Are your cordless rollers too lumpy and loose? Want to tighten or reduce your roller blind’s tension? When your roller shade’s spring becomes fully uncoiled, there will be no tension in the roll-up mechanism.
Resultantly, your blind won’t roll back again once it is extended.
Here is a quick how-to guide to easily adjust the tension to tighten them up, so they’ll roll up and down smoothly.
Roller shades lose their spring tension for various reasons. Loss of spring tension can be a normal wear and tear.
However, physical damage, use of brutal force when operating, and more frequent use can speed up loosening of the roll-up mechanism.
Here is a quick tip. If your blinds don’t roll up, just roll them by your hand to help get the tension spring working properly again.
If the blinds are too slow, start with a lowered fabric, and then roll up halfway before putting back on the wall. Do the exact opposite when your shades roll up too quickly.
If loose roller window treatments are making you tense, read on to learn about practical DIY tips to tighten or adjust them.
What Are Roller Blinds?
Roller blinds – also known as roll-up shades or ‘rollers’ – are affordable and easy-to-operate fabric window coverings.
Based on the control mechanism, there are two types of rollers: (1) standard roller blinds with a cord or chain to raise or lower the fabric and (2) cordless roller blinds spring-tensioned roller blinds with a spring-loaded control mechanism.
Spring-tensioned rollers contain a coiled spring inside of their hollow top tube. There is a tensioned clutch mechanism that locks the fabric in place when engaged. So, you can raise or lower the blinds to the desired level by pulling gently on the blind.
Tools and Materials You’ll Need
- A flathead screwdriver
- Pliers (to turn the pin on the spring side of the blind)
- Step ladder (optional – if your blind is installed high on the wall)
- New roller blinds (optional – if old ones have reached their lifespan)
Method 1 (Steps to Adjust Tension on Cordless Spring Roller Blinds)
Step 1: If the blind is too loose, remove it from brackets and roll up by hand to increase tension.
Step 2: Reinstall it back in the window and the process until desired tension is achieved.
Step 3: If your roller blind is too tight or won’t stay down, take it down.
Step 4: Roll the fabric down halfway by hand. Make sure to roll the shade evenly on the tube.
Step 5: Put it back in the window.
Step 5: Keep repeating the same process until desired tension is achieved.
Method 2 (How to Tighten Cordless Cassette Roller Blinds)
Step 1: If your cordless cassette roll-up blind is too loose, use a flathead screwdriver to tighten or loosen the screw to adjust and obtain desired spring tension.
Step 2: Test the level of tightness by raising or lowering the fabric.
Step 3: Repeat the above steps until your rollers obtain the desired level of tension.
Method 3: (How to Adjust a Fully Uncoiled Spring in Spring-Loaded Roller)
Step 1: Take down the blind from the mounting brackets.
Step 2: Unroll the fabric halfway.
Step 3: Turn the pin on the spring side of the window cover until you feel tension.
Step 4: Back off so the latch (that allows movement in only one direction) hooks onto the ratchet.
Step 5: If spring is locked in the coil, twist the pin clockwise to free the pawl (latch) and release the spring.
Step 6: Tighten or loosen the spring tension to the required level.
Want to Permanently Fix Your Roll-up Blinds?
If your roller window covers have reached their lifespan, the DIY tips above won’t solve your problem. You’ll need to shop for their replacements.
Budget-friendly roller blinds with sturdy cordless controls are available with various functional models, such as light filtering, blackout, and sheer roller blinds.
FAQs
Can roller blinds be narrowed?
The answer is yes! Roller blinds can be both narrowed or widened to exactly fit the size (width and height) of your window frame for smoother operation. To narrow your roll-up window cover, you’ll need a small hacksaw, a sharp cutting knife, and a pair of good scissors.
How tight should a roller blind chain be?
The chain should be tight enough to operate the blind correctly. It should firmly hold the fabric but shouldn’t be too tight to allow smoother operation of your roll-up shade.
Why does my blind keep falling out?
Below are some of the reasons your blinds will keep falling out:
Brackets Spaced Too Far: If your blinds keep falling out, your brackets might be too apart. Remounting brackets closer together will immediately solve the issue.
Improper Operation: If you frequently keep tugging at the tape when raising or lowering the blind, it may cause your blind to fall. Gentle, less frequent raising and lowering of your blind will solve the problem.
Loose Brackets: If the roller mechanism is not properly fixed into the brackets, there are chances that your blinds will keep falling out.
Worn-out Tracks: Worn out tracks, ill-maintained may also cause your blinds to fall out.
How do you tension cordless blinds?
Is one side of your cordless roller blinds hanging lower compared to the other side? It can be fixed easily by adjusting the tension.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Popup the end cap on the bottom of your cordless rollers.
Step 2: Locate and take out a plastic tool in the head roll. (If there is a plastic tool in the blind, you can use a flathead screwdriver.)
Step 3: Use the plastic tool to turn the dial to adjust tension and level your shade.
Step 4: Put the tool back and reattach the end cap.
Step 5: Install the shade back in the window frame (inside mount) or on the wall, wherever it was installed earlier.
Step 6: Test operation and make adjustments, if needed.
Still Unsure?
Need further help tightening a roller shade? Contact our customer care professionals for more practical tips and solutions. Use 24/7 live chat or give us a ring at (800) 863-6109 now.