Mounting blinds
Author
Discussion

carreauchompeur

Original Poster:

18,229 posts

221 months

Yesterday (20:14)
quotequote all
I’ve had some new windows fitted, which is marvellous.
However, I now have the conundrum of how to fit my roman blinds, these were previously screwed into the window frames but I don’t want to do this with the new ones.

I’ve tried using plasterboard anchors above the window, with predictable results. Holes now filled! There don’t seem to be any battens there either.

Any ideas? Glue up a batten maybe across top of window?



Inbox

423 posts

3 months

Yesterday (20:39)
quotequote all
I have seen ones advertised that expand and grip the wall either side if you feel something new is warranted otherwise stick a batten up.

Simpo Two

89,633 posts

282 months

Yesterday (21:14)
quotequote all
carreauchompeur said:
I ve tried using plasterboard anchors above the window, with predictable results. Holes now filled!
Would that be because it's not plasterboard with a void above, but a thin layer of plaster on top of a steel lintel as tough as the Bismarck?

Looks like your brackets don't have an end-fixing option, unfortunately.

I once fitted a blind by screwing it onto the uPVC window frame behind. Worked fine.

Actual

1,378 posts

123 months

Yesterday (21:20)
quotequote all
Securing curtain poles or blinds to the plasterboard above windows can be difficult because there is usually a lintel behind the plasterboard which prevents getting a good fixing.

My solution is to use a a 80mm hole saw to 1. Cut out a disc of plasterboard. 2. Cut a disc of plywood. 3. Glue the plywood disc in the hole. 4. Screw the blind to the plywood disc using short screws. 5. Decorate.

I did used this method for motorised cassette roller blinds.




carreauchompeur

Original Poster:

18,229 posts

221 months

Yesterday (21:32)
quotequote all
Nope, sadly this house is built of Swiss cheese so it is just plasterboard…I don’t really think the fixings are designed for vertical loads and they just popped out.

Don’t really want to splash out on new blinds, therefore would a good dollop of no more nails and a batten down the length probably be strong enough?

mikeiow

7,284 posts

147 months

Yesterday (21:38)
quotequote all
I had an issue getting a duo blind screwed to a too-tough lintel. Even our builder didn't really have an idea (tried cobalt drill bits to no avail).

In the end I fashioned wedges of wood and using Sticks Like Sh*t. Then I could screw the blind fixings into those.
9 years later - still up.

I find Sticks Like Sh*t a superb adhesive!

DonkeyApple

63,910 posts

186 months

Yesterday (23:00)
quotequote all
Slide the brackets to the ends, then attach L plates to them which can be screwed into the wall rather than the top.

Skyedriver

20,988 posts

299 months

Do those fixings slide out of the blind and rotate 90°?

DonkeyApple

63,910 posts

186 months

Skyedriver said:
Do those fixings slide out of the blind and rotate 90°?
Which would be somewhat easier than adding the angle brackets. biggrin

DorsetSparky

478 posts

27 months

Gripit fixings.

OutInTheShed

12,067 posts

43 months

If there is a void above the plasterboard, you can use a butterfly or toggle fixing which should have adequate strength for a blind.
Often the problem is there is no space, just a hard lintel you can't drill.

Trouble is, once someone has tried and failed, the plasterboard can be broken up inside and weak.
In this house, I ended up chopping out a few sections and putting in some wood to screw blinds to.

This is why I try to insist that all fittings like blinds and so on are bought before the decorating starts.

Shnozz

29,419 posts

288 months

Actual said:
Securing curtain poles or blinds to the plasterboard above windows can be difficult because there is usually a lintel behind the plasterboard which prevents getting a good fixing.

My solution is to use a a 80mm hole saw to 1. Cut out a disc of plasterboard. 2. Cut a disc of plywood. 3. Glue the plywood disc in the hole. 4. Screw the blind to the plywood disc using short screws. 5. Decorate.

I did used this method for motorised cassette roller blinds.



Clever solution that - thanks for posting.

Sheepshanks

37,917 posts

136 months

carreauchompeur said:
Any ideas? Glue up a batten maybe across top of window?
If you’re sticking it to a painted surface it can detach the paint off the plaster - seen that happen with a mirror and the result wasn’t pretty. Although the pattern it left on the wall was. smile

biggiles

1,960 posts

242 months

I've mounted blinds to plasterboard before when there wasn't a better alternative - it's pretty strong stuff, and worked fine. How big a blind are you trying to mount, and how did it fail? I generally use Fischer duo plugs, but most plugs are probably good enough - it's a downwards force so the plasterboard should be able to handle many tens of kgs.