Installing Cellular Shades

Cellular shades are relatively easy to install. Follow these instructions and the job will be done before you know it.

What you need

The following tools will make your job much easier. All can be had at your local hardware store.

  1. Drill (cordless is best)
  2. 1/4" hex-head socket
  3. 1/8" drill bit for wood/metal
  4. Flathead screwdriver
  5. (optional) Quick-change drill bit holder attachment
Tools - the necessities

Preparation and Setup

Unpack the shades from their boxes. Each shade should be labeled with (among other things) the room and window you assigned it when you placed your order. Place all of the shades near their assigned windows.

All of the hardware needed to install a given shade typically comes in a bag attached to the shade itself. Open one of them now and take stock. There should be several brackets and screws, as well as a cleat that can be optionally installed to the side of the window. This is used to wind up the cord when the shade is open as it can be quite long; whether or not you use it is a matter of personal preference.

Install the Brackets

Inside mount brackets screw into the top of the window. Place the outermost brackets about 1.5 to 2 inches in from the sides of the window and space the rest evenly along the length. Measure and mark 1/2" back from the front of the window, hold the bracket up and align the front edge with your mark (the front of the bracket has a spring-loaded tab), and mark the holes. Pre-drill the holes you marked, switch your bit to the hex-head socket, and screw the brackets into place (if you don't have a quick-change bit holder, you may want to drill all your holes before switching bits).

Hold the bracket up in the proper position

Special Situations

Studless Drywall

Watch out for empty space beneath the drywall. You will know if this is the case because your drill will meet with no resistance as it bores through the drywall. You can install shades in the drywall but you will need drywall anchors to hold the screws in place. Simply screw the anchor into the wall with a phillips-head screwdriver attachment, then screw the bracket into the anchors as you would normally.

Outside Mount

When installing outside mount shades, you use the holes in the back of the bracket to attach it to the front face of the wall. You will have to take measures to ensure the brackets are all vertically aligned. We recommend you hold the shade up to the window and mark the spots where you want to mount the brackets (use a level to make sure it's perfectly straight). Note also that drywall anchors are commonly needed for outside mount blinds.

Concrete

If you are installing shades in a basement window, you may meet concrete beneath the drywall instead of wood. In such situations, you will need to use a specialized drill bit made for masonry and concrete. When shopping for such bits, make sure not to buy those made for hammer drills (unless you happen to have one); such bits have a flat, chisel-like tip and do not work with regular drills.

Hang the Shades

Cellular shades are typically shipped with the control cords wrapped around the shade, so unwrap them now. The top of the headrail has two grooves; these are used to hold the blind in place. Insert the spring-loaded tab into the frontmost groove, then push up on the back of the shade until it clicks into the bracket. If some of the brackets don't click they are probably misaligned. The screw holes in the bracket are long to allow for adjustment, so you can take the blind down, loosen the screws, and correct the misalignment. To take a shade down, insert a flathead screwdriver into the gap between the headrail and the wall and push on the spring-loaded tab until the shade comes free.

Congratulations, you're done! Enjoy your shades!