Putting up blinds and steel lintel

[Locornwall]

Thanks for reading.

I have recently bought some roller blinds to put up into a window recess. The blinds were made to measure.

I don't like the idea of drilling into the upvc windows and also want the blinds to be flush with the wall so wish to screw the brackets into the plaster. The blinds aren't quite long enough for the brackets to be mounted to the side of the wall and therefore need to be placed at the top of the recess.

Unfortunately, I have since discovered there is a steel lintel within the cavity and with a weak masonry drill bit been unable to drill through it. It's now left a bit of a mess with a few holes I have now filled in.

Please can somebody advise me what is my best option.

I was considering putting up a wood batten, using gripfill or something like this, however don't believe it will be that strong. Other option may be to get a decent stell drill bit and drill through the steel lintel. Will there be any complications with this? It's obviously there for a reason.

Any advice welcome. Thanks.

[bean]

Four tiny holes into the steel shouldn't cause too much trouble. Then use self tapping screws into your pilots.

[Locornwall]

Thanks.

Can you recommend any specific screws?

I am tempted to put up a wooden batten but don't know how secure the adhesive will be. Given that a cord will be attached to the blind and therefore some weight will be applied when pulling up and down.

[Grumps]

Specific screws have already been mentioned. "Self-tapping screws". They are made of a hardened metal which, when a 'pilot hole' has been drilled, cut their own thread. Just make sure that the drill diameter is smaller than the outside diameter of the screw thread, but not so small as to cause the screw to shear.

Possibly, in your case, getting them long enough may take some searching. If you are 'friendly' with your local Garage then you might get some there. Otherwise, Halfords or Screwfix may do 'selection packs' but you need to bear in mind the 'length' required. Longer is invariably better.

[Locornwall]

Thanks.

I may come back and ask a few more questions closer to the time when I actually put the screws in. I've got a problem with fitting these screws in that I already drilled 6 mm holes into the plasterboard and after trying to drill through the steel lintel that 6mm became a bit wider. Anything you can recommend? Eg. Using a 7mm screw?

[cotswold builders]

You might to go for a heavier gauge in case you hit one of the holes in the underside of lintel if its a catnic.

Have a look at the roof bolts in Screw fix, various lengths and will self drill and tap, no need for pilot holes/
You might need to counter sink as they have a large head.

Gripfill alone wont work, in effect you are gluing to paint or thin plaster finish.

[Grumps]

Thanks.

I may come back and ask a few more questions closer to the time when I actually put the screws in. I've got a problem with fitting these screws in that I already drilled 6 mm holes into the plasterboard and after trying to drill through the steel lintel that 6mm became a bit wider. Anything you can recommend? Eg. Using a 7mm screw?

Are you saying 6mm through the steel, or just through the plaster? It may be a case of 'squaring off' the plaster to attach a piece of ply to the steel and then 'making good' - then attaching the brackets to the ply.

[Locornwall]

No 6mm through the plaster. But as I really tried drilling through the steel with a poor drill bit I ended up making the supposed 6mm hole bigger, maybe 7 or 8 mm now. See your point regarding squaring off the plaster and then attaching a piece of ply wood and drilling through that into the steel. It's a bit messy though.

[Grumps]

It's a bit messy though.

It always will be. Just blame 'her indoors'. She wanted the blinds (I presume). 'Her' can clean up the mess. Wimmin.

[Locornwall]

I'm with you on that one, but I'm too nice.

BTW please some advice re. Putting up curtains.

My previous flat had a batten above the recess to fix a curtain rail to. Would you recommend doing this?

[Grumps]

BTW please some advice re. Putting up curtains.

My previous flat had a batten above the recess to fix a curtain rail to. Would you recommend doing this?

I'm presuming it is a fairly modern house with 'dabbed' plasterboard? Tap it with your hand in various places to hear if it sounds hollow.

A batten is probably the easiest, for fixings, unless you hit a 'dab',



Long time since I've bought any and they came without the screw but I've used similar to put up this type of shelving for books,



and despite an horrendous weight, they are still there some 15 years later.

Others may suggest something else.

[ayjay]

I have recently bought some roller blinds to put up into a window recess. The blinds were made to measure.

The blinds aren't quite long enough for the brackets to be mounted to the side of the wall and therefore need to be placed at the top of the recess.

Any advice welcome. Thanks.

Well, they weren't measured that well or they'd fit.

Fixing to the top as already suggested is the neatest solution, you just need a sharp HSS drill bit of the correct size for the self tapping screws.

Another solution (depends on how much too short the blinds are) could be to cut a packer (from ply/mdf/solid timber - not really critical) for the ends and fix that first - this could be painted in with the walls (or to match the blinds if the walls are papered/tiled) and would virtually disappear once the blinds are fitted to them.

Have a word with who made the blinds, they may already have something suitable if they regularly make blinds too short.

[lockie]

Im assuming this a fairly new build house ? If it is then use self drilling screws no drill bits needed. ive done this quite a few times using this method.

Get one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280949272828? ... 80&ff14=54
and some of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/self-drilling ... 5775852%26

Screwfix do both these items but the site is down as i post this so cant link to them.Also you would need to buy a big box of the screws.


Basically you dont bother drilling any holes.Insert the sscrew into the holder, hold it steady and let the screw drill through the plaster till it hits the steel.Now keep up decent pressure and keep lettingi t spin.Eventually it bites and drills through.You may need to use a couple of screws per hole as they blunt .

I used to use an impact driver but a drill will work as well.

The bit holder sleeve prevents it wandering as you can hold it while its spinning thus no more enlarged holes.Once th screw is in reverse th drill and unscrew it.Once all your holes are done attach the blinds.Its a nice strong fixing too for the blinds as its into metal.


I used to fit a lot of metal grills and often got asked to move the blinds when fitting them and this is how i did it.The grills were fitted pretty much the same but the fixings were a lot more heavy duty.

[Locornwall]

Thanks, some excellent advice.

[WillyLopez]

Hi,

I know this topic is 3 years old but I found the final piece of advice (from Lockie) v. useful. I have been pulling my hair out trying to find a method of putting up blinds above my UPVC windows (didn't want to screw into the frames) when I'd hit metal in the lintel.

In the end I needed to use a mix of the following to get the job (2 blinds) done, but it's done (and at one stage I never thought it would be):
1. Made hole in plaster with masonry bit
2. Made hole through metal lintel using 3mm HSS drill bits (went through 3 to make 8 holes!). Drill used on a slow speed
3. Screwed self-drilling screws directly into metal lintel to create "pathway", then unscrewed them (and chucked away)
4. Screwed bracket to lintel using fresh self-drilling screws
5. Danced a jig!