Drilling Curtain Poles - Nightmare!

kayceejayh

We've just recently moved to a house that has been renovated and when they renovated all the curtain poles etc. were removed. So I've been tasked with putting new ones up.

I think the house was built in the 50's, but drilling the holes to put the curtain poles up has been nothing short of a nightmare. I was using my cheap and cheerful hammer drill and managed to get about 1.5cm into the wall and I just couldn't get any further. Thinking the drill was a bit pony I borrowed my Dads larger, more powerful hammer drill, but again, that really didn't want to go in the wall... I think in the end it actually melted the drill bit! So I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do!? Would there be somesort of metal lintel in the wall in a house this age? Do I need to buy an SDS drill?! Or should I just 'no more nails' a piece of wood into the wall and screw into that??! Help!

phill99

Nightmare!! There will be a lintel running over the top of the window, either concrete or steel. Sounds like you have hit steel!!

You need to put the poles about 9" from the top of the window. This should clear the lintel and be easier to drill.

No nails and timber = curtains on floor in the morning.

kayceejayh

9 inches? Jesus. The ceiling downstairs is about 9.5 inches from the top of the window.

How far do lintels tend to go out from the edge of the windows?

K

27col

If the lintel is made of steel then using a hammer action will not penetrate it. Steel lintels are easy enough to drill but you would do best using a HSS drill bit. Once the metal is penetrated an expanding wall plug will grip OK. In the 60's it was often the case that a large concrete lintel was fitted and this could easily reach 6" or more above the opening. Later on much slimmer concrete lintels were used, these were only about the depth of a brick, or less. if you are unsure, then the best thing to do is to take a bit of plaster off and check what you are trying to drill into. Then it is easy to know what is the correct solution to the problem. The above comments are based on many years of DIY and self-building. Others may differ, as is their right.

mikey72

I've had concrete ones only an sds drill would go into.
I've also glued a wooden batten up with no more nails, and it's lasted years.
Use a solvent based one though.

kayceejayh

Taking the plaster off isnt really an option, It's a rental property, landlord is happy for me to put the poles up but probably wouldn't be happy me hacking at his nicely renovated walls. So the general consensus is drill a bit higher.

27col

I wasn't suggesting doing more than a very small area that could easily be reinstated with a bit of Polyfilla.

kayceejayh

I think I may know what the lintel is - and roughly whereabouts it goes to.

I was out in the garden and notice the shed (built with the house) has a very thick concrete lintels (with added stones) etc.. So I've got a fair feeling that is what's tucked behind the plaster. It's two bricks high and about 3/4 of a brick into either side, so fingers crossed I shoul be able to muddle through!

ali-t

I have lots of walls in my house with holes in them and others with curtain poles held up with one screw at each end as I hadn't realised the metal bit along the window was there and even when I knew it was there, misjudged the distance required. Grrrr.

ormus

if its a concrete lintel, an SDS drill will do it in seconds.