How to take down a roller blind (chain type) and put it back

What you need

• Stable stepladder
• Small flat screwdriver, to release clips that will not give by hand
• Phillips screwdriver, to check the bracket screws
• Microfibre cloth and a soft sponge
• A clean, flat table or surface to lay the fabric out on
• Mild soap (washing-up liquid or Marseille soap diluted in warm water)
• Silicone spray for the plastic brackets (WD-40 Specialist Silicone, 3-in-One)
• Spare chain tensioner, if it is lost or broken
• Masking tape, to mark the bracket positions and the chain
• Spare 6 mm screws and plugs, if a bracket is loose

Step by step

1. 1

   Raise the blind fully

   Pull the chain until the fabric is rolled up on the tube. That way it does not unroll when you release it and the weight is minimal. If the fabric stops halfway, it does not matter, but hold it with one hand as you lower it.

2. 2

   Take a photo and mark the position

   Before touching anything, take a photo of the brackets, the chain and the tensioner. Mark on the wall with masking tape which side the chain is on (right or left). That photo will save you doubt when you put it back.

3. 3

   Release the tensioner and the chain

   Remove the safety tensioner from the wall or frame: it is usually a plastic clip with a screw. Then gather the chain up around the tube with a piece of tape so it does not hang down or catch. Do not pull on it hard.

4. 4

   Identify the type of bracket

   Look at the brackets at the ends. The usual set-up is a bracket with a tab or clip on the chain side and a bracket with a slot or pin on the opposite side. Some models have a safety screw that has to be loosened with a small screwdriver.

5. 5

   Free the side without the chain

   Hold the tube with one hand and with the other push the pin end inwards (towards the chain side) until the pin comes out of its slot. On other models you have to lift the tube a few millimetres and slide it out sideways. Lower that end carefully.

6. 6

   Free the chain side

   With the pin end already free, press the tab or clip on the chain bracket and lower the tube. If the clip is stiff, help it with a small flat screwdriver, without levering against the wall. Take the weight of the mechanism firmly.

7. 7

   Lower the blind and rest it

   Come down the stepladder with the blind horizontal, not upright, so the chain mechanism is not strained. Rest it on a clean table or cover the table with a towel so the fabric does not get scratched.

8. 8

   Clean the fabric without removing the tube

   Unroll the fabric across the table. With a cloth dampened in warm water and mild soap, clean from top to bottom with gentle strokes. Do not wet the chain mechanism, do not use bleach or solvents and do not put the blind in the washing machine. Dry with a cloth and leave the fabric laid out for 2 hours.

9. 9

   Check the brackets

   While the blind is off, check that the brackets are firm, that the screws do not turn and that the plastic is not cracked. Wipe a cloth with a little silicone spray over the places where the pin rubs. If a plug turns in the wall, fit a new 6 mm one or a chemical anchor.

10. 10

    Put it back

    Roll the fabric up straight, with the masking tape lined up if you used it. Seat the pin side in its bracket first, then push the chain side in until you hear a click. Lower and raise the blind three times to check it runs straight. Fix the chain tensioner to the wall, more than 1.5 m above the floor.

How to take down a chain roller blind: how it is held

Almost all roller blinds are held the same way: two plastic or metal brackets screwed to the wall, the ceiling or the frame, and a tube with the fabric rolled on it that clips in between them. On one side, the chain mechanism side, there is a clip, a tab or a safety lock. On the other, a pin or spigot that goes into a slot. Taking the blind down means freeing the pin first and then the clip.

Models vary. Many blinds, including those from IKEA (TUPPLUR, SCHOTTIS) or Leroy Merlin (Inspire), have a tab or clip you press with a finger, and aluminium ones with a cassette often have safety screws. If a bracket has a screw, loosen it with a small screwdriver before forcing anything. If in doubt, look at the photo you took: it will tell you how it was.

Common mistakes when taking a blind down

• Pulling on the chain to bring it down. The mechanism breaks or the chain comes off the sprocket. Release the bracket first.
• Levering against the wall. The plugs are pulled out and the paint is marked. Use the screwdriver only on the clip.
• Putting the blind in the washing machine. The fabric creases, the tube rusts and the mechanism is ruined. Clean it by hand.
• Rolling up damp fabric. Mould appears within days on the coast. Let it dry laid out flat.
• Forgetting the chain tensioner when refitting. The chain hangs loose and is a risk for children and pets.
• Taking down a blind with an electric motor connected to the mains. If the blind has a cable to a socket or to the wiring, do not handle it without cutting the power; touching fixed wiring is work for an electrician.

Safety with chains and children when refitting

The standard UNE-EN 13120, on interior blinds, requires blinds with a chain or cord to include safety devices, and UNE-EN 16434 describes the requirements for those devices. When you take a blind down, the tensioner and the safety connectors are often left loose; it is common for them to be lost or broken. When you put it back, always fix the tensioner to the wall or frame, with the chain taut and more than 1.5 m above the floor.

If you have small children, do not put cots, beds or climbable furniture under the window. Check that the chain's break-away connector is closed and that there are no long loops. And if the tensioner or the chain is damaged, do not put the blind back up without replacing them: spares cost a few euros at Leroy Merlin or Bricodepot.

When to call a professional

It is worth calling a handyman when the blind is large and heavy (over 2 m), the window is high or over an awkward staircase, the bracket is painted over and will not give, a plug turns in the wall and has to be replaced, the blind is motorised or it has to be rehung to exact measurements. Also if the tube has bent or the clip has broken and the bracket has to be replaced.

At Manitas Costa a curtain pole fitted costs €35-55 (blind brackets and rails come under that category), and one-off jobs are charged by the hour: first hour €35-45, following hours €28-35. Fixed price on WhatsApp with a photo of the blind and the bracket, payment when finished and a 6-month guarantee on labour.

See the TV, picture and light hanging service, handyman hourly rates, and the guides on how to fit a roller blind and how to hang curtains and curtain poles. If the roller shutter box is also playing up, see how to fix a roller shutter. We cover Valencia, Alicante and Torrevieja.

Damp, kitchen grease and rented flats

In coastal kitchens and bathrooms, blinds collect grease, steam and salt that yellow the fabric and leave a smell; it is best to clean them every 6 months. In second homes that stay shut for months, a damp rolled-up blind can be covered in mould: leave it lowered in a ventilated spot before closing up the house. On the beachfront, aluminium and plastic brackets stand up better than zinc-plated steel.

If you rent, keep the original brackets and screws if you take the blind down to clean or replace it. Handing the flat back with the brackets in place and the holes unfilled is common, but ask the landlord before leaving the blind off. In a comunidad de vecinos (residents' association) building, if the blind is visible from the street, keep to the agreed colour.