Lintel+drilling for curtain pole

moneysavingwannabe

Hi,

We have just had building work done and need to put curtains up above 2 sets of french doors.

The builder said that as there is a lintel there we need to get special wall plugs and a drill bit to drill into it.

I have searched screwfix and b and q etc but am having trouble finding anything. What do I need to look for??

(Am fed up with everyone on street seeing me in my dressing gown and OH seems reluctant to put them up!!):o

shere1

Had the same problem a while back. In the end I got a piece of wood (not very thick) and used hard as nails to glue it to wall with to screws on the end just clear of the lintel. Then screwed the curtain track to this piece of wood. You cant even tell it is there.

moneysavingwannabe

Hi,

Thanks for your reply - so you couldn't find anything to drill/attach into the lintel??

Will remember your tip if we can't find anything else thanks.

shere1

moneysavingwannabe wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for your reply - so you couldn't find anything to drill/attach into the lintel??

Will remember your tip if we can't find anything else thanks.

To be honest I had a few drill bits that should have done the job. I had a go and the drill did not have the power to do much. I have seen someone else do it with a rotary drill without much trouble. In the end I was making more mess and having to patch up the wall so used the wood approach as another window in the house had something similar.

Inactive

Any good hammer drill with the correct size masonry bit should be OK, as should good any quality rawlplugs.

I have vertical blinds fitted using them, they are fixed to a concrete lintel.

Hitch

The lintel is probably only 150mmhigh, try drilling about above 180mm-200mm above the reveal, that should allow you to drill into the blockwork above.
Assuming you have the room to do so.

If you really need to drill into the lintel, an SDS hammer drill is preferable, but a decent branded drill bit in a standard hammer drill should do it without much bother.

Bosch s4, Dewalt extreme, or Irwin Joran are good masonry bits

moneysavingwannabe

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies.

I think we have 2 lintels above one set of french doors cos we had a window which was taken out and the opening needed lowering so we have the original lintel + a new one so it would be hard to miss drilling through one of them!

I'm not sure if they are concrete or steel?? One set has a steel lintel but I think it is encased in blockwork so this should be ok? I suppose the other is concrete as it is a smaller set of doors?

So a decent drill bit but just ordinary raw plugs??

Hitch

A steel lintel shouldnt cause problems, its probably this sort of shape;

/l
___l l____

The blockwork and brickwork sits on the 2 horizontal pieces.


A general purpose cheap sort of lintels are normally concrete, with a steel core to reinforce them. usualy deep enough not to worry about though.