Can you repair Integral blinds? An integral blind is part of the double glazed unit, sealed between the two panes of glass. One of the advantages of integral blinds is that their location in the glass protects them from dust and general wear and tear.
As an integral blind is hermetically sealed in the double glazed unit, this means you cannot access them. Can you repair integral blinds and how reliable are they?
Can you repair integral blinds easily?
The short answer is no. Should an integral blind be damaged or require repair it is not easy to do because it is simply not accessible. If an integral blind fails, the entire double glazed unit is affected, not just the blind.
A double glazed unit undergoes several processes in the glass factory. Cutting, cleaning, polishing and ensuring the inside surfaces of the glass are clean and dust free are critical parts of the production process. After these processes the two or three panes of glass are assembled around a spacer bar, which separates the glass, provides insulation and a hermetic seal all round.
When you incorporate an integral blind into this production process, it is easy to understand why repairing integral blinds is not easy.
Are integral blinds reliable?
An integral blind will provide many years of trouble-free operation. Typically you can expect a minimum five-year warranty. Some homeowners may be concerned that the expected ten-year guarantee available with most home improvement products may not cover the integral blinds. Should you worry about the reliability of integral blinds after the guarantee has expired?
Used correctly an integral blind will provide many years of great service and homeowners should not be unduly concerned after the guarantee period has expired.
What can go wrong with integral blinds?
Integral blinds are available is manual and motorised versions, but when used and fitted correctly there is little that can go wrong. Arguably motorised blinds could be deemed more reliable because the motor operation keeps the lifting and lowering action consistent.
You could damage a manually operated blind through clumsy use. Working the magnetic slider or cords with force could damage the blind too. Your installer will always demonstrate the correct operation of your new integral blinds.
Importantly, a quality integral blind features a tried and tested method of operation. Motors are reliable and extensively cycle tested. Manually operated blinds are continually assessed for reliability. Features such as a snagless design, smooth gliding slats and other features all contribute to a highly reliable product.
We have not yet heard of many issues with damaged integral blinds other than from misuse, abuse or lack of user knowledge.
Should an integral blind require repair, what happens to the glass?
In the unlikely event that an integral blind needs repair it needs to be taken away. This will mean the removal of the glass and a temporary method of glazing your doors such as a timber board or temporary glass unit without a blind.
The entire glass unit has to go back to the factory. In many cases, the simplest solution is a whole new blind and a new glass unit.
Experienced glass manufacturers and integral blind providers may be able to provide replacement parts, depending upon the nature of the fault. They may even be able to dismantle your existing glass unit, repair or replace the blind and re-assemble it using the same glass and some of the original parts.
This, of course, will depend upon the nature of the damage, how complicated the repair work is, and whether it is not just easier to replace the entire unit with a new one. When one homeowner accidentally damaged his integral blinds provided by Morley Glass of Leeds, they were able to repair and refurbish integral blinds over 10 years old. They even managed to make them better than the original product as well.
