Problems with day-nite shades!!!!

froglegs · 10-01-2007, 08:01 PM

Is anyone having trouble with the day-nite shades? The strings on ours are shredding the outer cover and leave a small thread that might break? Is there any preventive measures that one can take to over come this problem? I am at wits-end with our 4 shades that are out of whack.

NDJollyMon · 10-01-2007, 08:25 PM

I'll take a closer look at mine this week. I haven't noticed anything like that. Some slide a little more difficult than the others, however.

Hokiehall · 10-01-2007, 08:41 PM

I have not noticed anything like that with mine either, but in hindsight, I would not have gotten them. They are not as easy to operate as plain old blinds.

Blind Dr · 10-01-2007, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by froglegs

Is anyone having trouble with the day-nite shades? The strings on ours are shredding the outer cover and leave a small thread that might break? Is there any preventive measures that one can take to over come this problem? I am at wits-end with our 4 shades that are out of whack.

Greetings: I might be able to assist you. Is the cord fraying? The problem with the day night shades in the rvs is that they tend to tighten them to much. You do not need as much tension on the cords as most of the rv installers put on them. this causes premature wear and eventually the cord will break. I repair about a dozen or so each week, I have a custom window blind business. They are a little time consuming to replace the cords, so if you adjust them it will help save the wear on the cords.

If you look at the bottom of your shade you will see two buttons on each side of the shade attached to the wall of the rv. If you loosen the tension by loosening the screw and pulling a little of the cord loose, it will release some tension on the internal springs. Those springs are located in the lower rail of the shade. I always adjust them just enough to keep the shade up at the top without dropping. This will make the shade easier to operate and will extend the life of the cords.

Most of these shades are a nice feature to have. Granted a cordless style honeycomb blind is easier to operate but will not provide the privacy that the day/night shades do. If you need the cords replaced contact me.

RAC · 10-02-2007, 06:44 AM

Haven't had the problem. Love em!

Paul B · 10-02-2007, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blind Dr

Greetings: I might be able to assist you. Is the cord fraying? The problem with the day night shades in the rvs is that they tend to tighten them to much. You do not need as much tension on the cords as most of the rv installers put on them. this causes premature wear and eventually the cord will break. I repair about a dozen or so each week, I have a custom window blind business. They are a little time consuming to replace the cords, so if you adjust them it will help save the wear on the cords.

If you look at the bottom of your shade you will see two buttons on each side of the shade attached to the wall of the rv. If you loosen the tension by loosening the screw and pulling a little of the cord loose, it will release some tension on the internal springs. Those springs are located in the lower rail of the shade. I always adjust them just enough to keep the shade up at the top without dropping. This will make the shade easier to operate and will extend the life of the cords.

Most of these shades are a nice feature to have. Granted a cordless style honeycomb blind is easier to operate but will not provide the privacy that the day/night shades do. If you need the cords replaced contact me.

It's soooooo nice having a wide array of tech folks on these sites. We are not having cord problems but ours are hard to operate. Will loosening the strings help??

Thanks,

Paul B

dimurrrw · 10-02-2007, 11:48 AM

A thought - has anyone taken down their day night shades and tried to wash them? No problem doing so with blinds, which I intuitively prefer for that reason.

welshman599 · 10-02-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul B

It's soooooo nice having a wide array of tech folks on these sites. We are not having cord problems but ours are hard to operate. Will loosening the strings help??

Thanks,

Paul B

Wow, ask a question about blinds and get an actual Blind Doctor!!! Awesome reply by the way... In-laws have been mentioning stiffness as well and I'll pass that on.

NDJollyMon · 10-02-2007, 10:41 PM

I checked mine today, and they are still in pristine condition after one season use.

I do have a couple that are too tight...and I was trying to figure out what to do with them. Thanks to Blind Dr....Now I know.

I really like this type of shade myself...it's are real nice feature.

Blind Dr · 10-02-2007, 11:33 PM

Hi Folks, It is funny I found this site to read about problems others may be having with their forest river products. I happened upon the string for this one and could not help myself.

Lets see where to begin? Yes if you were to decrease the tension on the cord that has the tie downs the blind will be easier to lift and lower. Just make sure there is enough tension to hold the blind up. When I install them, I always leave an additional 20 inches or so of cord which runs thru the tensioning buttons. BTW if you are careful you can seperate the button, it comes in two pieces to pull some cord back thru it. I do this so after I get the blind to stay up and adjusted from side to side I still have some cord to pull back thru just in case it is to difficult to lift or lower. In my area, central Illinois, many rvers call me to adjust them because they have a friend who had me work on them. It does take a little time to set the tension only because the opposite cord lifts the opposite side. But to make it simple after the blind is just holding in place without falling down pull just a touch more cord thru the button and tighten it into the wall.

Cleaning the blinds: These are really easy to do as well. The best thing to use on them is dawn detergent. Put some in a spray bottle and spray the area. Use a soft sponge and rub it a little bit. Just be careful of the type of chemicals you use on it as most will stain the fabric. I use and ultrasonic blind cleaner for the heavy stains and it makes them look like new again. You might try using really hot water in the soap solution also. Now a word of caution: Do not allow anyone to use any dry cleaning solutions on them. On some of these it will remove the glue used in making the blind and you will have a mess! I can say this from experience I have had several fall apart will I was cleaning them with an extraction machine using chemical solution. Not a pretty sight!

In all they are a very cost effective alternative to privacy issues.

aintgotnun · 10-03-2007, 06:39 AM

Blind Dr.

to FRF!!

Great advise!

Thank you!

Please enjoy your stay here!

greg

welshman599 · 10-03-2007, 05:59 PM

Finally! A use for that ultrasonic blind cleaner I picked up! heehee.

I'm not making fun Blind Dr, but just really damn impressed. I kinda wish I had day/nights and had problems just so I can try your suggestions. While on the topic, any tips for cleaning the typical miniblinds?

Man I feel like one of those guys who asks a doctor at a party "I have this ache right here, what do you think...."

Blind Dr · 10-03-2007, 11:59 PM

Actually I can offer you the same bedside advise I do for all my other patients. For a weekly cleaning use a swiffer. If you are interested in a deeper cleaning then fill up your tub with extremely hot water; 142 degrees plus. Add some TSP and stir it up. Then open the blind and place it in the water allow it to soak for 5-10 minutes. If you need to scrub use a soft sponge. Then close it up and turn it sideways to drain any water out of it. Take it outside and hang it up or set it on the ground, open, to dry. If you are a smoker you will need to scrub it a little and keep it in the solution longer.

Now don't forget to show your insurance card to the receptionist.....

chevy02 · 10-04-2007, 12:20 AM

ok so maybe i missed something but what is TSP?

dimurrrw · 10-04-2007, 05:38 AM

TriSodiumPhosphate Buy in powdered form at hardware store. Great for cleaning many things.

RAC · 10-04-2007, 07:48 AM

Richard, you mean buy it for Donna, while you and I are outside drinking.

dimurrrw · 10-04-2007, 09:02 AM

Sounds like a plan.

RAC · 10-04-2007, 11:14 AM

Got it......Bottle of CC for you, bottle of TriSodiumPhosphate for Donna. I'll make sure it's on my list for the Halloween Weekend at Small Country

welshman599 · 10-04-2007, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blind Dr

Actually I can offer you the same bedside advise I do for all my other patients. For a weekly cleaning use a swiffer. If you are interested in a deeper cleaning then fill up your tub with extremely hot water; 142 degrees plus. Add some TSP and stir it up. Then open the blind and place it in the water allow it to soak for 5-10 minutes. If you need to scrub use a soft sponge. Then close it up and turn it sideways to drain any water out of it. Take it outside and hang it up or set it on the ground, open, to dry. If you are a smoker you will need to scrub it a little and keep it in the solution longer.

Now don't forget to show your insurance card to the receptionist.....

Great advice thanks. Cute receptionist too!!

atozinc · 09-15-2009, 11:32 PM

I have been reading some of the comments about day night shades and they are pretty accurate for the most part. We have been repairing RV shades in Yuma, AZ, for 11 years. The main consideration when installing or adjusting these shades is the tension. You only need enough tension for the center or bottom rail to stay in place at any position. It is generally important to have the same tension on both sides for the shade to move level. It is also important to have the cords on a side to be the same length to prevent a gap between the center and bottom rail.
The shades can be cleaned using a mild clear detergent such as Ivory or Woolite and be sure to use a white cloth. You can even remove the shade and immerse it in the bathtub. If you rub the fabric, do it gently.
Our web site, atozwindowfashions.com, has more information on the RV window shades. It has repair materials available and FAQ's. Please contact us for more specific information.
A To Z, Inc. - Carl Lauterjung

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