When to Call an Expert: Signs Your Blinds Need Professional Attention

We’ve been in the blinds business for decades which means we’re all too familiar with New Zealand’s DIY attitude. As Kiwis, we pride ourselves on taking matters into our own hands and finding innovative solutions. However, as tempting as it may be to whip out the toolbox and tutorial videos, some issues are best left to the experts. In this blog, we'll help you identify common problems with your blinds that signal it's time to seek professional help. 

 

Issues That Require Professional Attention

Maintaining your blinds not only keeps your home looking stylish but also ensures they function properly. Here are some common issues that often require professional attention:

 

Damaged Slats and Fabric Tears

Damaged blinds don't just look bad; they can also mess with your privacy and light control. Similarly, tears in the fabric can make your blinds appear shabby and neglected. Professional repair or replacement is often the best solution, ensuring your blinds look good and work perfectly. This is because experts can match the material and colour exactly, restoring your blinds to their original charm.

 

Malfunctioning Mechanisms

Few things are as irritating as blinds that won't budge or hang unevenly. Problems like stuck blinds, faulty lift cords, and broken tilt mechanisms can make your blinds a headache to deal with. These issues usually need a professional’s expertise to fix without causing further damage. Professionals have the right tools and know-how to get your blinds moving smoothly again, saving you frustration and ensuring they stay balanced.

 

Significant Staining or Discolouration 

Blinds naturally attract dust, dirt, and sunlight, leading to stubborn stains and discolouration that regular cleaning can't fix. These blemishes can make your blinds look old and tired. Now, we aren’t going to pretend that every stain needs a professional service. In fact, there are plenty of ways to maintain and clean your blinds at home. However, when it comes to particularly stubborn stains, professional cleaning services are a great option as they use special techniques and products to achieve outstanding results. 

 

Cord Safety Concerns 

Damaged or tangled cords are more than just an eyesore—they're a safety hazard that’s often overlooked. Frayed or tangled cords can lead to accidents and injuries especially if you have kids or pets. A professional evaluation can spot these risks and suggest safer alternatives, like cordless blinds or models with built-in safety features. 

 

The Benefits of Professional Help 

Not convinced that it’s worth investing in professional services? Here are a few of the benefits you can expect when you book with us: 

  1. Expertise and Experience: Professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the table. They can quickly diagnose and fix issues that might leave you scratching your head. With our extensive experience in blind repairs, we know the best methods and practices to restore your blinds to perfect working order.
  2. Quality Repairs and Parts: One of the significant benefits of hiring a professional is the assurance of high-quality repairs and parts. Professionals use top-notch materials and tools, ensuring that any repairs are durable and reliable. This means you won’t have to worry about recurring issues or quick fixes that only provide temporary solutions.
  3. Time and Convenience: Dealing with blind repairs can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if you’re not sure what you’re doing. By hiring a professional, you save valuable time and avoid the hassle of trying to fix complex problems yourself. Professionals handle the repairs efficiently, allowing you to focus on other important tasks or simply relax.
  4. Enhanced Longevity: Regular professional maintenance can significantly extend the life of your blinds. Experts not only fix current issues but also perform preventative maintenance that can help avoid future problems. This proactive approach ensures your blinds remain functional and attractive for years to come, providing better value in the long run.

 

When to DIY vs When to Call a Professional 

While some blind issues are best left to the experts, there are minor problems that homeowners can easily handle themselves. Here’s a brief guide to help you determine when to DIY and when to call in a professional.

 

When to DIY

Dusting and Cleaning: Regular dusting can keep your blinds looking fresh. Use a microfiber cloth or a duster designed for blinds to remove dust and debris. For deeper cleaning, you can use a mild soap solution and a soft cloth to wipe down the slats or fabric.

Minor Adjustments: If your blinds are slightly uneven, you can often fix this by adjusting the cords or the tilt mechanism. Carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure you don’t damage the blinds.

Replacing Small Parts: Some small parts, like end caps or cord tassels, are easy to replace and can be done without professional help. These parts are usually available at home improvement stores or online.

 

When to Call in a Professional

Complex Blind Repairs: If your blinds won't raise or lower properly it's likely a sign of a more complex mechanism issue. Problems like broken lift cords, malfunctioning tilt mechanisms, or jammed roller mechanisms often require specialised tools and expertise to fix. A professional can ensure these repairs are done correctly without causing further damage.

Motorised Blinds Issues: For motorised or automated blinds, any malfunctioning motors or electronic controls should be handled by a professional. These systems are complex and attempting to repair them without proper knowledge can lead to further damage or voided warranties. Professionals can accurately diagnose and repair these systems, ensuring smooth operation.

Blind Replacements: If you’re installing new blinds, especially custom or complex designs, professional installation is recommended. Incorrect installation can lead to improper functioning and potential damage. Professionals have the expertise to ensure your new blinds are installed correctly and securely.

 

Conclusion 

Your blinds are more than just window coverings—they're an essential part of your home's decor and functionality. While it's tempting to tackle every problem with a DIY spirit, some issues truly benefit from professional expertise.  At Total Look Blinds, we've been proudly serving New Zealanders for decades, combining our deep industry knowledge with the Kiwi knack for innovative solutions. We understand when a simple fix isn't enough and are here to provide top-quality repairs and maintenance. Reach out today for a professional assessment and discover how our expert repair and maintenance services can keep your blinds in top condition.

Top Quality Custom Blinds and Shutters

Total Look Blinds has the best and most experienced people in the industry with a combined experience of greater than 180 years within the industry. If we can’t help you nobody can. We offer free help and advice when you ask us to meet with you.
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What Our Customers Say

Excellent
4.7
D Smith
I've used Total Look Blinds on a number of occasions and have always have excellent quality and service, Lauren is fantastic to deal with. I highly recommend them!
Stephen Ball
Very happy with result, beautiful appearance. High quality, efficient and effective at a good price.
Paula Reason
Total Look Blinds are amazing ! Fantastic fast service , top quality product, friendly, and best of all , installed early !
Gaye Heywood
Total -Look BlindsWould recommend them they are organised, friendly, great communication, quick installation. Nothing is a problem. Very happy with their service from start to finish.
Trudi Stevenson
Total Look blinds were an outstanding company to work with. They installed both shutters and blinds in our home at competitive prices and using high quality materials. Timing and installation were faultless. We are thrilled with the service and the result.
James B
Lovely blinds with professional service.Sincere thanks to Laren for your helpful advice and Carl for excellent installation…..much appreciated
Mary McDonald
Having worked with Total Look Blinds previously, they were our number 1 choice when we decided to install Shutters in our new home - we are absolutely thrilled with the result. Adds a 'wow' factor ! Thank you so much TLB - everyone we have dealt with has been fantastic. We highly recommend dealing with this Team - they are great and their product - TOP NOTCH!
Vaughan Ludlam
Excellent product, pricing and service from Total Look Blinds – thanks David, Lauren, Carl & the rest of the team.
Vicki Landon
Cannot fault Caroline and the team from Total Look Blinds. Very professional and accommodating. Friendly people from the measuring, advice on product and installation. We have used them in several houses and will continue to do so. Highly recommend Total Look Blinds.
Antoinette Cooney
Happy to recommend the service and products provided by Total Look Blinds recently.Terry did the initial measuring with helpful suggestions. Roger the installer was great and a perfect tradesman to help us ‘oldies’ - no rushing through the job or explanations. Pleased with our vertical and roll up blinds👏
Mark Jeus Buenavista
Great company to deal with. Terry is very knowledgeable. Happy with the outcome of our kitchen windows with shutters. Next project would be shutters in our living room windows. Thanks Total Look Blinds team!
David Lim
Vertical and horizontal blinds completed on time. Reliable and great people to deal. Over the years, I have engaged the services of Total Look Blinds a few times and I have always been pleased with the results. I would do it again in the future with any hesitation. Highly recommended.
Niall Robertson
Excellent service quality product from this company who consistently delivers a great personal experience to its customers.Comes highly recommended. Thank you Team!
Kambiz Radman
Could not be happier with my new sun screens and blinds, look awesome. The material seems nice and hopefully durable (I'll update you on that later)."Terry" is a positive Rep who speaks clearly. He measured well but didn't explain some installation details, which confused me afterward. However, "Carolyn" came to the site and explained everything very well. Roger is a professional installer who did a quick and clean job. Thanks "Jo" for admin updates and following up. 101% recommended.
Melissa Slater
Awesome consultation gave really good ideas and pointers. Quick to manufacture and install. End result is beautiful.
Jackson Whitham
Outstanding service from everyone at Total Look Blinds. Jo was incredibly helpful in quoting a sun screen blind over the phone including looking up previous work done at home to match measurements, ordered over the phone and installed in less than 2 weeks - well ahead of schedule - high quality, friendly installer. Definitely recommend using this company!
Lia Wongsohardjo
I love my roller blinds from Total Look Blinds, the products are great. They have excellent customer service, the sales, the admin and the installer are amazing. I have bought from them twice for my house in Oteha and now in Orewa where I moved recently. Terry is very expert, kind and helpful, he is a talented salesman.
hong he
Love the company and the products they provided and installed. We are very grateful for their wonderful support and help!
john millanta
Roger was wonderful put them in nicely great service total look 👀 blinds
Diane Andrew
Recommend this company highly. Efficient and quality service. Very happy with my blinds. Very reasonably priced
Audrey Usmar
Amazing customer service and product!! From Lauren doing the quote and recommendations, to Carl doing the install, to the amazing office support with Jo... Highly recommended. You can't go wrong with this awesome group looking after you THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Peter Glass
Great service from quote to install. Deliver on their promises. Multiple repeat customer. Excellent team to deal with.
Sarahlou Clark
AAA+++ service professional recommended to all. I thought I could imagine what it was going to look like but I am absolutely rapt looks so fresh, clean and high end it’s mind blowing and great price Thank you so much.
Lanice McMillan
Thank you for your awesome service and flexibility to get quotes on very short notice. Love the roller blinds
Angela Shepherd
Roger did a fantastic job of installing our new shutters. He was very professional and very friendly. His attention to detail was impeccable. (Terry was involved in the initial consultation and was also very knowledgeable and helpful.) We would definitely recommend them. AAAA++++
Jim Richardson
Total blinds were Totally Professional. Excellent service from measurements to advice given through to the final fitting and the blinds look great! The price was also very reasonable and far better than competitor's. I totally recommended Total Blinds. Thanks! Jim
Bhavika n Divesh Kumar
We used Total Look Blinds in 2005 for our family home. After 19 years of wear and tear we needed some parts and couple of vertical blinds track needed fixing. Took a drive to Takanini and was greeted by the office lady Jo who was very helpful and was amazed when she pulled out our 19 years old invoice from their record. The team manage to fix the track within a day and got the parts i needed at a fair price. Highly recommend them if you want quality products and a fantastic after sales service. Great company to deal with 😊
Nerissa Attewell
Excellent service, quick turnaround the whole team were informative and helpful! We love our blinds so much :)
Ant MacLean
Had an old vertical blind that was manufactured by them, that was broken. Excellent cheery and quick repair service and great value too.Support kiwi jobs stay local. If you buy something NZ made you can get spares.
nicola taylor
Amazing company, amazing team and amazing service. Totally recommend Total Look Blinds.
Parvaneh Karimi Fishani
We had double roller blinds installed in our new house. The price was much more reasonable compared to other shops, and their service was reasonably fast. The staff were friendly and helpful!I can't say much about the quality of the material since the blinds haven't been installed for long, but we hope they will be as good as the service we received!
Leila El-yassir
I cannot recommend Total Look Blinds enough. From start to finish, their professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail were truly commendable. The quality of their blinds is exceptional.The customer service provided was second to none. Brent and David were knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to assist. They patiently answered all my questions and helped me make informed decisions that perfectly matched my style and requirements.They went above and beyond to ensure that I was completely happy with my blinds. Any concerns or issues I had were promptly addressed and resolved to my utmost satisfaction.I highly recommend Total Look Blinds to anyone in need of high-quality blinds and outstanding service. I am extremely pleased with my blinds and the overall experience. Five stars all the way!
WYNN RIECHELMANN
Absolutely love our TotalBlinds shutters! They have transformed our bedroom. Service from measure up and quote was excellent and communication with the TotalBlinds team was a pleasure! They took half the time than was quoted by another supplier and although they were a bit cheaper, the shutters are very good quality. Plus they are NZ made! Highly recommend!
Lisa Fong
Could not be happier with my new shutters - big shout out to Total Look Blinds who did a fantastic job with the measure, manufacture and installation! All done in NZ so would highly recommend!
Debbie Somervell
We received excellent service from beginning to end.We are returning customers and would highly recommend.Thanks.
John Trotman
We had Total Look Blinds install blinds in our House they were very professional and efficient,from when Terry first measured and Quoted until the blinds were installed,would recommend them for all your blinds and curtains you may need,Thanks again for a great service.
Prabhath Lewke Bandara
Pros:Swift and efficient measurement and quote processShortest lead time in the industryOutstanding product quality and craftsmanshipGenerous and reliable warrantyProfessional and attentive teamCons:None to mention – Shutters exceeded all expectations.
Grant McFlinn
From first contact with Sales Consultant Lauren to Jo in the office and installer Carl, the entire process was nothing short of exceptional. As for the blinds themselves, thanks to Lauren's invaluable input, they look amazing and are undoubtedly high quality. Thoroughly recommend and will most definitely use again.
Emily Anderson
Love my new shutters - they have transformed our guest room and bathrooms! From the sales visit to the installation, so easy to work with the great people of Total Look Blinds! Love that they are made here in NZ too! Thanks!
Tracy-Ann Willcock
Thank you Jo and Roger at Total Look Blinds. Your service and after service and products are absolutely fantastic. From 3 years ago when Roger installed the Blinds to the fantastic after sale service today, absolutely brilliant. Jo and Roger are just such nice people. Thank you!
Marley Brady
We had stunning shutters installed throughout the house. The staff were great and we love the final look! 5 stars
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