johnam's way makes much more sense :D

remove the caps and remove the slats.. are they aluminum slats? Throw em in the dishwasher!!!!

As a landlord of a duplex, I have moved the undamaged slats up to repair the blinds. It really depends on how much time you have and how much you want to fool with them. I chose the last time to simply replace the blind.
The aluminum ones are more expensive but the vinyl ones are fairly cheap. I just replaced one for 11 bucks for a 52 x 62.

Remove the two caps on the bottom rail, pull out the cord, cut the knot and remove the cord from the slats up to the top rail. Now you can remove the stained slats and replace them with the good ones, re-string the cord through the slat holes and don't forget the knot at the bottom.

Thanks, johnam.
Knew this was not going to be super easy... These are 1", vinyl blinds - 45W X 84(I think), so am thinking that there should be enuf left aftr removing the stained ones to have approx. 42" left to cover the window.... These do have 3 draw strings with 3 caps on the bottom rail..
Thanks again. bobnrobin

This might make it clearer: http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=19650

It might be easier to do as you first thought depending on what you see when ya peek inside the top of that headrail..

The sets of strings that the slats set on are called ladders.. each ladder is connected to a rotating drum inside the head rail.. the two verticle strings that make up each side of a ladder are connected to opposite sides of the drum.. when the drum rotate it brings one side of the ladder up and the other side down, making your blind tilt..

How the string is connected to this drum and its final length set is your biggest obstacle.. is it a knot through a slot.. is it the string through a few slots that allows you to adjust the length without needing a perfectly placed knot..

are you comfortable doing this and confident you will have the patience to make it level..

If so, undo it and trim the ladders to your new size leaving the excess you'll need to reattach it to the drums.. this will mean trimming out a few top steps of the ladder so your left with the just the 2 sides of the ladder..

ahh screw it .. johnam's way makes much more sense :D

remove the caps and remove the slats.. are they aluminum slats? Throw em in the dishwasher!!!!


Thanks, BLD.
Nah, they're vinyl and 45" wide - won't fit. And, first problem is getting them out of the window! Just hoping they are as long as I think so there'll be enuf clean ones left to fit. Maybe should just start from scratch with new ones... Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
bobnrobin

As a landlord of a duplex, I have moved the undamaged slats up to repair the blinds. It really depends on how much time you have and how much you want to fool with them. I chose the last time to simply replace the blind.
The aluminum ones are more expensive but the vinyl ones are fairly cheap. I just replaced one for 11 bucks for a 52 x 62.


Thanks, idmason60.
Replacement was my first thought, but then, there's all this excess never "used".... Goes against my Scotch - even tho they are vinyl and cheaper than wood or alum.. Had even wondered if I could just cut the ladders down to the "new" ones, cut the center slots to the edge, slide the stack of "used" ones out, and have it work ?
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to reply. bobnrobin

This might make it clearer: http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=19650


Thanks, johnam, for the link.
Checked it out - Pictures are always a help. But, I'm still stuck with the fact that I need to get the TOP section out and keep the bottom. Could you read my "could-I" reply to idmason60 - would that work ? I'm guessing that I'd still have to cut off cord from the bottom ? Thanks, again.
bobnrobin

You're going to have to pull the cords up all the way to and thru the top ones that need to be replaced and then you can slide those out thru the ladder rungs, then slide in the new ones and then you'll have to re-cord them by pushing and pulling the cords down thru each hole in the blind, then you'll put the caps back in to secure the cords and you're done. :D

You're going to have to pull the cords up all the way to and thru the top ones that need to be replaced and then you can slide those out thru the ladder rungs, then slide in the new ones and then you'll have to re-cord them by pushing and pulling the cords down thru each hole in the blind, then you'll put the caps back in to secure the cords and you're done. :D

Thank you, Shadeladie, for taking the time to reply.
Like many other good intentions, "there ain't no easy way" to accomplish ! Ah well, such is life and so you do what you gotta... Thanks, again.
By the way, this is my first visit/post to a Help Forum other than computer/software forums. I appreciate the help and advice from all who replied. I'm going to recommend DoItYourself.com to several people who also like to "Fix It if it's broke - Don't just pitch it".
Thanks again, to all.
bobnrobin

You're welcome :D and one thing I forgot to mention, if you decide to try and replace them is, to make it easier to restring the slats, wrap a piece of scotch tape around the bottom end of the cord so it kind of comes to a point, then it'll be much easier to push it thru the holes.