Ask The Expert
I have been in the Window Treatment Industry for 25 years. I’ve performed in home consulations, in store sales and installations. I have seen just about every type of treatment out there and installed it in just about every type of window opening. I created “ask the expert” for you. So put me to the test, post your question below, I enjoy helping. And by chance I don’t have an answer, maybe someone else here will.
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Hi Bob,
I live in and townhouse, and I have installed mini blinds on my down stairs windows, which have wood casings on them. I would like to install mini blinds upstairs,but there are no wood casings upstairs to screw them into. How do I go about installing mini blinds, or is this impossible without wood casings? There are no wood casings around the outside of the window opening either. I rent, and an outside mount would put bigger holes in the wall than is allowed, so this is out.
Hi Pat
No you do not need wood casing. You can mount right into your drywall. Just a little depth in your opening and at least 1 1/2 long screws. Take a look at this picture. It show a window opening with about 3 inches of depth. For a mini blind you only need about 3/4 inch depth. What brand of blind are you looking at ?
Hi Bob! We have replaced our kitchen windows and want to put up new window treatments. However, my husband does not want to lose the beautiful view we have which means he wants nothing on the window. How can we install a treatment that would allow us to maintain our view? Thanks. Patty
Hi Patty
Good question but before I could answer I need some more info from you.
1) Are you considering inside or outside mounts?
2) Is light control or privacy an issue?
3) Any windows above a sink?
4) Is there a patio door involved?
5) If you did put up a treatment, what type do you have in mind?
Thanks
Robert
Hi Bob,
Thanks for your answer. In answer to your question, I think the blinds I have on the first floor are Bali. I have had them for a while, and have wanted to install blinds in the second floor bedrooms but wasn’t sure if this was possible. The blinds are inexpensive ones because I am on a very limited budget. The ones on the second floor do not have the side bracket that you showed in the picture when you answered my original question. They have a headed that has 2 or 3 spots where a header is screwed in. I am assuming,though, that 1 1/2 inch screws would also work there as well. Would I need to use wall anchors to make the screws more stable in the drywall?
Hi Pat
If you use 1 1/2 screws, then the screws will be long enough to reach through the drywall and into the wood framing behind the drywall. This is a much more secure installation then using anchors.
Hey Bob,
In my kitchen we have a lovely and quite large bay window. It looks out over our driveway and then our next door neighbors’ house and their kitchen window. Their window is rather small in comparison, and somewhat higher than ours. So our view into their kitchen is quite limited. Which is perfect, we don’t want to peep. The problem is, from their window, you can see pretty much our entire kitchen.
We do have vertical blinds across the bay window (which are pretty old and will be needing replacement soon – I’ll write for advice on that another time), but I prefer the spacious feel of keeping the blinds open. Is there some kind of film or coating available for windows that would allow us to see out, but would prevent anyone outside from looking in?
I know this isn’t a blind question, but I thought it still might be something you might be knowledgeable about.
Any thoughts?
Regards,
Diana
Hi Diana
Thanks for stopping by. I am a not too familiar with window film so I contacted a supplier. They said the film is design to keep heat out and to block the UV rays of the sun. During the daylight hours you will get privacy but once it gets dark and you have the lights on in your house your neighbors will be able to tell what type pf cookies your baking. I had a customer recently with a similiar problem. Her bay overlooked her yard and neighbors driveway and front of house. She decided to go with a top down bottom up woven wood shades. If you take a look at this article ” What Everybody Ought To Know About Window treatments for a Bay Window” hers are the first set of windows but there are other suggestions and ideas as well. Good luck and let me know if you have any futher questions.
Hi Bob,
We just replaced our windows, and I’m looking for window treatment ideas for the window in my kitchen and for the patio doors (french doors) which are on the same wall and overlook our back yard and garden.
I’m thinking of a bamboo or woven wood shade, but I don’t want want a large amount of stacking for the patio doors. I would like to retain as much view as possible when the shades are open. The shades are needed for light control in the morning and for privacy at night. Thanks for any suggestions you can provide.
Grete
HI Grete
I am assuming you want to go with a horizontal treatment that mounts onto your doors. If you go with a standard woven wood the drop (stack) would be about 12 inches. Mount it as high as possible on your door to minimize the drop or stack covering your glass. Another suggestion would be a cordless woven wood. The headrail is about 3 inches and the woven wood draws completly into it (headrail). So when drawn up it won’t cover any of your view. Here’s a link to take a look at it ” cordless woven woods“. Any further questions let me know.
Robert
Bob,
Thanks for your reply on 2/12. I like your suggestion; however, I just found my husband replaced the french door with a sliding patio door. Would this still be a good option? Could we use just one shade for the patio door? Do you have any other suggestions? Again, we want the light control in the morning and privacy at night but want to retain as much of the view as possible when the shades are open.
Thanks again. You have a terrific site.
Grete
I just put up curtains on an extension curtain rod in my living room. I have rings attached to the curtains and the curtains glide over the rod smoothly EXCEPT where the extension projects from the main bar. This “step” on the rod causes the rings to get jammed. What can I do to the rod to smooth out the difference in diameters so the rings glide along the entire bar?
Thanks. Looking forward to your response. I enjoyed reading the questions,comments, and recommendations on your website.
-Kay
Bob,
I have a bathroom door leading out to our pool area. The size of the existing framed glass opening is 16″ x 64″. I tried ODL and they do not make a enclosed blind unit for that size. Can you recommend another company or solution? Please advise. Thank you, Joe.
Hi Kay
Your missing a piece referred to as a “transition collar” it’s a round plastic piece that looks like a washer. It fits where the two rods joint together and allows the rings to glide smoothly. It usually comes with the rod. I would check with the place you purchased the rod from or a local hardware store for one.
Good Luck
Robert
Hi Joe
ODL is the only company that makes this blind. This is a neat product because it fits right over your glass. In your case where they don’t make a size for your opening. You can still go with the traditioal enclosed blind where your glass is replaced with one that has a blind in it. Another option is to mount a mini blind directly to your door and install hold down brackets to keep it from swinging around when using the door.
Robert
Aha! So that’s what I’m looking for! Thanks Bob! I’m off to the hardware store to buy a transition collar! Will let you know how that works!
-Kay
Box bay window dilemma!!! We have a box bay window in our master bedroom that faces on to the road. At the moment we have ugly vertical blinds covering the windows which we want to replace. The only good thing about these blinds is that the tracks are so close to the window that they sit inside the sill. I love the shape of the box bay window and do not want any coverings that will take up too much room, especially as I have a chest of drawers sitting in the alcove that lines up with the main wall perfectly at the moment. Can we get roman blinds that will work with this type of window? Are there other blinds that we can get that will fit into the sill area of the window? I found that your blog on this issue is the only one with a picture of our type of window and you seem to be the only person who understands how important the shape of the window is (I am sick of people just saying we should stick a rod over the front and leave it at that or that the only solution is to have very bulky curtains that will majorly encroach on the room!)I also do like to open up one side of the verticals that we have to let light and air into the room if this changes what you would recommend. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Lisa
Thanks for stopping by. I am a big fan of cordless top down bottom up treatments for a bay where privacy is a concern because you can lower the top to let light and fresh air in while at the same time maintain your privacy. Type of treamtment will depend on how much space you have between each window. If you have little space then cellular shades work well because you can get them close to your window and butt the shades together with a very mininal gap. Roman or woven woods will work as well. There will just be a larger gap between the shades. Drawback of these treatments is there either up or down. If you have more space between the windows then a sheer shade would work. Nice thing about them is you have more control over light and privacy. They have a very soft (sheer) look to them. These are just some things to consider. If you have any futher questions please ask.
Good Luck
Robert
Hi Bob,
We recently purchased a new home and are considering cellular blackout blinds for room darkening and insulation. The problem is that on a couple of windows, there is a 1/2″ width discrepancy between the top and bottom.
Knowing they cut 1/4″ for the headrail and 1/2″ for the fabric, we are afraid that will let too much light in in the mornings on the sides. Any suggestions on closing that gap?
Hi Chad
I I think you should go with the measurments you have. I wouldn’t play with that 1/4 inch because it’s approx. a 1/4 inch. It might turn out to be 3/16. Either way your not picking up much width and have a lot to loose if your shade doesn’t fit. What you could do to close up the gap is to mount it as far back or as close to the window as possible. Unless you mount drapery panels over each side that will be as good as it gets.
Good luck
I just moved into my brand-new house, and I have a set of sliding glass doors in my kitchen. I had it in mind to hang Waverly toile drapes, purchased ‘off the rack’ at Lowe’s, similar to the illustration on this website:
http://doors-sliding.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/sliding-glass-door-coverings-images.jpg
but the catch is that my new sliding glass doors also features a narrow rectangular window on top. Placing the rod above this window would not leave sufficient length for the drape panels (they are 84″ long) to reach the floor. My husband and I were debating putting the rod just above the doors and leaving the top window ‘bare.’ Should we do this, or will that just look too odd?
Thanks! Any help would be great appreciated!!
Hi Pat
I think the look you want is perferred by most customers with a transom window above their patio, if they can get away with it. If you mount below you have to take a look at where your brackets will be placed. The end brackets can go on the wall just outside the trim if any. The center support is the problem. Based on the image and the bracket type I don’t think you will have enough surface area to install the center support. And if you did will the screws that have to be screwed into the frame to attach the support interfer with with the door as you slide it back and forth.
Also will the sun be a factor. Blinding at certian times of day, fading wood floors, furniture or paintings.
Hi
I installed new windows recently. But my old blinds cannot be installed because there is not enough room for the bracket. The blinds were meant for inside mount. I am open to installing them outside the frame. Is there a way or brackets that are long enough to compensate for the length.
Hi DD
Did you have replacement windows installed ?
Yes
Hi Robert
I’m installing 4 cellular cordless top down, bottom up blackout blinds in my bedroom. Two windows are 36×37 and two are 25×50. My question is should I go with a 1/2 single cell or a 3/8 double cell (or a different size). Will one size function better with the cordless blackout feature? Does one look better than the other? The insulation properties are not as big of a priority as the way they look and function.
Thanks, Steve
Hi Steven
Sorry about taking so long to answer but my power has been out all week. Are these shades side by side meaning are the (2) 36X37 butting together in one opening. I found that the smaller and lighter the shade the less issues you have with the cordless mechanics. So even though 1 shade who be a cleaner look and block out more light, 2 would last longer without issue. The 1/2 cell would be lighter the the double 3/8 cell.
Robert
Need help with a question about mounting new blinds. What should have been simple has become a real headache. We are upgrading a rent house so that we can put it on the market to sell. When we bought the mini-blinds we found that the new ones didn’t fit the 1″ brackets that were in the house. We took down the brackets and are now having problems mounting the new brackets because the holes don’t line up. Do we patch the old holes? If so, how and with what? Do you put some kind of a shim between the bracket and the window dry wall? We don’t know what to do now. It shouldn’t be this hard, should it? THANK YOU. Kay
Hi Kay
Are these inside or outside mounts. Also are the brackets the type that fit on the ends of the blinds? Were these custome made or off the shelve and what brand? I’ll beable to help you more once I know a little more.
Robert
Hi, Robert. Inside mounts, and the brackets fit over the ends of the blinds. Bali were cut to size, and the second type, Home Depot’s store brand, for those that fit without resizing. We did some checking and got some drywall anchors; my husband tested one and we think that will work. Home Depot said they thought that would support the weight of the blind, and the expansion would fill up the excess size of the hole. “Molly bolts” was what we were told they are called by a couple of friends – never heard that before, and may not be spelling it right. Are there any gotchas that you can see coming at us? We really appreciate the expert advice. Thanks. Kay.
Try 2 or 3 inch screws before the mollys. Most of the time anchors are use because the screws used are too short and don’t reach the wood behind the drywall. 2 inch screws will reach the wood and be a much more secure installation.
Hi, Bob. Thanks for this good advice. We seem to be hitting the nails used in framing the windows pretty often, and that has been very frustrating trying to work around that. This is not going very fast, but we have made a little, painful progress. Thanks again for the help. We appreciate it.
Hi
We have vertiglide cellular shade for our door wall. We took it apart and cleaned it all up and now we don’t remember how to put it back together. Is there a diagram somewhere for us to look at? I look online all I can find for is regular window blinds.
Please help
Thanks
Jen
Hi Jen
Here’s a link to their installation instructions. There are some detailed diagrams that I hope will be helpful. Good Luck
Help please. I’m so frustrated. I like to have light-weight curtains on my patio door, which is right off my kitchen. The sun shines on that side of the house, and I need the curtains for that as well as privacy. I push them aside when going in or out the doors. Anyway, there are two doors. I have a rod that spans the top of the doorway. The rod is secured on both ends with screws that I put into the studs. It is necessary to have a third bracket, which is in the middle. My wall is sheetrock. I’ve tried two different types of anchors with this bracket, but each time it eventually start pulling out. My next thought was to purchase an extra bracket, and put two more in (total of 4) into studs. Upon checking, I’m not finding any studs above the door (except at the ends and across the header). How can I secure the rod in the middle?
HI Diane
I would suggest using a longer screw. There is a 6-8 inch wide wooded header behind your drywall that spans the width of your door. So as long as your not too high above your trim you will hit the header with longer screws. Try 2 or 3 inch screws. Let me know how it goes.
Robert
Hi Bob and Co.!
I want to buy 2 inch blinds to hang WITHIN my window moldings. The windows are doublehung and I have only @ 3/4 deep wood trim on which to hang the blinds. (This trim is right in front of the metal glide for the windows.) Not enough space per “the know it alls”.
I realize the blinds WILL stick out but that is OK with me. (They will have the look of some shutters that way.) I know the cornice that comes attached to the blind will also stick out but that will be covered by valances. I do not want to cover my attractive wood moldings with the blinds, and feel that inset blinds are much more charming.
Please give me your opinion and tips on this, please. (I do not have my blinds yet, so I would
be happy to check out yours, too! Thanks so much!
Barbara
Hi Barbara
3/4 inch depth is plenty of room to do an inside mount, 2 inch wood blind. You can fit most wood blinds into as little as 1/2 inch. But It’s always a good idea to check with the place you want to order from for minimum depth requirements.
Good Luck
Robert
Hi Bob,
I also have new window moldings and doublehung windows. I am considering faux wood and 3/8″ honeycomb shades. my depth is less then 1/4 inch and I had someone out to give me a quote. She told me that this is no problem. Is this true? Is there a way it still looks good or what kind of mount would you do? I love the trim and wanted to show it off. Most of the people want to mount it on the trim. Is that the better option? I have the 2 1/4 colonial trim. Or woud it be better to mount it over the frame. We would like to avoid having holes in the trim, but it has to make sense too.
I love your webside. It is hard to find someone to help out. Everybody is giving you different advice, depending what they want to sell.
Nicole
Hi Bob,
I forgot something to ask. Because the trim is not flat, like the manufacturers always point out. Will it look akward to mount it. Would the installer shim it somehow? And the shims are visible?
Thank you again.
Nicole
Hi Nicole
A 1/4 inch depth is not much to get a cellular shade in there and forget a wood blind. A Wood blind would’t work and if you tried to force it in, after a tug or two it’s coming down. I would recommend a mock inside mount. That’s where you mount on the trim but leave most of the trim exposed. You can do it with either wood blinds or cellular shades. Here’s a couple of pictures. Let me know if you have any futher questions. Also the trim doesn’t have to be flat. It could have some detail like in the pics. But A installer would us shims it if they felt it needed them.
Robert
Hi Robert,
Thank you. Is the mock mount like a mount on the trim? What kind of hardware is needed? When do you go over the trim? Would a faux wood blind show wall color when mounted over the trim. What is your preference when mounting shades or blinds like in a window you are showing above. You were writing in another article in most cases you mount on the frame. What is the reason for that? Is mounting on the frame considered outside mount when ordering online?
I am very glad that I found your webside. The whole thing is very confusing when you get so many different opinions from salespeople.
Nicole
Hi Nicole
You don’t need any special hardware to do a mock inside mount. You just use the hardware that comes with the blind. Remember even though it’s called a mock inside mount it’s ordered as a outside mount. I only recommend mounting on the trim when the application calls for it. Also it’s very important to understand the difference between a inside and outside mount. When inside mount is specified the mfg will take a small deduction off the width. So a 78 inch blind will actually be more like 77 1/2. And if it’s a wood or faux wood blind the valance will not have returns. This is done to ensure the blinds fits in your opening. A outside mount is made to exact measurements. A 78 inch wide blind will be made 78 inches wide and the valance will have 3 1/2 returns.
My Fun!!!
I just got several new windows but my blinds no longer fit. I have mini-blinds that were mounted inside. I have no place to mount inside or the window would not function. My molding is kinda fancy but I might be able to mount a bracket. Only problem is since they were inside they are not long enough for outside. Where do I find a extension for the head rail or does it not exist? I went to lowes but they were no help as they said the only bracket for mini-blinds are the ones it comes with. The ones it comes with are kinda small square boxes with a little plastic slide in flat cap.
These blinds are still in pristine condition only a year or so old.
If I can not find something to make this easier I might break down and cry LoL. I will have to make something which I have about 1 bil ideas already.
I could use wood to extend the rail and make a decent looking bracket (best alternative if nothing simpler).
I could cut out a section of the molding and make a plaster cast and imbed a home made bracket (but this is risky might do more harm than good).
And the list goes on…. please tell me they make a simple extender LoL.
Thanks,
Matt
Hi Matt
Whenever you get replacement windows they install some quarter round so you lose depth in your window opening. But you usally have enough to still mount a inside mount mini blind. Are these plastics or metal minis? How much depth do you have now. Not sure what type of extension your looking for. Are you trying to project the blind out away from the window?
Let Me Know
Robert
Hi Bob,
I am installing wood blinds in a new home. I have a window “cluster” that is actual 2 windows wide with a third arch-type window above, all in 1 frame so no wood across the center. The window is 64″ wide so too wide to mount without a center support. I don’t want to drill into the window frame to attach any support in the center as this will void any warranty and just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Can you suggest some options? Thanks for your help.
Ryan
Hi Ryan
I would suggest using a palladium shelf. It’s about the size of a 2 x 4 that fits across the opening just below the arch. It is attached at each end. The blinds center support then mounts to the shelf. The’re not too hard to install but have to be measured correctly. The only place I know of that makes them is LaFayette Interior out of Indiana but you have to find a dealer to buy from and they are pricey. I don’t have a picture but if you do a seach for palladium shelf you find several. If your handy you make your own. Cut a 2 x 4 to the proper width, sand and paint it . Then mount it at each end with L brackets.
Good Luck
Robert
Bamboo Panel Track Window Covering
Bought blinds from Sears. Instructions leave alot to be desired. Cannot
get the panels to open and close!!!
Hi Loman
Do you have everything installed and is it a wand or draw cord type control? Are they catching at the top. Sometimes the material is too thick where it is attached at the headrail. This will prevent the panels from drawing properly. If this is the case let me know and we’ll try to figure out a solution.
Robert
Hi Joy
Try this site http://www.blindparts.com They have replacement brackets for 1″ mini blinds.
Good Luck
Robert