How To Adjust The Length Of Levolor Blinds

Having Levolor blinds that fit perfectly in your windows makes them look tailored and gives you maximum sun blockage. You need to measure for blinds accurately to get the correct width, but you can adjust the length of your Levolor blinds if you have excess. It's a relatively easy process that involves removing unneeded slats, repositioning the bottom rail, and cutting the excess cords. Levolor Trim+Go blinds are designed for easy shortening.

You first need to install your Levolor blinds before you can shorten them. This gives you the most accurate measurement to determine how short to make your blinds. Follow the instructions that came with the blinds if they aren't already installed. Once you have the blinds hung, extend them down as far as they'll go.

With the blinds installed, you can determine where you want your Levolor blinds to end. Be sure to carefully think about the length before cutting. It's easy to make them shorter again if you don't remove enough the first time, but going too short could ruin your blinds and keep them from blocking light properly at the bottom of your window.

Decide which slat will be your new bottom slat. This is usually the slat that hits right at the windowsill. You can also choose a slat that's just below the windowsill if you want a little extra length. Use a sticky note or piece of painter's tape to mark this slat so you don't forget.

Pull out all of the slats that fall below your new lowest slat. They usually sit in the support cords with notches in the slats to keep them in place. Maneuver the slats to slide them out of the cords, guiding them through the sets of string supports.

With a sharp pair of scissors, cut all of the horizontal cord supports below the new bottom slat. Don't cut any of the vertical cords yet. Once you cut all of the horizontal cords, cut the inner vertical cords about 3 inches below your new bottom slat, being careful not to cut the outer vertical cords. Do the same for all three of the vertical ladder cords that support the slats, leaving the outer cords intact on all three.

Push up the bottom rail until it reaches your new bottom slat. On the bottom side of the rail, you'll see plastic buttons. You can pry these off with a flathead screwdriver to create leverage. Push the excess cord length into the holes where the buttons go. Then, push the buttons back in place.

Some Levolor window treatments have a bottom rail with end caps and a rail along the bottom edge that you need to remove to open the bottom edge of the rail. Once you do this, you can complete the steps by marking your new bottom slat, removing lower slats, cutting the horizontal cords, and pushing the bottom rail up until it touches the new bottom slat. Leave all of the vertical cords intact.

Pull the vertical ladder cords down through the bottom rail. The ladder cords on this style of blinds have metal eyelets that you need to remove before cutting the vertical ladder cords about 4 inches below the bottom rail. The parts bag with your new blinds should include replacement eyelets, which you thread onto the ladder cords. Slide them up so the eyelets are inside the bottom rail, crimp them using pliers, and cut the cords to 2 inches below the eyelets. Then, tuck the cords inside the rail, put the bottom slat back in place on the bottom of the rail, and pop the end caps back in place.