Repairing mini-blinds...?

[WhoooTex]

OK, so I bought my first home a few months back and I am gradually learning the finer points of actually owning all the **** in your place. Now, if I spill something on the carpet, it's my carpet I'm screwing up.
Or, if I mangle one of the slats on a standard set of mini-blinds-- I don't know what these things are made of, aluminum, vinyl, whatever, you know the kind I'm talking about-- I have to pay to replace it.

However, I notice that all of these sets of blinds come with what appear to be "extra" slats-- two of them, installed at the top of the blinds. You can easily pull one out and that got me to thinking, are these intended to serve as replacement slats, if you ruin on of the existing slats? Or, are they merely decorative...?

And, if they are intended to be replacements, how do I install them? The slats all have pre-cut holes in them, to fit the strings. The putative replacement slats are solid all the way through, no cuts. Am I supposed to cut them myself...?

Minor concern-- I'll jlust schlep down to the Home Depot and buy a new set if necessary, but I thought I'd ask before spending money like that.

Thanks!

 

[Campus Loop(y)]

Hmmm. I am going to have to go and see if my blinds have the couple of extra slats. I have a few down about the level a dog would force them out of the way as part of protecting the house from attack by squirrel. Not that she would do such a thing.

I was going to just head down to Depot to get some more. Let me know what you discover.

 

[WhoooTex]

Well, Loopy, if I don't discover it on this here thread, it ain't going to be discovered.

I checked google and had no luck.

 

[forgotmyusername]

Those "extra" slats are for decoration, to cover the stuff at the top. If you do decide to replace the broken slat, be very careful which cords you cut, or you will ruin the blinds.

 

[hornian]

Buy new ones they're pretty cheap.

Loop(y) get the wood or faux wood 2" blinds. Cost a little more, but the dogs don't mess them up. At least mine doesn't, and she tore the **** out of the original metal ones.

 

[Campus Loop(y)]

Good idea, thanks Ian. There should be a dog proof section in Home Depot for pet owners. It could be a joint venture twixt them and PetSmart or someone like that. You could have sturdy gates, crates made of forged steel for Houdini type dogs, motion sensor tazers for Kaci, etc...

 

[WhoooTex]

Thanks, folks, appreciate the guidance.