Roller blind won’t go up and down straight? Here's how to fix it yourself.

Robert Anderson from

t's about time we shared one of our best kept not-so-secrets....

A common problem with roller screens or roller blinds is that they start tracking to one side and eventually will wear away the side of the blind curtain with the threads causing a problem in the mechanism.

The reason can be that the material has stretched or has moved on the blind shaft. Things like insects or stray bits of stuff can be wrapped up in the roll as the blind is rolled up.

The first thing to do is to make sure there is no foreign objects or insects rolled into the roll and make sure the blind is attached to the roller properly. Do this by rolling the blind down to its full extent and checking.

If the sides are damaged you should make sure any loose threads etc are cleared and you can trim the damaged side with a sharp pair of scissors. To do this remove the blind from the brackets.

Many of the blinds have a spring loaded pin at the end opposite the chain. This spring is retracted by turning the knurled wheel either up or down till the spring is retracted. The blind can then be removed by lowering it and sliding it off the other bracket. The more level the blind the easier to remove from the other bracket. Sometimes it will come down leaving the drive still there. If so, all you need to do is remove the drive and replace in the shaft.
Some blinds have lift up out of bracket ends or plastic roller pins that need a small screw driver to remove.

Some blinds are a spring loaded one end and have a lift up attachment on the other end.
(If you are not sure how, Google, “taking down roller blind shades” and you will find a video for the type you have.)

Hint here, ensure the blind is rolled up before removing. Lay the blind on a table or floor and trim.

Roll the blind up again.
Reinstall the blind.

When doing that make sure that when you fit the drive end back onto the bracket, that the cover over the chain wheel is at the top so the chain can run properly (It should be in the 11 – 1 position.), and that the chain is free. The spring pin should just push up into its bracket. If it is a bit tight you can use the wheel to wind the spring in and then you can let the pin out once in position.

Roll the blind up and down several times.
If the blind is rolling to one side then you can adjust this.

Let the blind right down till you can see the where the fabric is fastened to the roll shaft.
What you need to do is to put a strip of masking tape on the roller shaft, where the material is attached, at the end that you want the blind to roll back too. i.e. the opposite end to the way it rolls across to now.

Depending on the width of the blind a strip 100-150 mm will be long enough for a blind up to a meter wide but for a wider blind you can put a strip 250-300mm long.

Try rolling up the blind and if it is still rolling to the side then you can add another strip the same size on top of the first one. Add more strips as necessary. Simple stuff to do.


Article with Pictures: curtaincleaners.co.nz...