cant put up curtain pole

sassybooboos

any help would be appreciated.
above my lounge window there seems to be a large lintel as can't drill in enough to be able to put up curtain pole.

have now got quite a few holes. have tried normal drill and sds but nothing happening.

was going to try and put up piece of wood and attach pole to that but can't find anywhere that i can get a deep enough hole to hold anything.

anyone got any ideas i can try.

wallbash

Had this problem myself :mad:

My solution after wrecking a number of good masonary drill bits, was a woodern batten spanning the lintel. I did not have the space above the lintel.
So it was a batten , firmly attached to the wall ( beyond the span of the lintel) Two fixings at each end.

Good luck

woodbutcher_2

An SDS drill should sort it.Never come across a lintol yet that my SDS wont go into.Is the drill bit sharp?

How much height you got above the window?The lintol will stop at some point.

andrew-b

Sounds to me like Bespoke says that its probably not a concrete lintel. We have wooden lintels above the windows. Masonry bits will go through the plaster but as soon as you hit the wood they come to a stop and there is a lovely smell of burning wood and drill bit! If they are wooden or steel lintels then use self-taping screws with a masonry bit to get through the plaster then a HS steel bit (will go through wood too) for the lintel which should be smaller than the diameter of the screws. I'd avoid using a timber batten unless it's absolutely necessary as it doesn't look as nice.

Hope that helps

Andy

wallbash

OP has said they have already tried a normal drill PLUS a sds :rolleyes:
So guessing this is not a diy beginner BUT has hit a really solid Lintel.

Disguise the woodern batten with paint or wallpaper, its mainly going to be covered by the rail/pole, also above eyelevel

andrew-b

wallbash wrote: »

OP has said they have already tried a normal drill PLUS a sds :rolleyes:
So guessing this is not a diy beginner BUT has hit a really solid Lintel.

Disguise the woodern batten with paint or wallpaper, its mainly going to be covered by the rail/pole, also above eyelevel

I read that as the OP referring to the power tool rather than the drill bit used. Doesn't matter whether you use SDS drill or a "normal drill" you'll never drill through wood or steel with a masonry bit (at least not without burning out one hell of alot of drill bits!).

Andy

torbrex

There is a product called 'no more nails' that I would suggest for this situation, just make sure that you use a longer batten than you need and that it is fixed against the wall and not wallpaper.

Not exactly moneysaving but gets the job done.

torbrex

Bespoke wrote: »

I have been watching this thread just to see how long it would take for some one to suggest panel adhesive ( liquid nails / no more nails ). Sorry in my professional onion this type of adhesive is just not strong enough by its self in this application.

Strange because that is exactly how 3 of the curtain rails in my house are held up.


If the OP has tried a masonary drill bit and failed to penetrate the lintel then it is unlikely that a standard HSS drill will do the job as we all know, these are not as hard wearing as masonary bits.
I would suggest buying 'stellite' or 'carbide' drills but as they are expensive and very difficult to use freehand, I would hesitate.

shandypants5

Bespoke wrote: »

By reading all the thread you will see it has been suggested the lintel in question could be steel. And a masonry or SDS drill bit will not drill steel and that is why a HS steel drill is recommended.

I think the op should have heard the metalic sound if they have been trying to drill a metal lintel with any kind of hammer drill.

( Bespoke, any chance you could reduce your font slightly? Your making me a little deaf)

torbrex

Bespoke wrote: »

By reading all the thread you will see it has been suggested the lintel in question could be steel. And a masonry or SDS drill bit will not drill steel and that is why a HS steel drill is recommended.

I have read the thread, it was you that suggested that it was steel.

Having had been a toolmaker for 25 years I think I know what will drill steel and what wont, I have drilles hardened steel with a masonary drill, I have drilled out broken HSS drills using a masonary drill.
If the lintel is made from steel, the chances of it being hardened are very remote and any drill other than a wood boring drill would penetrate.

bookduck

depending on the distance from the top of the window to the ceeling, you could either batton or directlt attach it to the ceeling.

i've done mine that way, via a batton and it does not look unusual