New source for inexpensive corded vinyl blinds

[Chris Sweeney]

Home Depot and Lowe's (and Walmart, etc.) have unfortunately stopped carrying the inexpensive 1" vinyl blinds that use cords for raising/lowering the blinds. They were $5-10 each (depending on size) and work great in my rentals. However, everything available now in that price range is cordless. The cordless ones are *okay*. My main gripe with them, though, is that they are useless with tall windows. You have to raise and lower the blinds with your hands, so you can only raise it as high as your arm can reach.

So.....I'm looking for 1" vinyl *corded* blinds (aka mini blinds) in the $5-10/each price range. Anybody have a source of somewhere who still sells them?

[Kyle Lorenz]

I heard they’re doing away with the corded ones due to hazards with little kids. I agree they were great for rentals, generally, but we’ve started to transition our units to cordless as we too simply can’t find replacement ones. 

[Dennis M.]

Hardly a a problem . Just go with the flow and get the non corded ones . You don’t want a little kid hung in a rental of yours. Lawsuit waiting to happen 

[Chris Sweeney]

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

Hardly a a problem . Just go with the flow and get the non corded ones . You don’t want a little kid hung in a rental of yours. Lawsuit waiting to happen 

I also wouldn't want anyone falling off of a chair that they had to climb onto to open and close a cordless blind in a window that goes up to a 9-foot ceiling.

[Dennis M.]

I would pad the room so no one hits their heads on the wall . Replace the glass windows with plexiglass so nobody could get cut too .

[Chris Sweeney]

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

I would pad the room so no one hits their heads on the wall . Replace the glass windows with plexiglass so nobody could get cut too .

My point was that you said that a lack of corded blinds was "hardly a problem". But it is actually a huge problem for the situation that I just mentioned - windows that go all the way up to the ceiling. I'm not really worried about the liability aspect as much as the huge inconvenience that it is to have to climb up on something every time you want to fully open and close the blinds, which for some people is multiple times per day.

[Colleen F.]

There are a couple of online places you can still order from but not sure how cheap they are in the end or just stock up before they are out of them.Alternately  get shutters?  put up a curtain rod? 

[Mike Wood]

@Chris Sweeney  Try Wilmar.com, its Homedepots multifamily company and still sells the corded cheap blinds.  I recently order enough for two (2) units from them.  Same basic blind that they used to carry in the store (but have eliminated for pricer cordless miniblinds).

[Joe Splitrock]

Originally posted by @Chris Sweeney:

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

Hardly a a problem . Just go with the flow and get the non corded ones . You don’t want a little kid hung in a rental of yours. Lawsuit waiting to happen 

I also wouldn't want anyone falling off of a chair that they had to climb onto to open and close a cordless blind in a window that goes up to a 9-foot ceiling.

I have ten foot ceilings and my windows are one foot from the ceiling. I am 5'11" and I can completely open and close without a step stool. I realize there are shorter people in the world, but you need to reach to open and close. My point is you cannot open them farther than you can close them. So even if someone was 5 feet tall, they can still open them to within one foot of the top and they will still be able to reach it to close it. Falling off chairs? I think you are arguing a problem that doesn't exist. If it is about cost, I get it, but as far as safety and convenience, cordless are hands down better.

[Chris Sweeney]

Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:

Originally posted by @Chris Sweeney:

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

Hardly a a problem . Just go with the flow and get the non corded ones . You don’t want a little kid hung in a rental of yours. Lawsuit waiting to happen 

I also wouldn't want anyone falling off of a chair that they had to climb onto to open and close a cordless blind in a window that goes up to a 9-foot ceiling.

I have ten foot ceilings and my windows are one foot from the ceiling. I am 5'11" and I can completely open and close without a step stool. I realize there are shorter people in the world, but you need to reach to open and close. My point is you cannot open them farther than you can close them. So even if someone was 5 feet tall, they can still open them to within one foot of the top and they will still be able to reach it to close it. Falling off chairs? I think you are arguing a problem that doesn't exist. If it is about cost, I get it, but as far as safety and convenience, cordless are hands down better.

Don't get me wrong, I loooove cordless blinds. I have them in my own home and they're great. I prefer them over corded and I agree that they are better. But corded definitely have their place in the market.

That 5-foot-tall person you're referring to is my tenant. Sure, she can reach the current cordless blind to open and close it, but she can only open it a little over halfway without climbing on a chair. She'd like them to be able to open all the way, and to be honest, I would too! It might not be a problem for you, but it's definitely a problem for some.

[Chris Sweeney]

Originally posted by @Mike Wood:

@Chris Sweeney  Try Wilmar.com, its Homedepots multifamily company and still sells the corded cheap blinds.  I recently order enough for two (2) units from them.  Same basic blind that they used to carry in the store (but have eliminated for pricer cordless miniblinds).

Thanks Mike, I actually found out about Wilmar after I originally posted this. Most of the sizes I needed, though, weren't available or were backordered. I will check there again on the next unit I redo.

[Arlan Potter]

For rentals, I want blinds that don't go up/down. I want blinds that only open and shut with the plastic rod/wand/stick. I want tenants to leave them alone. IN fact, I would like a little electrical shock if the tenant touches anything on the blind except the plastic rod to open or close.

Then I wouldn't have to replace them after each tenant.  Tenants are hard on blinds

[Joe Splitrock]

Originally posted by @Chris Sweeney:

Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:

Originally posted by @Chris Sweeney:

Originally posted by @Dennis M.:

Hardly a a problem . Just go with the flow and get the non corded ones . You don’t want a little kid hung in a rental of yours. Lawsuit waiting to happen 

I also wouldn't want anyone falling off of a chair that they had to climb onto to open and close a cordless blind in a window that goes up to a 9-foot ceiling.

I have ten foot ceilings and my windows are one foot from the ceiling. I am 5'11" and I can completely open and close without a step stool. I realize there are shorter people in the world, but you need to reach to open and close. My point is you cannot open them farther than you can close them. So even if someone was 5 feet tall, they can still open them to within one foot of the top and they will still be able to reach it to close it. Falling off chairs? I think you are arguing a problem that doesn't exist. If it is about cost, I get it, but as far as safety and convenience, cordless are hands down better.

Don't get me wrong, I loooove cordless blinds. I have them in my own home and they're great. I prefer them over corded and I agree that they are better. But corded definitely have their place in the market.

That 5-foot-tall person you're referring to is my tenant. Sure, she can reach the current cordless blind to open and close it, but she can only open it a little over halfway without climbing on a chair. She'd like them to be able to open all the way, and to be honest, I would too! It might not be a problem for you, but it's definitely a problem for some.

Trust me, 5 foot tall people are used to using step stools. Like to reach things in the kitchen cabinets for example. Are you going to lower the cabinets for her? Long before mini blinds even existed, every window had roller shades. Roller shades snapped right up to the top. People survived just fine and figured that out.

Is your tenant really complaining about this or are you just trying to prove your point to be right? I don't care. Just don't barriers in front of yourself that are not necessary. That is all I am getting at.

[Shawn M.]

@Chris Sweeney

These cordless blinds suck, like the op said you can’t open them all the way, especially if there is furniture or a desk or a tall ceiling. It’s just not reasonable to climb on furniture or bring a stool around. Plus they are bigger and require all new hardware to install.

[Lee Bell]

We like vertical blinds. They open and close with the stick, no strings, and our cats don't wreck them getting in the window like the horizontal kind.

[Curt Smith]

FWIW I just joined wilmar.com the OP mentioned and can't find corded mini vinyl blinds.  My quest is NOT for cords but for the old half the current new price blinds.   Literally rehabbing a rental with binds, the costs for window treatment has more then doubled.  

My quest is to get back to sub $10 per window like it used to be just 2 yrs ago.   HD / Lowes and the blinds mfgers has used this move to cordless as an op to jack up their profit. I'm looking for a way to get back to cheaper mini blinds solution.

FWIW I'm not inlove with cordless, to me they are not such an improvement.  90% of windows the blinds are never raised, just angle adjusted, so the cordless thing is wasted.

[David Falchick]

Chris,

Are you still looking for corded mini blinds. I have some stock remaining that I will work with you on price. I'm in Savage MD and can arrange shipping if the purchase is large enough. Thanks Dave

[Czefrah Thomas]

So what if you are an older or single person, living in your condo unit sans kids. And you simply wish to replace  a damaged,corded horizontal, vinyl blind. What are your options ?