Putting Up Roller Blinds

[woolyhead 15]

We bought some roll blinds and I tried to put them up and inside the window return, not on the flat wall that surrounds the window. I did this because my wife wanted  it done this way and who am I to argue?  There were no instructions available, so because I've always been a handyman I measured carefully and did what I thought would work. What I failed to realise is that the vertical bracket which the roll clips into at each end of the roll must have enough free space behind it to allow it to be bent back a few mm in order to let the roll slip into place. But the wall return made this impossible to do. I haven't detailed this out because anyone who has put roll blinds up will know what I'm talking about and anyone who hasn't put up roll blinds can learn from my mistake. Measuring what the length of the roll will be when it's in place isn't enough - you have to make sure you can bend one bracket back as well, which takes more room.  

Edited October 9, 2019 by woolyhead

[spider1 11]

Not so handy then called common sence.   You should be able to cut 10mm off wooden roller easy enough . Place at heeley will come out and measure and fit cheaper i have found plus you can go to shop have a look at different designs

Think you will find if you fix the brackets one end of the roller will retract to allow it to go in 

Edited October 9, 2019 by spider1

[Janus 28]

@Woolyhead

I imagine you have put the blind up with the intention of being central in the window recess.

 

I understand  there is not enough room to allow the bracket to bend back slightly due to it being up against the wall recess.  Are you saying that  the length of the blind is a "just fit" in the recess? Hence the bracket could not have been fixed slightly away from the wall? 

 

From what I recall, the metal tube inside the blind  can be cut with a junior hacksaw.  This of course would provide a bit of tolerance on the fitting.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2019 by Janus

[Chez2 10]

I have all my roller binds, louvre blinds and vision blinds set within the window recess. Hubby used to do them but its not easy trimming a blind to fit. We use UK blinds now to measure, supply and fit. I usually buy the cassette which hides the roller when its rolled up. 

[woolyhead 15]

Hi Janus. The blind and its roller were too long so they had to be cut down, I could have fitted the bracket slightly (8mm) away from the wall if I'd realised what was needed.             Hi Spider 1, Yes, the bracket could have been fitted so that the slots in the fixings would allow it to be slid along to let the blind in if I hadn't drilled the screw holes in the wrong place so that there was no room left. This all happened because there was no instruction sheet with the blind and because I'd never fitted a blind before. So why didn't I drill some more fixing holes? I hear you thinking. It's a long story but amounts to the fact that the block was supplied by my son in law and it turned out to be made of some very hard wood and my blunt old drill bits hardly managed to drill it at all.  I suppose I was fed up with the whole thing and would not persevere. I fitted the blinds ok in the end though by glueing a small sheet of 8 mm plywood on the back face of the block which the brackets were screwed to, thus providing space for the bracket to bend in. Then I cut the blind's width down to suit.     Tell me about it Chez 2.

Edited October 9, 2019 by woolyhead

[woolyhead 15]

Now I'm blushing with embarrassment at what I did with my roller blinds. I've now discovered that I could have screwed their mountings to the ceiling inside the window space instead of messing about with wooden blocks. In my own defence though, it was my daughter who decided to fix the blind to wooden blocks and I went along with her decision blindly (no pun intended). With the blind's mounting brackets hanging down from the ceiling in this new way the knobbly pull-cord runs better in its gear wheel and the whole thing is a better job. Not only that but I've found that there's no need to bend the blind's mounting brackets to get the blind in as one bracket has a removeable plate which reveals access for the pivot when it's removed. I fell pretty stupid, having worked hard on getting these blinds up the wrong way.

Edited October 12, 2019 by woolyhead

[Janus 28]

There is no need to feel that way. You have had a go and put in effort to do your best, and your perseverance has eventually achieved success.

 Ultimately you have gained more experience. " He who never makes mistakes never makes  anything".

Many people would not share their failings publicly, small though it may be. I respect you  for that.
 

[Chez2 10]

1 hour ago, woolyhead said:

Now I'm blushing with embarrassment at what I did with my roller blinds. I've now discovered that I could have screwed their mountings to the ceiling inside the window space instead of messing about with wooden blocks. In my own defence though, it was my daughter who decided to fix the blind to wooden blocks and I went along with her decision blindly (no pun intended). With the blind's mounting brackets hanging down from the ceiling in this new way the knobbly pull-cord runs better in its gear wheel and the whole thing is a better job. Not only that but I've found that there's no need to bend the blind's mounting brackets to get the blind in as one bracket has a removeable plate which reveals access for the pivot when it's removed. I fell pretty stupid, having worked hard on getting these blinds up the wrong way.

Don't feel stupid. Sometimes the lintel is too difficult to drill so ours and been fitted in to the recess on the walls inside the window rather than the ceiling. 

[HeHasRisen 3,399]

^^^^sod off.

 

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