Thomas Sanderson Duette blinds - cords are slack.

[Paul Clarke]

I have a small favour to ask. I have Duette blinds bought in 2014. They are fine apart from one where the tension cords have gone slack. I guess that I have to remove the cover on the bottom support rod and can then tighten the cords. But how to release the cover? There must be a trick to it. I'm cautious about using brute force in the wrong place and causing permanent damage. Thomas-Sanderson say that they don't know how to do it. Nor does my local blinds man.

Can yo share the trick with me?

[Theo]

I don't know, but just to note that Thomas Sanderson as well as a large number of other blind brands (Blinds2Go, 247Blinds, Luxaflex, Hillarys etc) are owned by Hunter Douglas. I wouldn't be surprised if the blind mechanisms are common across a lot of brands - it may be you can find instructions for a different Hunter Douglas brand.

I can only speak for the Ikea Hoppvals equivalent, and there the bottom support is glued on - a heat gun releases the glue. The spring lives in the top of the blind and the cords are tied on from there - maybe it's easier to adjust at the top rather than the bottom?

Theo

[Paul Clarke]

Thanks for your advice Theo. It might be a spring issue but the top bracket doesn't remotely look like it comes apart whilst the bottom does. However the cords are much looser now suggesting the springs are the answer. But I can't proceed unless I can get inside.

[Brian Gaff]

I was going to say that often there is a kind of arm thing and a spring at the top, but normally they are fine for years. Sometimes if a blind gets snagged at one end they end up somehow lop sided, and if it has slipped at the bottom good luck.

Brian