Big Changes Coming to Cord Controls on Window Coverings
Protecting children from cords on window treatments has been an important topic for many years and thankfully, legislation was put into effect to address this in 2024.
While a 2018 regulation by the WCMA (Window Covering Manufacturers Association) already made it so stock products, which are pre-packaged products sold in retail stores and online were required to be cordless or have inaccessible cords or short cords, custom window coverings were still able to be manufactured with custom cord lengths. These changes prohibit the manufacturers from making free hanging cord lifts, regardless if it is a custom product or not.
The WCMA and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requires the majority of all window coverings sold in the United States to be cordless or to have inaccessible or short cords. The revised updated safety standard, ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022, eliminates the use of free hanging operating cords, free hanging tilt cords and multiple cord connectors on all custom window covering products.
What Does This Mean for You?
The compliance date for window-covering products in the U.S. was June 1, 2024. This means that all products manufactured after this date must comply with the standard. Many companies implemented the policy earlier; starting May 1, 2024. The primary benefit of eliminating cords is of course the safety aspects of such a setup. It is reported that around 9 children each year are injured in free hanging cords. But it does however mean you may have to rethink hard-to-reach windows.
Window coverings that would typically be managed with a lift cord, like over a kitchen sink, desk, bed, or a high transom window, may now need to be motorized since a cordless option may be out of reach. This would add some cost to the project while adding quite a bit of convenience in addition to higher safety standards.
Some products will be available with a continuous loop control that would be securely cleated to the window trim, but this control type is not available with all products.
Reach out to The BlindBroker today to meet with one of our design consultants in the Kansas City area about what would work best for your situation! We’d love to set up a free consultation to discuss and show you your available options.
