Roller Blind Problems Solved

No one really understands how window shades work, which is why most people have one...ahem, a few...that are "broken." Time to fix that. Roller shades got the name because they roll up on their own power. How? The shade is wrapped around a hollow tube. Inside this tube is a spring with adjustable tension, attached to a metal pin that sticks out of the end of the tube. Pull down on the shade and a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism on the end of the tube locks it in place. Pull down again, and the pawl pops off the ratchet and gets held away from the pin by the force of gravity as the blind quickly rolls up. Sometimes, though, your blinds act up. Here's a cheatsheet on some possible fixes for common problems.

Shade Glitch: It stops in the middle and won't roll up all the way.
One-Minute Fix: Pull the shade halfway down. Take the roller off its brackets and roll the shade back up by hand. Replace into brackets.

Shade Glitch: It rolls up with the force of a NASA launch. Sometimes all by itself.
One-Minute Fix: When the shade is fully rolled up, take it down from its brackets. Unroll it halfway, then rehang.

Shade Glitch: It won't roll up-it's stuck all the way down.
One-Minute Fix: Remove the shade. Pop the cap off the end that has the flat pin. With pliers, grab the flat pin, and twist it clockwise until you feel tension. Rehang.

Shade Glitch: It won't "catch" right and hold itself up.
One-Minute Fix: It's the ratchet tooth mechanism. Take down the shade, and pull the cap off the end with the flat pin. Clean the metal pieces with a damp cloth, and lubricate by spraying only the rotating part with WD-40. Replace.