The Same Look —Stronger,  More Reliable, Comes Across Better Than Ever!

Duette with VertiGlide™ has been a great solution for many years for people that want something a bit different on their patio doors, or to use as a room divider.  Recently, Hunter Douglas went "back to the drawing board" on Vertiglide and came up with the all new Vertiglide 2.0.  Almost everything has changed, yet if you've sold or used Vertiglide products regularly, you'll recognize that while the improvements are widespread and significant, the over all design of Vertiglide is pretty close to what you know.

With most treatments for large expanses, you may give up as much as a third of the window when the product is stacked.  Vertiglide, however, can fit the widest windows or doors and always stack into an area of 6 inches at either side or both sides for center opening versions.  Picture a doorway opening of 14 feet wide by 10 feet tall—a one-way draw Vertiglide can cover this entire expanse and still stack completely out of the way in just six inches.  It virtually disappears when stacked.

One of the best of the new changes is that the Duette 1¼" Majestic™ fabrics can now be used with the new version of Vertiglide.  The bigger pleat of the Majestic fabrics makes a bolder statement at the window and gives an appearance that is similar in look to some draperies.  So now Vertiglide can use in all of the Majestic 1¼" fabrics and the ¾" fabrics in Sheer, Semi-Opaque or Opaque.  You can even combine the sheer with semi-opaque or opaque for a Vertiglide Duolite. (See previous tip)

Nearly every component of Vertiglide has been redesigned,  The headrail is sturdy and strong. It is held in place with the same type of brackets we've used for Duette with Ultraglide.  With this new bracket, the headrail easily snaps into place and no screws need to be tightened once it is in.  This bracket is easy to work with and requires very little mounting space.

It All Hinges On This!
The "Moving Rail Bracket Assembly" is the part that allows the entire shade to operate.  It attaches the moving vertical rails to the headrail and, with its wheeled bearings, it produces the "glide" in Vertiglide.  This component has been completely changed. On the old system. Only two wheels were used.  On the new system, there are actually four wheels in a tight raceway that allow Vertiglide to glide more easily and more reliably than ever. 

On the old system, abusive treatment, pushing or pulling on the moving rail, could sometimes cause the wheels to come out of the raceway.  The new system uses a hinged plate, shown below with the fabric removed for clarity. The hinge allows the track to have extreme flexibility.  With four wheels and the hinge, it is not possible to untrack the new system under any conditions.

Some Assembly Required
When you receive your Vertiglide shade, the moving rail bracket assembly will not be attached.  It is a simple process to attach it.  Think of the assembly as a finger that always points toward the stack side.  This makes it easy to spot which are right and which are left at a glance if you have multiple units to install.  To attach the moving rail bracket assembly, use the pin that will come with the shade.  Vertiglide shades from Designer Blinds, the pin will be attached to the hole in the vertical rail to which you will be attaching the moving rail bracket assembly as shown below.  

Valance Options
When placing your order for Vertiglide, you will be asked which valance you want.  The valances make a much cleaner appearance for Vertiglide and look better for inside mounted applications that are projected partially out of the window.  Return size standards are shown. Custom returns may be specified or cut to size upon installation.  The Sidney, shown on the left provides an appearance similar to the previously used headrail of Vertiglide.  The Stratford, shown on the right, makes a little bolder statement.  Either option is provided at no difference in price, so go by your preference.

For Windows With Trim
The new bracket that is used for Vertiglide can fit directly on most trims.  You need to have just 5/8" of a flat portion of the trim to accommodate the bracket. Be sure that the brackets are level with each other from side to side and that each is level from back to front.  If the trim causes the bracket to slope downward, even slightly, it could cause the shade to operate poorly.  

If you are mounting above the trim, be sure to give yourself enough space to remove the shade if it ever becomes necessary.  If you mount too closely to the trim, without using a projection bracket or spacer block, you will not be able to access the back of the bracket to remove the rail.  When measuring for Vertiglide shades to be mounted this way, It will require that your bracket and spacer be placed 1-3/8" above the trim.   

Click Here To Download The New Vertiglide Installation Instructions (requires Adobe Reader)

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