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Mount TDBU Shade
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If you are making an Outside Mount shade, mark the position of the top of your entire Top-Down/Bottom-Up shade. This includes the Valance. Mount your Headrail so that the top of the board it placed at that position. Use a level to make sure your board is horizontal. If I am mounting your shade on the wall, I like to use drywall screws in the bottom holes of the angle irons. I seldom have to use plastic anchors.
It is easier to mount your TDBU shade if you lay the shade on a chair in front of the window while you string the lift cords.
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If you are making an Inside Mount shade, simply screw the board directly up into the window frame using long drywall or wood screws. Place the front of the board so that is just back from the front of the window trim.
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Attach a cord cleat for each function – one for the top-down cords and one for the bottom-up cords. If you are using a cord lock pulley, you do not need a cord cleat.
The directions below will assume that you will have the Top-Down controls on the left-hand side of the shade and the Bottom-Up controls on the right-hand side of the shade. You don’t have to do that, but if you reverse the cord locations, it’s up to you to reverse left and right in the instructions. You ALWAYS have the Top-Down pulleys on the FRONT of the headrail and the Bottom-Up pulleys on the BACK of the headrail. |
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String the Top-Down Lift Cords. The top-down cords are tied to the top lift rings on the shade. Undo the loose knot you used to tie all of the top-down cords together. It is easier to string the cords if you first stiffen each end by running a burning match under the cord. This melts the polyester fibers. Starting with the right-most cord, go directly up to the right-most Top-Down pulley (at the front edge of the mounting board) and thread that cord from right to left through all of the Top-Down pulleys then through the knot screw eye before exiting the headrail on the left. Each of the remaining cords is threaded straight up to its matching pulley and through the remaining pulleys to the left, once again exiting through the knot screw eye. |
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Pull the shade part way up and hold it in place by wrapping the cords around the cord cleat on the left-hand side of the window.
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String the Bottom-Up Lift Cords. The bottom-up cords pass through the columns of lift rings sewn on every other batten on the back of the shade. They will then pass through the lift rings on the BOTTOM edge of the Stiffener Pocket. They will be threaded through the BACK pulleys. Undo the loose knot you used to tie all of the bottom-up cords together. Stiffen the ends with a match. Starting with the left-most cord, go directly up to the left-most Bottom-Up pulley (at the back edge of the mounting board) and thread that cord from left to right through all of the Bottom-Up pulleys then through the knot screw eye before exiting the headrail on the right. Each of the remaining cords is threaded straight up to its matching pulley and through the remaining pulleys to the right, once again exiting through the knot screw eye. Loosely knot all of the Bottom-Up cords together about 1” past the knot screw eye. |
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Level Top of Shade. Uncleat the Top-Down lift cords on the left-hand side of the shade. Pull the shade all the way up to the top, which is to the bottom of the pulleys. Separate the lift cords and pull on each one separately until each part of the shade top touches its pulley. Holding all of the cords, carefully wrap them around the cord cleat.
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Complete Bottom-Up Function. Separate the bottom-up lift cords (on the right-hand side of the shade) and gently pull on each one separately, making sure that you have the same tension on each cord. Carefully knot all cords at the top of the shade, just outside of the knot screw eye. Your knot has to be large enough so that it cannot pass back through the knot screw eye.
By the way, you can see the edge of the Stiffener Board in these photographs. I forgot to whip stitch the pocket closed before I took the photos.
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In the photograph above, the knot shown on the left stops below the knot screw eye. I made a second knot and ended up with the double knot shown immediately on the left. That is what you want: the knot should be as close as possible just outside the knot screw eye without bunching up the shade at the bottom.
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Complete the Top-Down Function. Make sure that the shade is in the fully lowered position so that it is covering the window by releasing the Bottom-Up cord on the right-hand side from the cord cleat. Now uncleat the Top-Down lift cords on the left-hand side of the shade. Firmly grasp all of the top-down lift cords and lower the shade. Check that the top is level by stopping the shade just below the window trim. Readjust tension on the cords if necessary. Continue to lower the shade. It should fall in clean folds since it is guided by the Bottom-Up cords. When it is in the lowest position that you want, carefully knot all the cords at the top of the shade, just outside of the small screw eye. Your knot has to be large enough so that it cannot pass back through the screw eye. |
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What is the best lowest position for your Top-Down shade? You decide. The smallest size of the shade will be the Stackage. You may want to have more of the shade covering the lower part of the window to provide privacy. When the shade is at the lowest position that you want it to fall, knot the left-hand lift cords just outside the small screw eye. |
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Test the top-down operation by pulling on the lift cord. The shade should pull up and down in clean folds and the top of the shade should be level. Lower the shade and finish off the cords by braiding the cord after the knot, then inserting the ends into a cord drop. The end of the braided cords should be as short as possible, it will be longer when you raise the shade. Extend your arm straight out toward the window and use that location to determine the position of the cord drop when the shade is lowered completely.
Verify that your shade can do both functions. You can lower the top of the shade and then raise the bottom. You may want to do this to provide ventilation, or you may just want to show off!
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Now you need to make a Valance to cover the hardware at the top when your shade is lowered. Scroll up and click on Make a Valance in the left-hand navigation column.
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