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3. Q: How much DEPTH do I need to install roller shades? (These are guidelines only—shades made with heavier materials, or exceptionally tall shades, may require more space)
CLUTCH OPERATED
- Shade Width up to 78" = 2 3/8" of depth
- Shade Width from 78-110" = 2 7/8" of depth
- Shade Width 110" or larger = 3 3/8" (R16 clutch) OR 3 7/8" (R24 clutch) of depth
SPRING TENSION
- Shade Width up to 79" = 1 5/8" of depth
- Shade Width from 79-120" = 1 7/8" of depth
MOTORIZED
Somfy 12V Battery operated
- Shade Width up to 96" = 2 3/8" of depth
110V Somfy Plug in, Somfy Hardwired, or MotionCo Hardwired
- Shade Width up to 144" = 3 3/4" of depth for side mount, 3" of depth for ceiling mount
4. Q: What are the dimensions of your shade brackets?
Click here to find out.
TROUBLE SHOOTING MANUAL SHADE PROBLEMS
5. Q: My shade won’t go all the way up, or all the way down. How do I fix this?
This is caused by the metal chain stopper being in the wrong place and usually happens when the shade is installed wrong.
Here are the "rules of thumb" about chain stoppers:
- Regular roll shades: metal stopper bead is at the top, touching the clutch on the window side, when the shade is all the way up.
- Reverse roll shades: metal stopper bead is at the top, touching the clutch on the room side, when the shade is all the way up.
Here is how to fix common stopper bead problems:
- If you have a Regular roll shade (the material goes down the back of the roller and is near the glass), then when the shade is all the way up, the metal stopper bead should be at the top, touching the clutch, and on the side of the clutch nearest the glass. If this is so, but your shade isn’t all the way up, here’s how to correct it:
a. Take hold of the bottom of the shade by the weighted bar, and physically lift the shade material up and over the front of the roller. By doing this you are manually rolling up the shade. Repeat until the shade is all the way up. It should operate correctly now.
- If you have a Reverse roll shade (the material goes down the front of the roller and is further from the glass), then when the shade is all the way up, the metal stopper bead should be at the top, touching the clutch, and on the side further from the glass. If this is so, but your shade isn’t all the way up, here’s how to correct it:
a. Take hold of the bottom of the shade by the weighted bar, and physically lift the shade material up and behind the roller. By doing this you are manually rolling up the shade. Repeat until the shade is all the way up. It should operate correctly now.
6. Q: The material on my shade is rolling up crooked. What causes this and how do I fix it?
This is usually caused by the installation not being level; the shade will roll towards the higher side. It must be corrected immediately or the shade material, telescoping over the end, will rub the shade brackets and get damaged.
- Best solution is to remount the brackets so the shade will be level.
- Another solution is to lower the shade until the roller is exposed. On the side opposite the incorrect roll place a 3 inch length of 1 1/2" masking tape on the long edge of the shade material, or on the roller edge. This will balance (level) the roller. Additional layers of tape may be required until the shade rolls up evenly.
- Operate the shade slowly to be sure the roll is correct; stop at once if the material runs to one side.
7. Q: My Quick Snap Light Sealed System or Modular Light Sealed System shade won’t come out of the cassette box. How do I get it to come out?
- Remove the cassette box from the window by using a screw driver to get it out of the brackets.
- Take the plastic cap off the PIN side (NOT the side with the chain) by removing the screws. Do not remove the plastic cap on the clutch side. It is very difficult to put it back on.
- The shade should now be exposed to view. Grab the bottom bar of the shade and push it through the slit in the bottom of the cassette.
- Now, using a loop of string, suspend the pin end of the shade in the air, and put the plastic cap back on the pin end.
- Make sure that the pin end is in the center hole securely.
- Screw the plastic cap back on.
8. Q: My spring tension shade won’t go up anymore. How do I correct this?
Leaving the shade in the brackets, pull it down as far as it can go. Then remove it from the brackets and roll it up by hand, being very careful not to let the material of the shade “telescope” off the end of the roller (this could cause it to fray or be otherwise damaged.) Put it back in the brackets and see if it’s functioning properly. If it’s still weak, follow the same procedure again. You may want to pull it down less than all the way after the first attempt to correct the problem so you don’t wind the spring up too tight.
MISCELLANEOUS
9. Q: I want to change the side my chain is on, or make my shade a reverse roll instead of regular. How do I do this?
- If your shade is a right hand control and regular roll, and you want a left hand reverse roll, you have to remove the shade and the brackets, and mount the brackets so that the pin end bracket is on the right and the clutch bracket (the one with the little flipper) is on the left. When you put the shade up, it will have to be a reverse roll. When the shade is all the way up, the bead should be at the top, touching the clutch on the side nearest the room.
- If your shade is a left hand control and regular roll, and you want a right hand reverse roll, you have to remove the shade and the brackets, and mount the brackets so that the pin end bracket is on the left and the clutch bracket (the one with the little flipper) is on the right. When you put the shade up, it will have to be a reverse roll. When the shade is all the way up, the bead should be at the top, touching the clutch on the side nearest the room.
- If your shade is a left hand control reverse roll, and you want a right hand control reverse roll, it’s a bit trickier to correct. If you have already installed the shade, roll the shade all the way up (the bead stopper will be at the top and on the side further from the glass) remove it from the brackets, take the brackets down, and reinstall the brackets so that the clutch bracket is on the right. Then, pull the clutch and the pin end out of the roller, and put the pin end on the end you just took the clutch from. Holding the clutch in your hand with the chain on the right hand side, pull the chain until the bead stopper is at the top on the opposite side (which will be again further from the glass when in the shade). Insert the clutch in to the right hand side of the tube and place the shade back on the brackets. It should operate correctly now, and be a right hand controlled reverse roll shade.
- If your shade is a right hand control reverse roll, and you want a left hand control reverse roll, roll the shade all the way up (the bead stopper will be at the top and on the side closer from the glass) remove it from the brackets, take the brackets down, and reinstall the brackets so that the clutch bracket is on the left. Then, pull the clutch and the pin end out of the roller, and put the pin end on the end you just took the clutch from. Holding the clutch in your hand with the chain on the left hand side, pull the chain until the bead stopper is at the top on the opposite side (which will be further to the glass when in the shade). Insert the clutch in to the left hand side of the tube and place the shade back on the brackets. It should operate correctly now, and be a left hand controlled reverse roll shade.
10. Q: My shipment came with some odd parts in the hardware bag. What are they? (See labeled photos here.)
a. some plastic discs about 1/2" in diameter that have a triangular piece notched out of them.
Your shade chain needs two stoppers. One is the plastic chain joiner; that one stops the shade from going up too far by hitting the clutch. (On metal chains, the joiner is also metal.) The other one, the "Pac Man" disc, is to stop it from going down too far. It is used on clutch chain shades that have a chain with closely placed beads. Operate the shade until it is down as far as you want it to go--the window sill, or just past it, or where you want it to stop. Then you force the Pac Man disc between two beads at the top of the shade right where the chain goes into the clutch.
b. some plastic, hinged, bean shaped pieces.
Your shade chain needs two stoppers. One is the plastic chain joiner; that one stops the shade from going up too far by hitting the clutch. (On metal chains, the joiner is also metal.) The other one, the "plastic bean," is to stop it from going down too far. It is used on clutch chain shades that have a chain with beads that are about 1 cm. apart. Operate the shade until it is down as far as you want it to go--the window sill, or just past it, or where you want it to stop. Then you place the bean over the two beads at the top of the shade right where the chain goes into the clutch and snap it shut.
c. some small, clear plastic hollow balls or cylinders, or small metal partial spheres
Your shade chain needs two stoppers. One is the plastic chain joiner; that one stops the shade from going up too far by hitting the clutch. (On metal chains, the joiner is also metal.) The other one, the "ball stopper," is to stop it from going down too far. It can be used on any clutch chain shade. Operate the shade until it is down as far as you want it to go--the window sill, or just past it, or where you want it to stop. Then you place the ball over the two beads at the top of the shade right where the chain goes into the clutch and force the bead into it. (Use pliers to force the metal spheres closed over the bead chain.)
11. Q: Will Solar Shades save me money?
- Windows have the lowest insulation value of any element in a building and are therefore responsible for the greatest energy loss. 50% of the solar heat that enters a room comes through the glass while 40% of the heat that escapes leaves through it. Transparent solar shades significantly reduce the high cost of energy consumption for cooling and heating without sacrificing visibility through a window. Because they quickly pay for themselves, with skyrocketing fuel costs they are like putting money in the bank.
- Interior Solar Shades form an insulating air pocket between the shade and the window. Metallized fabrics or colors closest to white best reflect the heat back out through the glass in the summer. If you put your hand on a black car and a white car, the white car is always cooler. In winter shades should be raised during the day to allow in the sun’s radiation. At night in the winter or on cloudy days they should be lowered to reflect heat back into the room. The addition of side channels to our Kool Vue film shades makes an excellent barrier against cold air transfer.
- Exterior Solar Shades are the best defense against the heat. They started in Europe as a way to keep buildings cool. Because they absorb the solar radiation before it passes through and needs to be reflected out, they keep the interior much cooler. Darker colors on the exterior absorb more light and are therefore 10% more effective than light colors against the heat.
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