Blinds Shades

Recalls due to safety concerns have been underway for years when it comes to corded window products. The cording poses a definite safety issue to small children. Homeowners and/or landlords that are aware of the frequent presence of small children should make safety considerations a high priority when purchasing window coverings.

1. Take a close look at your window coverings (vertical blinds, roman shades, cell shades, horizontal blinds, etc.) Regardless of what product is in use in your home. Just take a few minutes and really look at it. Are there ANY exposed cords on the sides, front or back of the product? This is the safety issue.

2. If exposed cording is discovered it needs to be remedied. Contact the manufacturer of your product (vertical blinds, horizontal blinds, cell shades, etc.) to request a retro-fit kit. Most manufacturers will provide them free of charge and they will include everything needed to remedy the safety issues of the exposed cording.

3. If it is a viable possibility financially owners and landlords are strongly urged to completely replace older, corded products. Cordless options are available in nearly every style of window covering from vertical blinds to horizontal blinds to roman shades. The cordless products offer the same aesthetic design and the same features and functions of their corded counterparts.

4. If you need to temporarily provide an immediate “safety fix” while you are deciding how to permanently take care of the issue you can follow a few simple steps. First make sure any looping cords are tied down with hold downs. You can also cut them and tie each end with a tassel. Make sure there are no large pieces of furniture placed near window treatments that would increase the probability that a small child would have access to the cording. Basically…keep all cords out of reach of children.

Temporarily fixing the problem is an appropriate measure, but it is only a quick fix. To fully ensure that the problem is taken care of you should contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC). They offer free retro-fit kits to increase blinds safety. If at all possible, homeowners with small children in the home should consider replacing window coverings with cordless varieties to permanently solve the issue of child safety in relation to window treatments.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has more than 25 years of experience in the window coverings industry and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window blinds before they buy.

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