Pleated Shade Cord Riddle

[Docsouce]

Is there a diagram somewhere that would guide help me to figure out to string up the strings? The excess string on one side of a shade is hanging down on one side of the shade. The tension string is ok but this big ball of previously coiled string is hanging there. I really don't want to pull it all apart until I have an idea what to do.

 

[Marcm157]

Here is a diagram for a 4 string blind. There are also lots of great videos on YouTube that show the process. I have done several.

 

[norty1]

One hint that helped me when first repairing them it to remove the blind from the wall and lay it flat on a towel or large work surface. Do not pull any old strings out . The new string can be fused to the old with a match. Just melt the old and new and fuse them together.

Then you can gently pull the new string into the blind Use the diagram if a broken string is gone. Check all points where the string makes contact with the top as it can fray if pulled over a sharp edge. Tweezers and needle nose pliers are helpful.

If you don't have a repertoire of curse words, you will learn some before you finish!

 

[TWP723]

I've done them and I hated it. So I replaced them (4) with roller blinds. More money out of your pocket and your time but hey...it was worth it.

 

[Marcm157]

One hint that helped me when first repairing them it to remove the blind from the wall and lay it flat on a towel or large work surface. Do not pull any old strings out . The new string can be fused to the old with a match. Just melt the old and new and fuse them together.

Then you can gently pull the new string into the blind Use the diagram if a broken string is gone. Check all points where the string makes contact with the top as it can fray if pulled over a sharp edge. Tweezers and needle nose pliers are helpful.

If you don't have a repertoire of curse words, you will learn some before you finish!

I taught my wife and kids a whole new language when I did my first one!!!

 

[Rustic Eagle]

Day/Night, and Night only shade re-stringing instructions (2 & 4 string)......,

http://www.unitedshade.com/images/shared/uploads/files/Shade%20Re-Stringing%20Instructions.pdf

I purchased a quality spool of cord (Michaels Stores, etc.), lasts much longer.

Bob

 

[Jim Davis-JAY]

On mine the person who installed the blinds ran one of the mounting screws right where the cord runs. Needless to say the cord chaffed through in short order.

 

[Docsouce]

Thanks for the instructions and advise. Tomorrow I'm going to move the RV out in the nearby field and have at it. It should be interesting.

 

[jolvi]

just had to do this on a 2020 I know is a warranty item but took about and hour, biggest problem was getting the window valance out of the way which by the way the blind was screwed into so had to take it down anyway.

 

[Jim Davis-JAY]

On mine I bought a new one from Recpro and it has mounting clips to hold it to the valence. It probably would have taken an extra couple minutes to use the clips rather than running screws through the body and tension lines.

 

[JFlightRisk]

Norty's method sounds good. I didn't think of doing that when I replaced the cord on one of ours. I just squeezed the pleats together, gently melted the cord end to make it pointed, and it pushed right through the holes.

Do inspect the little grommets the cord pass through. We had one malformed, and had a sharp edge that frayed the cord. New ones came in the package.

Beige color
https://www.amazon.com/Pleated-Shade-First-AID-KIT/dp/B06ZYMXH4L

White color
https://www.amazon.com/United-Shade-650000-Pleated-Repair/dp/B008OAECW0

 

[Docsouce]

Update: I ordered one of the First aid kits from United Blind. Amazon got it to me yesterday. On a piece of tape I marked left-window side on the top and bottom rails just for reference. When I got it apart I took a picture of the string routes, which in this case weren't to bad, then restrung it. As suggested I tied the new strings on to the old and pulled them through. No Problem. All together and back up. Took me about an hour for that part. Now the reason it failed is that the installer put one of the mounting screws in the path of the string causing it it to fray and break. Sound familiar??? My fix was to cut a piece of windshield washer tube to the length I needed (about 3/8 inch long) and sleeve the screw so the threads are covered and it won't cut the string. We'll see how this works. I have a little time because we aren't going anywhere and its going to rain here all weekend so I'm going to pull all of them down and check them out.
Again thanks so much for the information and advise. Gotta love this Forum.

 

[Jim Davis-JAY]

I just finished installing the new blind in my Hummingbird. I used the mounting clips provided by the manufacturer and now understand why Jayco (and probably everyone else) just screws them up. The space in the valence isn't quite wide enough to rotate the blind into the clip which turned it into a morning long process. I'm sure if I practiced it more I would find a trick, but time is money and any short cut .........

 

[pwbiz]

Repairs to shades

We have been there. The best approach is parts @ Jayco.com

Tell the nice people there which shade you need to replace. Then take the info to your nearby Jayco dealer (or in our case we email to our favorite dealer no matter where we are in actuality). You pay the dealer, Jayco ships shade(s) to you prolly at no shipping charge. All you have to do then is hang them up. That will in itself use some of those unprintable words.

My impression of doing the restringing yourself was (among other things) that you’d need a much larger flat surface than many RVs provide or one humongous picnic table at your site.

 

[Bayoutalker]

On mine the person who installed the blinds ran one of the mounting screws right where the cord runs. Needless to say the cord chaffed through in short order.

That's exactly what they did on mine. There was a tube for the screw nearby but they ignored it and just drilled through the blind. It wasn't hard to figure out the cord. Once you get it apart you can see how it goes. I replaced mine with a small Paracord which is much more durable. I put it back up worth the screw in the proper place.

 

[Bayoutalker]

We have been there. The best approach is parts @ Jayco.com



Tell the nice people there which shade you need to replace. Then take the info to your nearby Jayco dealer (or in our case we email to our favorite dealer no matter where we are in actuality). You pay the dealer, Jayco ships shade(s) to you prolly at no shipping charge. All you have to do then is hang them up. That will in itself use some of those unprintable words.



My impression of doing the restringing yourself was (among other things) that you’d need a much larger flat surface than many RVs provide or one humongous picnic table at your site.

Much easier and quicker to replace the cord. You don't have to have the blind completely stretched out to do it.

The last time I had to get the dealer to get something from Jayco it took 3 months.

 

[RedHorse1]

All of my accordion blind failures have been the plastic anchors for the strings. I found some replacements from United Shade that are 2 piece and a much better design. Previously I’d bought a couple of the repair kits (string, springs, anchors and grommets) and other than a grommet or two I’d only used the anchors.

 

[jimmoore13]

<<SNIP>>

If you don't have a repertoire of curse words, you will learn some before you finish!