How Roman Shades Work

SHADES WITH MOVABLE LINERS

Shades with movable liners (also called twin shades) have two shades on one head rail. Both shades can be operated independently with separate controls.

The front shade is made of bamboo and is mounted in front of the liner shade, which is attached to the back of the head rail. Shades with movable liners come with a 6" valance that conceals the components.

The back, or liner shade, can be ordered in Privacy or Black Out Liner material. Privacy Liners are the same color on each side. Black Out Liners are coated on the back and are either white or beige in color on the back.

If the liner has a different color on each side, the darker side will normally face the shade (to coordinate with the bamboo material), unless ordered reversed.

Shades with movable liners have two sets of cords, one to lower and raise the bamboo shade and one to lower and raise the liner shade. The lift cords run through cord locks and under the head rail through pulleys and then down the back of the shade, where they are tied off either on the top rail or on the bottom ring of the shade.

The cords for the bamboo shade will hang in front of the shade. The cords for the liner shade will hang between the bamboo shade and the liner shade.

Normally shades with movable liners will be made with both sets of controls on the same side of the shade. However, if requested at the time of order then controls can be on opposite sides, which means that the shade will have a set of cords on each side.

Shades with movable liners are made with a 2½" wide head rail. This allows enough space for both shades and sets of controls.

The valance is attached to the front of the head rail, the bamboo shade is attached to the middle of the head rail and the liner shade is attached to the back of the head rail.

The pulleys and cord lock required to operate the shade are screwed into the underside of the wood head rail.

Woven wood shades are installed using an L bracket with a screw post and a wing nut.

The bracket can be installed using the holes in the face of the bracket or the top.

The number of lift cords depends upon the width of the shade and the pattern (softer patterns have more cords). Each cord has a tassel and a clear plastic cord stop.

The cord stop is a safety feature to stop the cord being pulled from the back to form a large, hazardous loop. The cord stop will not go through the cord lock, so it stops a loop being formed.

The cords run down the back of the shade and down the back of the shade they are threaded through a cord shroud. The cord shroud is a safety feature and does not help the shade operate. The purpose of the cord shroud is to make the cord inaccessible, making sure that young children cannot pull the lift cord away from the shade and form a hazardous loop.

Shades with movable liners are supplied with 2 cord cleats, which should be secured to the wall at the desired height, so that the cords can be wound up and kept out of the reach of small children.

Cord Locks have a plastic housing and brass gears, which grip the cords when engaged and hold the shade at the desired height.

To engage the cord lock (and lock the cords) the cords should be pulled away from the center of the shade.

Edge bindings are 3" wide in total, or 1½" on the front and back of the shade.

The edge binding is attached by sewing it to the shade.