Adjusting Cord Tension on day/night RV Shade
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Creeping or sagging
If you notice your shade is creeping down your tension on the
cord needs to be adjusted.
Day-Night
Shade Adjustment & Repair
Most late model coaches are equipped with pleated window
shades, commonly known as “day-night blinds” with a shear
section for daytime use and a solid section for nighttime use.
They are pulled up and down on two to four strings woven
through the blind material. The strings on each side are
attached to one end of a spring contained within the metal
section at the top. The other end of this spring is attached
to a string that runs down the inside edge of the covering
valance beside the blind to a spool located on the bottom of
each side of the blind. The spool has a retaining screw
through its center and a tooth on the back, which holds it in
position and provides a method of adjusting the spring
tension.
These blinds do require some adjustment to operate properly
and the adjustment is quite easy to do. The first step is to
determine what needs to be done. If the blind is very
difficult to raise then the blind needs less spring tension.
To decrease the spring tension carefully loosen the spool
retaining screw on one side, while holding the spool firmly
against the valence so that it does not twist free then rotate
the spool counterclockwise 1 turn at a time. Tighten the screw
and repeat for the other side. Move the blind completely up
and down a few times then check to see if it operates
correctly. If not repeat this procedure.
If the blind goes up in a zigzag fashion then one side of the
blind has more tension than the other. In this case you may be
able to see which side is loose and tighten the spool on that
side. If you are unsure I suggest loosening both sides and
apply an equal number of turns on the spool until the blind
operates correctly. If the tension is too loose then the blind
will not stay in position. Again adjust both sides one at a
time to place the correct tension on the strings.
My experience suggests adjusting the blind to have sufficient
tension to stay in place and no more. This will give you the
ability to increase tension should the spring weaken with age
and it also places less tension on the strings If the string
rubs against the blind mounting hardware it will fray and
eventually break.
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Restringing the blind is not difficult however you will need to remove the
blind from its mounting base. There are a number of different retainer styles,
so you will need to examine yours to see what method is required to detach the
blind.
Remove the shade assembly from the installation brackets: Raise the shade all
the way to compress the fabric. Loosen the tab screw on the back of each
mounting bracket. Tilt the back of the head rail down to remove the rail from the
brackets . Place the shade assembly on a clean work surface. Note: If you have a
steel bracket without the tab screw, the shade may be removed utilizing the same
tilting action shown . (If they do not include the stringing needle then get one
as well).
Some blinds are held up by a spring steel clip maybe an inch long. One side will
have a lip on it, the other side does not. That lip is the key. What I did was
take a heavy screwdriver and tried to wedge it between that lip and the top of
the blind until it released allowing the blind to drop out. Did the same thing
with the other end clip.
Once the blind is removed, rest it on a hard surface. Cut the strings from both
hold-downs then proceed to remove the plastic end caps on all rails with a flat
head screwdriver. Remove the bottom and top rails from the blind by sliding them
off then slide the bottom section of the pleated shade from the center rail. The
rails slide off horizontally, and may get hung up on a knob rivet, so be firm,
it will eventually slide off. Once the blind is disassembled, proceed as
follows.
In the top rail, the cord will be attached to a spring on each side. The cord
coming from the left will run down through the left side of the night material.
The cord coming from the right will run down through the right side of the night
portion of the shade. The cords will cross in the center rail, so that the cord
that runs down the left hand portion of the night shade, will cross over and run
down through the right hand side of the day shade.
Do the same for the right hand side of the night shade. It will cross over in
the center rail and run down through the left hand side of the day shade. Now
the cord coming down through the right side of the day portion will once again
cross in the bottom rail and exit out of the left hand side of the shade through
the end cap, use a threader needle to thread the cords through the holes.
Inspect the holes for any burrs or sharp edges as they may damage the cord.
After threading the blind, assemble the top rail including plastic end caps.
Remember to stay within the ridges of the PVC. Insert center end caps. Thread
the cord through the bottom end caps. There is a right and a left end cap;
please check before threading. After inserting end caps, measure and cut cords
to required length. After required length has been cut, see illustration on how
to tie on the spring tension spool. REMEMBER: Reset the drop of your shade by
tying the cord retainers where you need them to be and adjust the tension as
needed by wrapping the cord around the cord retainers.
My experience suggests adjusting the blind to have sufficient
tension to stay in place and no more. This will give you the
ability to increase tension should the spring weaken with age
and it also places less tension on the strings If the string
rubs against the blind mounting hardware it will fray and
eventually break |
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Cleaning and Care on day/night RV Shade |
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RV Shades
should be kept In the closed or the up position when not in
use, to maintain pleat retention and minimize dirt and soil
buildup. Do not store shade in the down position, this may
cause some loss of a pleat retention if RV shade are not
operate on a consistent basis.
Note: if your recreation vehicle must be in storage for an
extended period time. Store RV shade in the up position and
cover your window with an additional protection (example cut
out cardboard).
RV Shade can be easily cared for by simply dusting or using a
vacuum cleaner attachment. Do not use spot remover, or
household cleaner or detergent to remove soiled spot, or as
this may cause damage to fabric.
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