Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

[suel]

Help!

I have made a Roman Blind to fit into the window recess for a client. It is 175cm wide and interlined, therefore quite heavy. It is to go with some dress curtains that I have yet to fit.

Client has phoned this morning to say that they just cannot get a fixing into the ceiling of the window recess. It is a steel thing in there and they spent several hours trying to fit last night with no success. It is on a wooden batten.

In 10 years this is the first time that I have had a problem like this. I have had concrete and steel lintels before, but with perserverance all have been overcome. This client is a good one, and they are not novices at putting up blinds. I have done several in the past for them. Her husband is handy with DIY, so I am a bit worried now how to get this blind fixed.

It cannot go outside the recess as it will be too narrow and too short. I have suggested 'no more nails' or something similar, as a showhouse I did once, used this for all the blinds, but I don't know if it will support the weight of a large, heavy interlined blind in daily use?
Please, please help.

Sue.

[Louise]

Re: Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

I did have one customer with a similar issue - they ended up using one drill bit per hole made as they blunted so quickly. I'm not sure exactly what they were drilling in to but it was not an old property so probably concrete and/or steel.

[Tam]

Re: Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

Oh Sue, I really feel for you.

Even a hardened DIYer sometimes find drilling into steel lintels hardwork unless thier drill is up to the job. It might be he needs a more powerful drill and a specialised drill bit for the job.

If hes using a standard voltage drill it might not be powerful enough, a heavy duty high volt hammer should do the job.

If hes already using the above, I really dont know what to suggest. I dont think no nails glue will be sufficient for a heavy blind in constant use

Keep us posted how it goes Sue.

[Rosie]

Re: Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

Poor you!

I did have a similar problem but thankfully only once. I managed to 'get into' the wire mesh bit of the lintel with one of those gold drill bits for metal (a new window and doorway had been cut into the wall of an old house and hence a new lintel). I began with a small bit and moved up slowly to bigger sized bits until the hole was 'big enough', but then I couldn't get any fixing to hold. It was to take a steel tensioned wire so had to be a really good strong fit. They were having a conservatory fitted on the same day and I 'borrowed' the tube of expanding foam from the installers. I squirted this into each of my holes and pushed the screw fittings in. They set like concrete thankfully and I was able to tighten the wire really tight before hanging the curtains from in.

When my coat hooks fell off the wall (too many coats/too much weight) and the plaster was too rotten to drill again I 'glued' the plinth back on with a tiny amount of the expanding foam. It knocks the socks off No Nails/Liquid Nails, though I know it's not designed for this use.

I'm sure it would hold a roman blind batten, especially if you can made some headway into the lintel

[suel]

Re: Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

Client phoned me this morning to say they have managed to fit the blind with a brand new set of heavy duty special drill bits. Thanks goodness.

Sue

[Rosie]

Re: Help - Roman Blind Fitting Disaster

Hello Sue,

It sounds like everything is going your way!!! Enjoy a good week.