Why won't my roller blind roll up?
Updated
A roller blind stops rolling up when the chain or its control sticks, when a motorised blind needs a charge or its limits set again, when the blind needs adjusting at the window, or when something is catching the fabric. Do not force it. Tell your retailer as soon as you notice, so they can have it looked at.
Roller blinds are simple, but they depend on being set up for the window they hang in. These are the usual causes. Which one applies to your blind is for your retailer to find out.
What can stop a roller blind rolling up?
- Power on a motorised blind. A battery motor needs recharging from time to time, so a blind that has stopped moving may need a charge.
- The motor's limits. A motor is programmed with limits so the blind stops in the right place, and it may need resetting after a change. Setting up a motor is the installer's work.
- Adjustment at the window. Roller blinds are not balanced at the factory. The brackets are levelled and the blind is balanced on site, so the tube sits square and the fabric runs straight. Until that is right, the fabric can drift to one side, creep sideways on the roll (called telescoping) or roll unevenly. A fitter can adjust it.
- Something in the way. A window handle, a sill, tiles or a security screen can catch the fabric as it moves.
- A chain that sticks, or a blind that will not stay where you leave it. A chain blind is meant to hold its place wherever you stop it, so either one is for your retailer to look at.
What is normal on a roller blind, and what is not?
Some things look odd but are normal characteristics of roller blinds, not faults. They change how the fabric looks, not whether the blind works.
| What you see | Normal? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric edges curl in or out, sometimes into an hourglass shape | Normal | The coating, humidity and how the fabric was stored all play a part |
| V shaped shadows or faint diagonal lines on a wide blind | Normal | The tube bows slightly under the weight and tension of the fabric |
| Faint horizontal lines or flat spots across the fabric | Normal | Roll marks from the fabric being wrapped on the tube. They can lessen as the blind is raised and lowered |
| The blind will not move, or sticks part way | Tell your retailer | Something needs checking before the blind is used again |
| The fabric drifts to one side or rolls unevenly | Tell your retailer | The blind may need adjusting at the window |
| A chain blind will not hold its place | Tell your retailer | A chain blind is meant to stay where you leave it |
What should you do if your roller blind will not roll up?
- Stop. Do not pull the fabric, yank the chain or push the blind past where it wants to go. Forcing a blind can damage the fabric, the tube or the mechanism.
- Tell your retailer as soon as you notice. There are time limits on the retailer's side for raising an issue with the maker, so do not leave it.
- Describe what you see. Say which room, whether the blind is chain or motor driven, what it does when you try, and whether it ever worked properly. A photo or a short video helps.
- Leave the fix to your retailer. Levelling, balancing and setting up a motor are the installer's work, and a chain counts as a cord under Australia's cord safety rules, so how a new one is fitted matters for child safety. Ask your retailer or installer to do it.
Ask your retailer who will look at the blind, whether it can be adjusted at the window, and what happens next if it has to go back to the maker. Your retailer is your contact, and they will raise it with us if it turns out to be a manufacturing question. Speedy Blinds makes roller blinds for retailers.
Other ways people ask this
How do I fix a broken roller blind chain?
Leave this to your retailer or installer. A chain counts as a cord under Australia's cord safety rules, so how a new one is fitted matters.
Why is my roller blind hard to pull down?
A very wide or heavy blind takes more effort on the chain. If it has become harder than it was, tell your retailer.
How do I stop a roller blind from rolling down by itself?
A chain blind is meant to stay where you leave it. If yours does not, tell your retailer rather than adjusting it yourself.
Why has my motorised blind stopped working?
It may need a recharge, or its limits may need setting again. Setting up and programming a motor is the installer's job, so tell your retailer which blind it is.
Useful on this site
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.