Construction is a complicated process and as much as we would all love to think that engineered building codes produce perfectly straight, level floors, window sills and the like, that is not always the case. When uneven windows are a reality, problems may occur, especially when installing inside mount roller shades. In previous posts we’ve discussed problems regarding light leakage (see “How To Fix Light Bleed Around Installed Roller Shades”) and roller shades walking as they are rolled up (see “What Does it Mean for a Roller Shade to Walk? How Do I Fix It?”), which both instances may be caused by unlevel window sills.
So, it’s obvious that this is a problem but, how can it be fixed? All of your thoughts might be immediately going to renovations, further construction and an overall long and painful process. That, or to something along the lines of ‘how bad can it really be?’ Well the answer to the first question is ‘there is a somewhat easy option’ and therefore we make the two subsequent thoughts invalid! Aren’t you relieved? Check it out!
If this situation is present in your hotel, the simplest solution is to use or install roller shade brackets which can be self-leveled while onsite. Now, these types of brackets do not come standard but many manufacturers are featuring them with greater regularity.
The basic principal is extremely simple. The plate on the bracket, where the roller shade clutch clips in, is on a slide that can be adjusted up and down by a single screw. Once the roller shade is installed you can adjust the screw with a tiny Allen-wrench. This will subsequently move the clutch and the entire roller tube. Now, armed with a level, an installer or hotel engineer can level the entire roller shade usually up to ¼” – ½”. It really is as simple as that. Take a look at the two clutches in the picture and take note of the adjustment screw!
It should be noted that most clutches with an adjustment screw of some kind are considered an upgrade on the basic clutch and bracket system, but if it solves problems nearly on its own (well at least with a human’s help) then it seems like a major win to us!
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