Troubleshooting Your Chain Shades
Q: My chain shade won’t go all the way up, or all the way down.
How do I fix this?

This is caused by the metal chain stopper being in the wrong place and usually happens when the shade is installed wrong.

Here are the “rules of thumb” about chain stoppers:

  • Regular roll shades: metal stopper bead is at the top, touching the clutch on the window side, when the shade is all the way up.
  • Reverse roll shades: metal stopper bead is at the top, touching the clutch on the room side, when the shade is all the way up.

Here is how to fix common stopper bead problems:

  • If you have a Regular roll shade (the material goes down the back of the roller and is near the glass), then when the shade is all the way up, the metal stopper bead should be at the top, touching the clutch, and on the side of the clutch nearest the glass. If this is so, but your shade isn’t all the way up, here’s how to correct it:
    • If the shade is small and easy to handle, the easiest way is to roll the shade up as far as it will go. Remove the shade from the brackets. Slip the clutch out of the roller. Manually roll the shade until it is all the way up. Put the clutch back into the roller.
    • If the shade is large and you don’t have help, you can correct it while it’s still in the brackets. Take hold of the bottom of the shade by the weighted bar, and physically lift the shade material up and over the front of the roller. By doing this you are manually rolling up the shade. Repeat until the shade is all the way up. It should operate correctly now.
  • If you have a Reverse roll shade (the material goes down the front of the roller and is further from the glass), then when the shade is all the way up, the metal stopper bead should be at the top, touching the clutch, and on the side further from the glass. If this is so, but your shade isn’t all the way up, here’s how to correct it:
    • If the shade is small and easy to handle, the easiest way is to roll the shade up as far as it will go. Remove the shade from the brackets. Slip the clutch out of the roller. Manually roll the shade until it is all the way up. Put the clutch back into the roller.
    • If the shade is large and you don’t have help, you can correct it while it’s still in the brackets. Take hold of the bottom of the shade by the weighted bar, and physically lift the shade material up and behind the roller. By doing this you are manually rolling up the shade. Repeat until the shade is all the way up. It should operate correctly now.
Q. The material on my shade is rolling up crooked.
What causes this and how do I fix it?

This is usually caused by the installation not being level; the shade will roll towards the higher side. It must be corrected immediately or the shade material, telescoping over the end, will rub the shade brackets and get damaged.

    • Best solution is to remount the brackets so the shade will be level.
    • Another solution is to lower the shade until the roller is exposed. On the side opposite the incorrect roll place a 3 inch length of 1 1/2″ masking tape on the long edge of the shade material, or on the roller edge. This will balance (level) the roller. Additional layers of tape may be required until the shade rolls up evenly.
    • Operate the shade slowly to be sure the roll is correct; stop at once if the material runs to one side.
Designing Energy Saving Shades since 1992