On June 1st of this year, the voluntary safety standards agreed to between the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) went into effect.
All window coverings in the USA are now required to eliminate the use of free hanging operational cords, free hanging tilt cords and multiple cord connectors. This new standard applies to all made-to-order custom window treatments. The safety standard continues to require all stock products sold in stores and online to be cordless or have inaccessible cords.
What this means to you: This standard hit horizontal blind products the hardest as the only lift system available now is cord-free. (For Real Wood. Faux Wood & Metal- Mini Blinds) Tilt can be either manual with a wand, or some manufactures offer a Power – motorized tilt option. For most other products, there are a number of child safe operating systems to choose from.
Re-Orders, Warranty Replacements must all comply with the new standards and will be made to the new standards. Repairs to corded, non-compliant products will become unavailable as the parts to fix these types of shades become unavailable.
The following are some options that meet the new safety standards & are great for child & pet safety.
Cord Free Lift- Handle: Available on most Blinds & Shades.
UltraGlide – Retractable Wand: Available exclusively from Hunter Douglas products. This retractable system always remains a constant length when raising and lowering your window treatments.
Power- Motorized: Operate your shades from a remote control or through an App on your phone. Program your shades to move when you want them to – even if you are not home. Can control multiple shades from 1 remote control.
Wand-Powered: A simple motorized lift system that is less expensive than fully automated. Great for slider doors and kitchen windows. Hunter Douglas SoftTouch & Alta- PowerWand.