How to fit a blind FREE

How to fit a blind FREE

How to fit a blind This guide shows you how to select and fit new blinds to your windows. This is a fairly easy DIY task and shouldn t take much more than an hour or so. Before fitting your blinds, please read the manufacturer s instructions, paying particular attention to the safety warnings for your product. Safety warning Young children can be strangled by loops in pull-cords, chains, tapes and cords that operate blinds. Follow the installation instructions given with the product with regards to the fitting of any child safety devices. To avoid strangulation and entanglement, keep cords out of the reach of young children. Cords may become wrapped around a child s neck. Move beds, cots and furniture away window covering cords. Do not tie cords together. Make sure cords do not twist and create a loop. Head rails of internal blinds with pull cords should not be installed less than 1.5m from the floor. Install a cleat adjacent to the blind and not less than 1.5m from the floor. Wind the bottom of the pull cord around the cleat to avoid any risk of strangulation. Test the cleat if it s not used regularly and replace it if it s faulty. Tools for the job Bradawl Craft knife Hacksaw Hammer drill Masonry drill bit set Pipe and wire detector Round file Set of screwdrivers Spirit level Steel rule Tape measure Materials for the job Rawl plugs

1. Choose the right blind ROLLER BLINDS: Roller blinds are ideal if you want a soft fabric look, rather than metal or wooden blinds. A wide range of sizes are available, and if the blind is slightly too wide it can be cut to fit. Spring-loaded blinds can be temperamental, so most are now cord operated (Fig. 1). You can fit the pull cord on the left or the right to suit your needs. Opt for blackout roller blinds if you want total darkness at night and better insulation. VENETIAN BLINDS: Venetian blinds have adjustable horizontal slats so you can choose to either exclude the light entirely, direct it upwards for a soft diffused light effect, or direct it downwards. Brackets Roller Plastic bar Cord winder Fig. 1 The pull cord can be fitted left or right to suit. VERTICAL BLINDS: Vertical blinds have vertical slats or vanes and are suitable for most windows, but they are particularly well suited to large windows and patio doors. Points 2 to 6 below give you step-by-step instructions on how to install your blinds. These instructions apply specifically to roller blinds but the methods are similar for Venetian or Vertical blinds. Please make sure you always follow the manufacturer s instructions when installing any type of blinds. 2. Decide where to fit your roller blind If you want to fit your blind inside a window recess (Fig. 2) then it will have to be cut to the correct width (see Step 5). Alternatively, you can hang it outside the window recess (Fig. 3), which overcomes the problems caused by projecting window handles, and items on your window sill. Drop Width Fig. 2 A blind can be fitted within a window recess. Drop 25mm min. Fig. 3 Hanging a blind outside the recess can change the appearance of your window. 25mm min. Width

3. Measure up When you have decided how your blind is going to be hung i.e. inside or outside the recess, measure the width and the drop (length needed to cover the window). If you are hanging a blind outside the recess, add at least 25mm to either side of the recess to give the minimum width of your ideal blind (Fig. 3). If you can t find a blind to fit the exact width of your window, just buy the next width up and cut it to size (see Step 5). 4. Fix the brackets Brackets can be fixed on either the face of the window surround or at the top the brackets that come with your blind are drilled to allow you to fix them in either manner (Fig. 4). FIXING THE BRACKETS IN A WINDOW RECESS The brackets can be screwed to either the window frame, the adjacent walls or the underside of the top of the window. Top tip: It is not recommended to screw the brackets into PVC window frames. Place the brackets exactly where you want to fix them and mark the screw positions with a bradawl or pencil. Then drill some small guide holes and screw the brackets into place using rawl plugs and the screws provided. Top Face Fig. 4 Brackets can be fixed on the face of the window or at the top. FIXING THE BRACKETS INTO MASONRY Mark the exact position for your screw holes. Don t go too close to any edges or corners or you may get chipped bricks or flaking plaster and spoil the wall. Allow a minimum of 50mm clearance. Drill your holes and fit rawl plugs to give the screws grip. Screw the brackets into the wall. FIXING THE BRACKETS ABOVE A WINDOW (OUTSIDE THE REVEAL) Lintels (which support the wall above a window) are very hard and fixing the brackets to the lintel will require the use of the correct drill bit. It may be tempting to hang the blind above the lintel, but for the best results this should be avoided (Fig. 5). Mark and drill the screw holes in the lintel using a heavy-duty masonry drill bit. Then screw the brackets in place using rawl plugs. Lintel Brackets FIXING THE BRACKETS TO THE CEILING Hopefully, there will be a ceiling joist that you can screw into. If the joists run at 90 degrees to the wall, find the position of the joists and mark them using a joist finder. If the joists are conveniently placed, screw the brackets into these using the appropriate rawl plugs. Drop Fig. 5 Although lintels are hard to drill into, your blind will look strange if you hang it above the lintel.

5. Cut your roller blind to the right width CUTTING THE ROLLER If you re hanging your blind inside the reveal of your window you may have to cut it to the correct width before fitting it. Firstly, carefully measure the exact width of the window space inside the reveal. To allow for the brackets and the cord winder, cut the roller 38mm less than the width of the space you ve just measured. Use a hacksaw to cut the roller (Fig. 6) and then smooth the end with a round file. CUTTING THE BLIND FABRIC Using the cut roller as your guide, use a pencil to mark the fabric 1.5mm in from the end of the roller in a number of places down the length of the fabric (Fig. 7). If you are trimming both sides of the fabric then mark 1.5mm in from each side. Use a straight batten/ruler to join the marks along the entire length of the fabric. Use a craft knife to cut the fabric against the edge of your batten (you can use scissors but they might not be so accurate). Trim the plastic bar at the bottom of the blind. Cut this 12.5mm less than the width of the fabric and insert the end caps into each end. Finally, fit the cord winder and you are ready to hang your blind. 1.5mm Fig. 6 Use a hacksaw to cut the roller to the correct width. Fig. 7 Mark the roller fabric 1.5mm in from the cut end of the roller. If both sides of the fabric are being cut, mark 1.5mm in on both sides. 6. Hang the blind Start by inserting the cord winder end of the blind into the bracket (the square peg into the square hole). At the opposite end, the dummy pin goes into the other bracket. You re ready to go! To operate your blind, just pull the cord winder. The back cord lowers the blind and the front cord raises it. Remember to install a cleat so you can ensure cords are secured safely, avoiding the risk of strangulation.

Planning your next Project The Bunnings leaflets are designed to help you through your home projects. They ll give you the right information on what materials you ll need, how to get the job done and tips and ideas for achieving the best result. If you d like more advice, come in and discuss the project with one of our experts. PLEASE NOTE: As far as the law permits, Bunnings excludes liability in relation to the statements in this leaflet. www.bunnings.co.uk BUKI P17030