Blind fitting

[MikeO996]

I’ve hit a problem trying to fit some Venetian blinds.
They’re top fitting, but when I drilled into the lintel I hit a steel after not much more than a centimetre. I’m not sure it’s going to realistic to drill into the steel, but it seems too shallow to take a rawl plug/screw combo.
Can’t help thinking that the pros must deal with this daily, but what’s the best way to progress?

[j4ckos mate]

the fittings for mine were enabled in such a away that you could screw into the frame, into the ceiling or into the side walls
xo one or the other was usually fine,

[MikeO996]

Yeah, the brackets can go into the frame, but don’t think I could screw into upvc, and they fit too neatly for end fitting

[essayer]

You’ll need to drill the steel, it’s tough, good drill bits required (and spares!)
I think turn off hammer mode, and drill very slowly to prevent the bit overheating

[mikeiow]

Ours were a MASSIVE ball-ache.
Sliding doors, 4 x big "day-night' blinds.
Yes, as said, they can usually screw above or to back.....but the back was the sliding mechanism (best not drill there!), & the top had the lintel.
I tried all manner of drill bits: none worked.
In the end I had to craft a dozen wooden wedges (yes, it was shaped, with slightly different sizes all along where it wasn't 100% level!), and glued them in with "sticks like sh*t".
Left it a couple of days and screwed the fittings into that. Been okay for 18 months now, but boy, what a pain!



Quite liked the end result though:



I have NO idea how professional fitters would have coped.

[MikeO996]

Okay, question answered, I’ll pay someone to do it, lol

[snowy]

Are these any good

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grip-It-Assorted-Plaste...

[softtop]

choose a small drill, one that is the same size as the shank, not the external or your screw will fall through. It needs a drill bit for steel and of course, no hammer action, you will then be able t get a wood screw to hold it up. Done loads like this.

[j4ckos mate]

i drilled my window frames in the end no problems

[MikeO996]

Thanks for the advice guys, but seriously I think I’ll pay someone, else I can see it turning into a pile of pain.
There’s times when it’s worth the money.

[Simon Brooks]

Had a similar problem in a new build flat, eventually decided to fit wooden batten entire width of window recess to make it look like it was supposed to be fitted originally, used gorilla glue and then screw fitted blinds to batten instead of faffing about trying to get drill through concrete and steel

Also painted batten before fitting to match wall colour

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorilla-Glue-2044001-Grab...

[stanwan]

Funnily enough I had this issue last weekend with some top mounted blinds fitted in the reveal.

Easiest and neatest way is to use the correct screws! I had some self tapping plaster board screws left over. These easily penetrate and hold in a steel lintel all without the use of cumbersome battens. You don’t even need wal plugs - the screws should be enough to hold the blind ups

[sjc]

mikeiow said:

Ours were a MASSIVE ball-ache.
Sliding doors, 4 x big "day-night' blinds.
Yes, as said, they can usually screw above or to back.....but the back was the sliding mechanism (best not drill there!), & the top had the lintel.
I tried all manner of drill bits: none worked.
In the end I had to craft a dozen wooden wedges (yes, it was shaped, with slightly different sizes all along where it wasn't 100% level!), and glued them in with "sticks like sh*t".
Left it a couple of days and screwed the fittings into that. Been okay for 18 months now, but boy, what a pain!



Quite liked the end result though:



I have NO idea how professional fitters would have coped.

A proper fitter with years of experience and the correct fixings and expensive still bits would have no issues doing it.
Is it me/the angle of the picture or do your stripes not line up on your blinds ?

[MikeO996]

stanwan said:

Funnily enough I had this issue last weekend with some top mounted blinds fitted in the reveal.

Easiest and neatest way is to use the correct screws! I had some self tapping plaster board screws left over. These easily penetrate and hold in a steel lintel all without the use of cumbersome battens. You don’t even need wal plugs - the screws should be enough to hold the blind ups

Presumably you drilled holes first the size of your screw shanks?

[PositronicRay]

MikeO996 said:

Thanks for the advice guys, but seriously I think I’ll pay someone, else I can see it turning into a pile of pain.
There’s times when it’s worth the money.

I ran into this problem a few yrs ago. Made a right mess, and wanted everything up and ready before wife beast came home. in desperation I phoned a 'no job too small' handyman, offered him money to come straight away. Which he did, with proper big drills and stuff, all fitted in no time while I drank coffee.

£50 well spent.

[mikeiow]

sjc said:

A proper fitter with years of experience and the correct fixings and expensive still bits would have no issues doing it.
Is it me/the angle of the picture or do your stripes not line up on your blinds ?

LOL! Is a 'still bit' a REALLY strong drill bit!

The blinds are 'day-night', so as you roll them up/down, they let light through...or don't. & are all individually controlled.....so they *can* line up, but rarely are we OCD'd up enough to make it so!

For the life of me I couldn't get a drill bit that would get into our lintel. It was a massive lintel, but nothing would get in....hence the painful kludge!

I certainly should have found someone to pay £100 to.....

[Lemming Train]

Not directly related to the steel lintel saga above, but the guy above who advises to make sure you use appropriate length screws is advice worth heeding. I know this having recently fitted a pleated blind in my bathroom just a couple of weeks ago. Upvc window frame to the front side so could only mount to the top side of the recess. It's a <10 year old flat so hollow walls everywhere, including the recess by the sound of my knuckle rapping on it so decided that some 35mm screws and matching rawl plugs would do the job . Out comes my standard Erbauer drill driver and I'm straight through the plasterboard in seconds and into 20mm of void. Tried the screw in the hole for length but still need about another 10mm of depth for a flush fit on the mounting bracket.

How hard can it be? Well apparently quite hard indeed after discovering the extra 10mm I needed was into a solid concrete lintel . My Erbauer is pretty basic and so has no impact drive on it and is certainly no SDS - that's not good news when you're faced with a concrete lintel . Because I couldn't be arsed to make a special trip to get some shorter screws and plugs I stood there for nearly an hour working my trusty little Erbauer with its masonry drill bit just to get the extra 10mm I needed on each hole. Got there in the end and the bracket mounts are fixed so solid that I could probably swung on them without them moving .

If I'd just got some 20-25mm screws in the first place I'd have had the blind up and working in 10 mins instead of the best part of 2 hours (and a lot of sweating and swearing) that it actually took me. Get the correct size screws, folks .

[sjc]

mikeiow said:

sjc said:

A proper fitter with years of experience and the correct fixings and expensive still bits would have no issues doing it.
Is it me/the angle of the picture or do your stripes not line up on your blinds ?

LOL! Is a 'still bit' a REALLY strong drill bit!

The blinds are 'day-night', so as you roll them up/down, they let light through...or don't. & are all individually controlled.....so they *can* line up, but rarely are we OCD'd up enough to make it so!

For the life of me I couldn't get a drill bit that would get into our lintel. It was a massive lintel, but nothing would get in....hence the painful kludge!

I certainly should have found someone to pay £100 to.....

Indeed they are night and day blinds, we manufacture them!! The reason I asked is we are one of the very very few that guarantee that any blinds side by side will line up 100%. Most don’t offer it and put a disclaimer in as it costs a lot more as all the fabric had to come from the same batch....
Like this
And this ..

[mikeiow]

Ha!
Must admit, I think ours do line up....but maybe I will have to check!!
How would you have fitted ours to that odd profile of sliding bifolds?

[sjc]

mikeiow said:

Ha!
Must admit, I think ours do line up....but maybe I will have to check!!
How would you have fitted ours to that odd profile of sliding bifolds?

Very difficult to say without having a proper look , but you’ve come up with a decent idea.The first pic I posted was a new build straight up into a metal lintel, the fitter has been doing it 25 years so has just about every tool/ drill bit and screw in the bank.
You’ll also notice at the top all five blinds are in one cassette, makes it much neater ( but a pain to manufacture !!).
Another example...

It really does look like your stripes align at the bottom, but not at the top, which means the fabric has come from different batches ( prob to use up some existing stock).If you told the supplier they were close together I’d maybe have a word if it’s not too late.