Types Of Metal Lintel

[mrsparks]

Some time ago I posted about wobbly rawlplugs in my dot and dab wall when trying to fix my curtain track bracket. I couldn't understand why, when I poked a screwdriver in one of the bracket holes, there's a void behind the plasterboard and I hit metal about 55mm in from the surface of the plasterboard (which gave me a headache about which kind of fixings to use).

I'd assumed that all the lintels over my windows are catnic lintels but every such lintel I see on the internet has an inner lip which sits on the inner blockwork and a vertical surface which aligns with the inside of the blockwork i.e. the cavity side. That being the case, I should have hit metal 100mm (plus the dot and dab width) in from the surface of the plasterboard) - because blocks are 100mm thick.

I'm still baffled and really want to get to the bottom of it - and without stripping plasterboard off my wall to see what's behind!

Are there lintels where the inner vertical face of metal would be 50mm from the inner surface of the cavity wall?

On a separate but related topic, all the catnic lintels I see on the internet have perforated inner lips (oo-er missus). With the impending installation of venetian blinds in my future I'm wondering ... I know that it's recommended to use HSS or carbide drills (or something) to get through the lintel, and use self tapping screws into the lintel ... but I'm really curious to know what happens if you happened to drill through one of the perforations (presumably each perforation is larger than a screw diameter). This must happen because knowing where the perforations are is impossible. Anybody?

[stevei]

We have a similar problem with some of our windows. We bought shutters for one and 'Perfect Fit' blinds for others. The only window that we used converntional venetian blinds for is the kitchen window and I fitted this blind inside the reveals fixing the brackets to the upvc window and the block reveals each side. It's been fitted for ten years now and is still solidly fixed.
You could also fit some 3x1 p.a.r. timber to the wall where you want the blinds/curtain rails. Any holes drilled that don't provide a solid fix can be filled in. The blinds/curtain rail is then an easy fix to the timber. As an added measure, when you are happy with the fixings, refit them all after applying some no-nails to the back of the timber.

[mrsparks]

We have a similar problem with some of our windows. We bought shutters for one and 'Perfect Fit' blinds for others. The only window that we used converntional venetian blinds for is the kitchen window and I fitted this blind inside the reveals fixing the brackets to the upvc window and the block reveals each side. It's been fitted for ten years now and is still solidly fixed.
You could also fit some 3x1 p.a.r. timber to the wall where you want the blinds/curtain rails. Any holes drilled that don't provide a solid fix can be filled in. The blinds/curtain rail is then an easy fix to the timber. As an added measure, when you are happy with the fixings, refit them all after applying some no-nails to the back of the timber.

Thanks.

We've just had new uPVC windows installed and I'd be really loathed to drill into them.

The simple answer of course is to get a blind company like Hilary's to fit them, and then the problem becomes theirs, but I would imagine they're expensive.

Apart from that I'm very curious as to what lintels we have (it's a relatively modern house, built in 1995) and the mystery metal I'm finding 50mm from the surface.

[London mike 61]

I’ve fitted a few vertical blinds where there is a catnic lintel over the door or window and I use cobalt tipped drill bits because the cobalt drill bits are much harder than hss drill bits and always do the job. You need a 3 mm drill bit .
The 3mm bit is enough so that you can drive in a 4mm width screw but if you find that hard just use 3.5 width screws , I just used ordinary general purpose screws but self tapping screws are ok to use.
Don’t worry if you are going to hit a hole in the lintel , it won’t make the fixing weak in any way.

Mike

[stevei]

It'll be steel: perforated so plaster or board adhesive gets a better hold.

We've just had new uPVC windows installed and I'd be really loathed to drill into them.

With Perfect Fit blinds you don't need to drill them. They are fixed with metal clips that slide under the seal on the inside beading then the frame clips onto those. Just search for Perfect Fit blinds.

[mrsparks]

It'll be steel: perforated so plaster or board adhesive gets a better hold.

We've just had new uPVC windows installed and I'd be really loathed to drill into them.

With Perfect Fit blinds you don't need to drill them. They are fixed with metal clips that slide under the seal on the inside beading then the frame clips onto those. Just search for Perfect Fit blinds.

It'll be steel: perforated so plaster or board adhesive gets a better hold.

We've just had new uPVC windows installed and I'd be really loathed to drill into them.

With Perfect Fit blinds you don't need to drill them. They are fixed with metal clips that slide under the seal on the inside beading then the frame clips onto those. Just search for Perfect Fit blinds.

We have those blinds on our bifold doors - but they're powder coated aluminium. They're fixed with plastic clips that slide under the rubbers. Unfortunately, our new windows don't have rubbers as such. I'm not sure what they're called but they have the quadrant pieces that hold the panes in place.

[mrsparks]

I’ve fitted a few vertical blinds where there is a catnic lintel over the door or window and I use cobalt tipped <a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=drill+bits" class="skimwords-link" target="_blank" data-skimwords-id="877282" data-skimwords-word="drill%20bits" data-group-id="0" data-skim-creative="300003" title="Shopping Link Added by SkimWords" occurrence="1" data-skim-node-id="240:I’vefittedafewvertic_1" style="">drill bits</a><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> because the cobalt <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> are much harder than hss <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> and always do the job. You need a 3 mm drill bit .
The 3mm bit is enough so that you can drive in a 4mm width screw but if you find that hard just use 3.5 width screws , I just used ordinary general purpose screws but self tapping screws are ok to use.
Don’t worry if you are going to hit a hole in the lintel , it won’t make the fixing weak in any way.

Mike

Sorry - yes I meant cobalt drill bits. So what happens if you drill through a perforation? Do you use a bigger screw? Or do you screw into whatever's above the lintel - assuming there's something there at all?

[London mike 61]

I’ve fitted a few vertical blinds where there is a catnic lintel over the door or window and I use cobalt tipped <a href="<a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=drill+bits" class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%2F%3F_nkw%3Ddrill%2Bbits" data-skim-creative="500005" title="">http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=drill+bits</a>" class="skimwords-link" target="_blank" data-skimwords-id="877282" data-skimwords-word="drill%20bits" data-group-id="0" data-skim-creative="300003" title="Shopping Link Added by SkimWords" occurrence="1" data-skim-node-id="240:I’vefittedafewvertic_1" style="">drill bits</a><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> because the cobalt <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> are much harder than hss <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> and always do the job. You need a 3 mm drill bit .
The 3mm bit is enough so that you can drive in a 4mm width screw but if you find that hard just use 3.5 width screws , I just used ordinary general purpose screws but self tapping screws are ok to use.
Don’t worry if you are going to hit a hole in the lintel , it won’t make the fixing weak in any way.

Mike

Sorry - yes I meant cobalt <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span>. So what happens if you drill through a perforation? Do you use a bigger screw? Or do you screw into whatever's above the lintel - assuming there's something there at all?

Trust me , the metal is so hard to drill into that even if two holes were to merge the screw would still hold in the drilled hole. I’ve never had a problem .

[mrsparks]

I’ve fitted a few vertical blinds where there is a catnic lintel over the door or window and I use cobalt tipped <a href="<a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=drill+bits" class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%2F%3F_nkw%3Ddrill%2Bbits" data-skim-creative="500005" title="">http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_nkw=drill+bits</a>" class="skimwords-link" target="_blank" data-skimwords-id="877282" data-skimwords-word="drill%20bits" data-group-id="0" data-skim-creative="300003" title="Shopping Link Added by SkimWords" occurrence="1" data-skim-node-id="240:I’vefittedafewvertic_1" style="">drill bits</a><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> because the cobalt <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> are much harder than hss <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span> and always do the job. You need a 3 mm drill bit .
The 3mm bit is enough so that you can drive in a 4mm width screw but if you find that hard just use 3.5 width screws , I just used ordinary general purpose screws but self tapping screws are ok to use.
Don’t worry if you are going to hit a hole in the lintel , it won’t make the fixing weak in any way.

Mike

Sorry - yes I meant cobalt <span class="skimwords-potential">drill bits</span><span style="position: absolute;"></span><span style="position: absolute;"></span>. So what happens if you drill through a perforation? Do you use a bigger screw? Or do you screw into whatever's above the lintel - assuming there's something there at all?

Trust me , the metal is so hard to drill into that even if two holes were to merge the screw would still hold in the drilled hole. I’ve never had a problem .

OK thanks. I've not seen a lintel up close and personal, but my concern was the perforations look like they might be larger than 4mm and that the drill would go straight through without touching the metal at all

On the other topic (curtain track brackets), have you ever come across a metal lintel whose vertical face sits about 50mm behind the face of the surrounding wall? I'm baffled by that.