Roller shades have been around for many years. Long ago in history many people had roller shades installed in their windows. Some of these roller shades still look quite beautiful. However it should be understood, and expected, that by now many of these roller shades that are in windows have deteriorated and gone by the wayside. Some of the wear and tear may be quite natural, including control systems that break down or fabrics that have ripped and torn or simply don't look right anymore. In any case, for most homeowners or business owners want to have attractive window treatments in their spaces.

Among the most common problems that consumers have with roller shades are failures in the control system. Sometimes roller shades “don't want to roll up anymore.” Other times, they are stuck in position. For the first of these situations, you may simply find that if you can reroll your roller shade, you can tighten the springs and have it roll up better. In the case of a shade that is stuck, you must be very careful to not damage the fabric while trying to fix the shade. Many of these situations are complete losses, meaning that you will need to replace the roller shades. This is because the older control systems, those managed by springs, are no longer the commonplace or easy to obtain shades. So in the end, if you have a shade control system that is not working properly it is often advisable to get a new roller shade with the new control system.

Many consumers ask whether they can get a new roller shade control system for their existing fabric. This would seem the most logical way of reusing the same fabric and saving money by not having to waste that same fabric on a new shade. However given the updates and new fabrics that are available on the market, as well as the new methods of manufacturing roller shades, it is not as cost-effective and easy as many would think. It may not be so much of a waste, however, to buy new roller shades. For one thing the new fabrics are technically more capable. For another, the new control systems are substantially more durable and will protect your roller shade fabric so it will last much longer in your windows.

Another common roller shade problem is ripped, warped, or otherwise damaged roller shade fabric. The heavy use of vinyl coated fabrics, those that are typically called blackout, were substantially more common in the past. Those fabrics, unfortunately the lighter weight ones, were more often susceptible to ripping than modern-day fabrics, particularly those from woven polyester or other threads. The damages to these roller shade fabrics have often created ugly or less than presentable roller shades. Many consumers have wondered if it is possible to repair this fabric by replacing a section of the fabric. Unfortunately, replacing a section of fabric is not a possibility. However, some roller shade fabrics can endure a slight repair, like sewing or other repair. Beware though, excessive sewing may lead to an expanded problem. Often times, the sewing of roller shade fabric will simply delay the inevitable- the entire destruction of their roller shade. In the end, it is usually advisable for consumers to begin thinking about replacing roller shades when this type of deterioration begins.

Some roller shades will cause damage to the surrounding area. The scraping of a roller shade bottom rail against a window frame is not uncommon. Sometimes, this bottom rail, also called a hem bar, will run into a wall or otherwise run into a window frame. This type of damage can usually be corrected by making slight changes to the bottom rail like cutting it with a saw. Sometimes this hitting into a wall is a sign of other problems. A roller shade that is not properly squared up may have other damage to the fabric at the controls at the top of the roller shade. It is important to make sure that the roller shade is rolling up properly and that there are no other damages to the fabric or the control system.

While many consumers would like to try to repair or update or otherwise renovate their roller shades, it is usually considered advisable for simple replacement of that one shade or the several with problems. The new control systems will help your shades last longer and look more beautiful for a longer period of time.

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Judith Persit is a student of interior design. She started in this direction due to a search for design options in window treatments. Ms. Persit writes about roller shades. Roller shades can be interesting, you can learn more about shades at her website with many pictures.