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Number 203  | February 4, 2005
© 2005 Designer Blinds

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Above: Alouette is used in the rectangular window and a Duette shade, matching the Alouette color is used in the arch.  Click on the picture for a larger view

Alouette 
Bits & Pieces! 

• Color Matching With Duette®

• Working With Cords

• Aligning Pivot Brackets

Matching Colors With Duette Honeycomb Shades

Because Alouette™ fabric is essentially the same as the fabric used to make Duette® honeycomb shades many of the colors are the same.  Knowing this will help you to provide solutions for your customers by mixing the two products. Alouette Light Louvers could be used, as pictured above, in the rectangular window and a matching Duette shade can be used in the arch. Across the room you could also do a Duette Vertiglide™ at the door.  Of the twenty-five colors available in Alouette Light Louvers, nineteen have a perfect match in the Duette® product line

Download the Alouette/Duette Color Cross Reference Chart 

Working With Alouette Cords:

Lift Cords - Bar-Cord-System (BCS) & Cord-Cord-System (CCS)
When you first install Alouette Light Louvers and unwind the lift cord from the cardboard spool, the cord will look twisted or kinked up from being wrapped on the spool.  To get rid of the kinked cords, slowly lower the louvers completely, raise them and lower them one more time.  Remember to do the whole process slowly. The cords will straighten right before your eyes. 

Tilt Cords - Cord-Cord-System (CCS)
When the headrail is mounted, the tilt cord must be fully retracted.  The best method is to NOT test the lift operation until after the shade is installed into the brackets.  If you have pulled the tilt cord before you installed the headrail, though, it can be easily corrected.  With the shade stacked in your hand, feed the cord back completely into the headrail, then proceed with the installation as shown in the Alouette Installation & Care Guide.

Pivot Brackets

BTS (Bar-Tab System) or 
BCS (Bar-Cord System)

When installing the pivot bracket for a BTS (Bar-Tab System) or BCS (Bar-Cord System) design, it is essential that the pivot bracket and installation bracket are in alignment.

(Far Left) With inside mounts, the rear of the pivot bracket must align with the rear of the installation bracket.

(Left) With outside mounts, the outer edge of the pivot bracket must align with the outer edge of the installation bracket. If spacer blocks are used, as shown here, for added clearance in outside mount installations, the same number of spacer blocks must be used for the pivot bracket and the installation brackets, so that they project the same distance from the mounting surface.