Cant drill into wall?

usman122

Hi,

I am trying to put some new blinds up and when drilling I cant drill past a certain point i seem to have hit something which seems like steel?

Any ideas on what i need to do? or what i have just hit?

Thanks in advance :-)

thefishdude

as you are drilling near a window than its prob a lintle of some sort that gover ovr teh top of a window to take the weight either concrete or steel.

i have encounted concrete ones before and basically needed me dad bigger more powerfull drill with hammer action rather than my cheapo from argos to get through it. not sure about what to do if its a steel one thjough. never had that

CashisKing

Above a window, if its a relatively modern house it is likely to be the lintel. Just be sure its not an electicity cable or copper pipe!

ormus

if its a concrete lintel above a window, then you will need an SDS drill.

trolleyrun

Yep, sounds like a lintel (sp?). The "easy" way of getting round it is to fix your blinds higher on the wall, at least 6in above the window itself if possible. That was the only way I could fit my curtain poles, as I've got a steel lintel above my windows. You probably need a masonry drill bit as well, took me a while to figure that one out...:doh: and a hammer drill. Any other drill is useless I found.

Feel free to disregard, I'm not a DIY expert

cyclonebri1

Almost certainly a pressed steel catnic type lintel, drill with a metal working drill then use cavity fixings.

You don't say but blinds are normally fitted inside the window reveal.

If these are minature venitian blinds, the brackets can usually be screwed to the wall rather than up into the lintel.

Also sometimes even possible to fix directly to the window frame.

ifti

Mr. Usman122 ur still here........

ifti

you need a hammer drill with masonry bits....a nice powerful drill should sort it out.

paddyrg

If the hammer drill won't cope with tough concrete, SDS drills can be bought fairly cheaply or hired, and they certainly can - imagine a hammer drill that's been working out and taking steroids - the difference is massive. One ceiling I needed to drill into went NOWHERE with a powerful hammer drill, with an SDS it was like a knife through butter.

bordercars

as above if conc lintle sue an sds masonary bit on hammer, it steel then get a tungsten bit.

have a look out side if its steel you can usually see the lip just above the window

ormus

how old is the house?
older houses never had steel/catnics lintels installed.

80/90% certain to be either concrete or wood.