Can't drill above window frame - how to proceed?

maninthestreet

Hoploz wrote: »

Just seen this on Dragons Den. Just the right product to help put up battens, shelves etc. Defo going to get one!
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Marxman-Standard-Hole-Marking-Tool/p/147784

...or just use a Sharpie instead, as one of the Dragons suggested.

[Deleted User]

Drill into the brick above the lintel, make some brackets that drop down from the fixing height to the level you want, and then let them into grooves in the plaster.

dermonte

Yep 1950's house here and hard to drill. We are getting our windows changed and I asked builders to quote built in blinds.

missile

I use Rawlplug Interset - heavy duty plasterboard fixings M5 X 37mm from Screwfix

Nilrem

If it's plasterboard then lintel you can get "multi purpose" bits that will do both masonry and metal, you just have to remember to swap from hammer to normal drill.

I've got some in the shed but I can't remember the name, I think they're made by Bosch (or our set it).

Wassa123

Had the same issue with blinds that went inside the window frame.

Nipped down to one of the large DIY chain stores and bought some HSS-Cobalt drill bits which are designed for drilling through metal. Our lintel was only a few mm thick then it was back to softer material.

edinburgher

Round 2!

Managed to get the side supports for the curtains fitted ok, quite easy actually. Got back to the centre of the window frame and same problem as yesterday :eek: :mad:

Really surprised, as I'm a good 5cm+ past the blind fittings yesterday, how big can this blummin' lintel be?

Not sure if we'll get away with not using the centre bracket as the pole will be 8' long (curtains aren't massively heavy). Used heavy duty rawlplugs (Fischer? ones), but for each of the side brackets I got one really clean hole and one slightly messy one with a little skidding. They seem solid.

Don't want to move up any further as I'm a) near enough to the ceiling already and b) would probably explode if I moved up and had problems fitting the main brackets.

Half assed solutions? I got about an inch in. How about screwing the bracket into some 8mm dowel with a little adhesive? I know glue won't hold the weight of curtains, but dowel is normally machined quite consistently, so wedged in it might have some strength?

Hoploz

Oh dear you've more to do!?

Good luck!

I have found using wooden poles better than metal ones, for the reason that the wooden brackets (not all but mostly) have three screws per bracket, which gives better fix than the metal brackets which have two. The metal ones seem more susceptible to the movement (as I mentioned on previous post) than the wooden pole sets.

edinburgher

My attempted bodge (see last post) seems to be plenty stable for now. Managed to use some esoteric components including wood screws of unknown origin and washers from an aquarium light fitting :rotfl:

Job done, my best window coverings to date