How to Fix Broken Blinds in Under 10 Minutes—Horizontal or Vertical
Swapping out your broken slats is simple
- Flathead screwdriver or butter knife
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Lighter or match
- Pliers
- Spare slats
- Vertical or horizontal blinds
Window blinds tend to get a lot of abuse, especially if you have energetic kids or pets who like to look out the window but don’t know how to operate the cords. If you have a few broken or bent blind slats, you don’t need to replace your entire window treatment. With some common household supplies, you can repair worn-out blinds in just 10 minutes.
How to Fix Broken Horizontal Blinds
Below, we’ll walk you through how to fix your broken blinds.
Remove the Plastic Plugs
At the bottom rail of your blinds, you’ll see a small plastic stopper on the far right and left sides. Pop these off using a flathead screwdriver or butter knife. If there’s a center stopper, you can also leave it in place. With the plugs removed, you’ll see the knotted ends of each center lift cord that runs through the route holes on both sides of your blinds.
Pull Out and Unknot the Lift Cord
Pull the knotted end of each center lift cord out of the unplugged holes. You may need to use long, thin tweezers to grab the end of the string. Untie the knot in the center string. If you’re unable to undo the knot, you can use scissors to cut the cord right above the knot and burn the frayed end with a lighter or match so it doesn’t unravel.
Remove the Center Lift Cord
From the height of the topmost broken slat you plan to replace, pull up on the center lift cord to remove it. Pay attention to how the cord is threaded. Repeat this process on both the left and right sides of your blinds.
If you’re replacing your broken slats with slats from a different set of blinds, you’ll need to repeat steps one through three on that set as well so you can pull out the slats you need.
Remove and Replace the Damaged Slats
From one side of your blinds, gently pull out all the broken or damaged slats you want to replace. Without the lift cord holding them in place, they should simply slide off the ladder rung strings. Slide the replacement slats into their place so they rest on the ladder rungs in line with the surrounding slats.
Restring All the Blinds
Photo: auremar / Adobe StockWith your replacement slats in place, begin threading each lift cord back down through its route holes in each slat. When you reach the bottom rail, insert the lift cord through its hole and tie a slip knot at the end. Ensure the lift cords are even and that the bottom rail hangs straight. Finally, snap the plastic plugs firmly back into place. With that, your blind repairs are complete.
How to Fix Broken Vertical Blinds
Fixing vertical blinds is often straightforward, but it depends on the issue at hand. Here’s how to fix broken blinds.
Inspect the Blinds
From time to time, your blinds might get tangled or contorted, making them appear broken when they’re really just twisted. Before you try to repair your vertical blinds, take a look and see if they’re truly damaged or just out of place.
Replace a Carrier Stem
If one of your slats won’t rotate or stay up, you might have a carrier stem issue. Carrier stems are the plastic pieces that connect individual blinds to the track above (known as the carrier body). When carrier stems break or crack, they can prevent your blinds from opening and closing or staying in place.
To replace a carrier stem, remove the blind that’s attached to it and clamp a pair of pliers to the carrier body. Then, twist and pull the stem until it comes out of the body and replace it with a carrier stem of the same size before reattaching the blind.
Re-Hang or Install a New Slat
Have a slat that keeps ending up on the ground? If the carrier stem looks fine, there might be a gash or cut at the top of the fallen slat, causing it to slip out.
You can use a hole punch to create a new hole and reattach the carrier stem for a quick fix. However, this approach might not always work, depending on the type of damage and the design of your blinds.
For a longer-term solution, order a replacement slat from your manufacturer. If you need multiple slats, buying a new set of blinds from a home improvement store might be better—but you’ll need to purchase a set similar to your current one so the slats match the carrier stems. Finally, slide the new slat(s) onto the appropriate carrier stems.
Maintaining Blinds
Regularly maintaining your blinds will ensure they operate without issue; it also helps reduce dust buildup in your home, which can be a common trigger for indoor allergies. Here’s how to maintain blinds throughout the year:
Dust regularly: Once every week or two, take a soft duster or microfiber cloth to each slat of your blinds. For vertical blinds, work top to bottom. You can also use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment, but be gentle so as not to damage the blinds.
Deep clean each season: When you perform deeper cleans throughout your home, show your blinds some love. That means using a damp cloth with a cleaning solution instead of simply dusting. You can gently scrub at any stains or buildup.
Rotate your blinds: During each deep clean, consider rotating your blinds to reduce fading and warping due to sunlight. Much like you rotate your tires, you want your blinds to wear evenly.
Inspect your blinds often: Periodically inspect your blinds to ensure none of the cords or chains are getting tangled. Untangle any knots and visually inspect the slats for signs of damage. You should also keep an eye out for mold buildup, which could be a sign of a water leak or heavier-than-normal condensation. Get to the root of any mold problem quickly because mold is a health hazard and expensive to get rid of. On average, mold remediation costs between $1,225 and $3,750.
Fixing Broken Blinds Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
You can replace broken slats in your window blinds at no cost if you can use spare slats from the bottom of your existing set of blinds. If you need to purchase a new set of horizontal blinds to pull slats from, you’ll pay about $10 per set for the least expensive vinyl, bamboo, and aluminum styles. Expect to pay more for wood, leather, and some fabric slats, up to $35 per slat. You can also purchase individual vertical blind slats, many of which cost between $5 and $10.
Hire a local window blind repair specialist if you don’t want to perform the repair yourself or have questions about installing blinds. The minimum total labor cost to repair window blinds is $55 to $75, plus the cost of materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the extent of the damage, but in many cases, repairing your broken blinds is more cost-effective than replacing them—especially if you only need to swap out a slat or carrier stem. You can save even more money by tackling this project yourself rather than hiring a professional. If the blinds are beyond repair, the cost to install new blinds runs between $200 and $1,350 for eight windows, depending on the type of blinds you choose.
You'll need to purchase a new set if you don’t have enough spare slats at the bottom of your existing blinds to replace all the broken or damaged slats. Find replacement blinds online or at a local home improvement store. As you shop, keep in mind that slats aren’t universal. You’ll want to purchase the same kind you have so the holes to run the cords through all line up.
After years of frequent use, your window blind cords can become frayed, warped, or damaged and eventually break. Also, if you have kids who like to pull or yank your cords, they’ll wear down even faster. For less than $20, you can buy a blind string replacement kit or use a few household materials to restring your blinds yourself.
You can repair torn fabric blinds using clear-drying fabric glue. If your blinds consist of fabric cellular shades, you can use this method to fix tears on the surface of the fabric. With a small paintbrush, gently apply a dab of clear-drying fabric adhesive around the edge of the tear, taking care to use as little glue as possible so it doesn’t seep through the fabric.
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