Taking down/putting up large blinds for painting

[Amethyst]

The home we just bought has two very large blinds that appear to be made of paper. They are very necessary to keep out strong sun.

We want to paint the walls, and to do that we need to take down those blinds in a manner which will allow us to put them back up again. Am all too familiar with taking down blinds and never being able to get them back the way they were!

So I have attached several photos of the blinds, hardware, and the wall-mounted clips that they attach to (the thing that looks like a serious face). There are five clips per blind. They are thin metal, with a very narrow - maybe 1/16 inch - "lip" on the edge that fits into slots on the blind.

Does anyone have any magic do-it-yourself tips for removing and restoring blinds of this type?

Thanks,

Amethyst

 

[braumeister]

The attach/reattach process should be obvious and simple, but the key to that job is to use two people.

 

[Amethyst]

Well, I am rather simple, so the steps involved may be obvious to others but I still feel like some finessing may be needed, so as not to damage the clips or the blinds so they won't go back the way they were.

The blinds are definitely heavy and need 2 people to handle them, but are there hints as to how we should work together? Remove the ends first, then the middles? etc.

Just trying to stay out of blind trouble.

The attach/reattach process should be obvious and simple, but the key to that job is to use two people.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The bracket you show in one of the photos is the key, there must be more than one. The blind either unclips or is held on with screws. Then it should just pop off.

 

[CardsFan]

From looking at the clip, I suspect the blinds were installed by setting the front lip first and then rotating the back side up, probably one clip at a time. There is probably some kind of spring fit on the back side.

The question is: How easy is it to reverse this process? Do you need to release the spring fit with a tool? or will it snap out if you rotate the blind pulling the back down?

I recently installed some new blinds (not the same as yours, but the attachment was similar). I did NOT need a tool to take them down. (Don't ask why I had to take down new blinds right after putting them up)

Good luck.

 

[CRLLS]

It looks like there might be 5 such shown clips along the wall. I think you would place a flat bladed screwdriver in the front slot between the tabs and gently pry the frame of the blinds backward to clear those tabs while still supporting the weight of the blind on the rear of the clip.

Assembly is the opposite. place the blind on the rear of the clips and rotate the front upwards.

It is kind of hard to tell if this is right given no pic of the clip from below. Nut I think it is right.

 

[marko]

From looking at the clip, I suspect the blinds were installed by setting the front lip first and then rotating the back side up, probably one clip at a time. There is probably some kind of spring fit on the back side.

I have the exact same blind, except mine is a 10 foot electric. I have five of those clips holding it up. I've taken mine off 4 or 5 times over the years.

Mine work just the opposite from your suggestion. With a helper, take a screwdriver and snap the front part of the clip up. Just lift it up. Do this with each clip. The back of the shade will rest on the back hooky part of the clip.

To reinstall, rest the shade grooves on the back of the clip and lift it forward and up and it all snaps into place.

 

[marko]

Here's the view from the back of the shade. You can see the hooks that hold the shade. Sorry, it came out sideways. Twist your head or rotate the photo 90 degrees clockwise.

Tip: have the blind fully pulled up first. Much easier to move around.

 

[CardsFan]

I think CRLLS and marko have it right for your blind.

 

[Amethyst]

Thanks! Now, that is the kind of hint we simple people truly need. Everyone has been so helpful and I really appreciate it.

Tip: have the blind fully pulled up first. Much easier to move around.

 

[DFDubb]

Can't believe you have the gall to paint over that doo doo brown color.

 

[joeea]

Does anyone have any magic do-it-yourself tips for removing and restoring blinds of this type?

I always check YouTube first.

Something like https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=removing+honeycomb+blinds might work

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Yeah, these look like what we have, and you need to pull the blind cord so it's all the way up, then push the "header" of the blind (the part that it retracts into) back towards the window, then pull the clipped (room) side down, and it'll pop out. Then to put it back, push the back edge up into the clip, and then snap the room side up into the clip.

 

[Amethyst]

The rooms have 10-foot ceilings, and we only have one 8-foot stepladder. This should be interesting.

 

[Amethyst]

The previous owners got divorced. I suspect the dark-brown bedroom had something to do with it.

Can't believe you have the gall to paint over that doo doo brown color.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

The previous owners got divorced. I suspect the dark-brown bedroom had something to do with it.

I think brown bedrooms were trendy at some point. My old boss at a fabric store (a fancy lady) thought it was important for me to know as a part-time employee and college student that she lived in a gated community and had a chocolate brown bedroom. I remember gagging slightly. We also rented a house for a year with a dark brown master bedroom. Ick

 

[Amethyst]

They also painted the guest bedroom dark blue. We will be very busy with our paint rollers!

I think brown bedrooms were trendy at some point. My old boss at a fabric store (a fancy lady) thought it was important for me to know as a part-time employee and college student that she lived in a gated community and had a chocolate brown bedroom. I remember gagging slightly. We also rented a house for a year with a dark brown master bedroom. Ick

 

[Walt34]

They also painted the guest bedroom dark blue. We will be very busy with our paint rollers!

Maybe someone in the family worked rotating shifts? When I bought a house by myself, the middle bedroom had dark paneling in it and I put in room darkening shades for when I worked midnights and slept during the day.

When I got married my new DW said "It looks like a cave in there!"

Me: "Yeah, isn't it great?"

Her: Eyeroll

So I knew some redecorating was in my future.

 

[Amethyst]

i seriously doubt it. More likely trendiness, as Mrs. Halofire suspected.

Maybe someone in the family worked rotating shifts?

 

[Sunset]

The rooms have 10-foot ceilings, and we only have one 8-foot stepladder. This should be interesting.

Borrow one so you have 2 .

 

[CRLLS]

Borrow one so you have 2 .

If you don't have friends to borrow from, you could rent one from your local rental place or box store. Our Menards rents such things.

 

[target2019]

Late to the paint party, so sorry!
I have those blinds throughout the house. What works to release them, is to insert a large flat-blade screwdriver from underneath, where the metal top piece meets the bracket. It really helps to have two people on ladders at either end. Usually there are three clips, so you start at one side, pop out one clip at a time, while helper holds up the other end.

Re-installing, you insert the front of each bracket in lip, and rotate the top into place. It will snap into place. So you'll apply this method to each bracket.

 

[Bamaman]

When my house was new, the previous owner painted much the whole house in brown inside. But one bedroom, the living room and dining room were a cherry red. Needless to say, I had a large painting project to do prior to moving in.

I've got two short walls of my 26' x 48' man-cave that I need to finish painting a birch gray.