5 Signs of Window Treatment Wear and Tear

Homeowners often keep their existing window treatments up long after those coverings have seen better days. But even if you’re thinking, “they still look fine,” you may be losing out on energy efficiency benefits and other advantages that come along with replacing them. Our Smart PNW team can help you choose the best new blinds, shades, or shutters for your home based on your interior design style and your home’s needs.



To help you determine whether replacement is in your future, we’re sharing the five main signs of window treatment wear and tear, along with the advantages of removing old ones and installing new ones.

Color fading or yellowing is one of the most visible signs that your window treatments could use your attention. Prolonged sun exposure causes fabrics and materials, like wood, to fade, yellow, or streak, and no amount of cleaning will help.

Light-colored shades are especially vulnerable and can take on a dingy, yellowish cast over time. That discoloration doesn’t look great and can affect the way a space feels.

Damaged slats are a reliable sign that window treatments, especially blinds, are past their prime. Wood blinds can warp from humidity, while faux wood versions can succumb to constant heat, especially in areas that get intense afternoon sun year after year.

Additionally, outdated aluminum slats can buckle under pressure and abuse from pets and small children, and even a single broken slat can throw off the whole mechanism.

Frayed cords can be a symptom of internal mechanism failure, and damaged cords increase the risk of blinds dropping down suddenly. Even more worrisome, exposed cords are a choking hazard for small children and pets.

Frayed edges on roller shades or Roman shades point to another issue, such as the treatment may be too wide for the opening, causing it to scrape against and damage the frame every time it moves.

Frayed cords can be a symptom of internal mechanism failure, and damaged cords increase the risk of blinds dropping down suddenly. Even more worrisome, exposed cords are a choking hazard for small children and pets.

Frayed edges on roller shades or Roman shades point to another issue, such as the treatment may be too wide for the opening, causing it to scrape against and damage the frame every time it moves.

Blinds that stick, snap, jam, or move awkwardly are inconvenient and frustrating, and it can happen over time, as daily use gradually wears down the mechanisms. And when cords become hard to pull or shades roll up unevenly, the internal components are likely on their way out.

In some cases, overtaxed blinds may fall out of their brackets entirely.

Many window coverings show their age through outdated styles and poor functionality that never worked well to begin with. For example, a clunky set of dining room vertical blinds installed on a sliding glass door that hang awkwardly and don’t open or close smoothly.

Energy efficiency is one of the strongest reasons to upgrade. For that, our Smart PNW team recommends Duette® Cellular Shades that reduce heat loss through windows in winter and cut unwanted solar heat gain in summer. They can lower your overall energy costs throughout the years.

Safety is another advantage of investing in new window treatments. Modern cordless and motorized options minimize the risk of strangulation posed by dangling cords for pets and kids.

Moreover, improved light and privacy control come with an upgrade: Top-Down/Bottom-up Roman shades and sheer window shades with integrated, adjustable fabric vanes offer modern flexibility and beautifully filtered and redirected light.

When you’re ready to trade your outdated window coverings for something fresh, at Smart PNW, we’re here to help. We feature Hunter Douglas window treatments and Carole™ Fabrics with personalized guidance from selection through professional installation. Contact us online or call (425) 448-3279 to get started!

Smart PNW proudly serves Gig Harbor, Seattle, Belleview, North Seattle, North Tacoma, Olalla, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Bremerton, and Bainbridge Island, WA.