Today’s post comes from Kris Lindahl Realtor® CRS CLHMS. Be sure to follow Kris on his website, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Whether you have children of your own or not, taking child safety precautions with the window blind cords in your home is a must. After all, even if you don’t have children living in your home, you will most likely have visitors with children at some point. Unfortunately, young children don’t always understand the dangers of playing with a loose hanging blind cord, and all it takes is taking your eyes off a child for one moment for an accident to occur. The good news is that preventing blind cord accidents is as easy as installing simple safety components on each window in your home with blinds. There are a number of options available to you, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Kris Lindahl offers the following considerations to make home blind cord safety a priority in your home.
Tensioners
Blind cord tensioners are one of the most simple safety components you can install on a window to prevent accidents. These are also among the most affordable options (nearly all blinds made these days already come with them and simply need mounted), and they’re just as effective as any other component out there. Specifically, a tensioner works by holding the continuous cord that is already attached to your window blinds. The tensioner itself is usually attached directly to the window frame itself, or to the wall nearby. From there, the blind cord is kept taut at all times, preventing children from sticking any appendages inside.
Breakaway Tassels
Another option to consider is that of breakaway tassels, which are simple pieces of plastic that can be installed to connect two single blind cords together to create a loop. These tassels make it easier to operate your blinds in one continuous motion. At the same time, if any weight is placed on the tassel itself (such as weight from a child), it will automatically disconnect and separate the cords to break the loop. You can easily reconnect the cords on a breakaway tassel without needing to break out the tools and install a new device.
Inner Cord Stops
Last but not least, inner cord stops provide a simple yet effective means of preventing blind cord accidents in your home. These allow you to actually adjust the length of your blind cords to keep them out of reach of children. These are ideal for the inner cords of your blinds, such as the ones that run vertically and hold blind slats together. All too often, people only think about installing protection for the cords that control the blinds’ movements, but the inner cords can pose a risk when pulled on or played with as well.
By installing the right blind cord safety components on your existing window treatments, you can prevent blind cord accidents in your home. Still, if you have children, you should always explain to them the dangers of playing with blind cords so as to discourage dangerous behavior. And of course, re-check cord safety components from time to time to ensure they’re still working as they should. Repair or replace broken or damaged components as necessary.
Now that you have a better idea of your options for installing blind cord safety components, which is right for you?
Blind Installation and Repair is ready make any repairs beyond the DIY variety, as well as provide support for installation and adjustments to your blinds. Contact the experts at Blind Installation and Repair. We’d be happy to help!