It’s spooky season, so gather around to hear a tale of horror about blind fitting like no other. From tangled-up blinds to misplaced brackets; these stories of woe are a cautionary tale. Today, we’re discussing what can go wrong when fitting your blinds and how to avoid these horror stories in your own home.
Fitting unsecured headrails
If you’re drilling into the wall to fit your headrails and the bit is hitting open space, that’s a nightmare. You don’t want to try and fit your headrails into an unsecured hole because the plasterboard won’t be able to support the weight and it will crumble to dust like an old mummy. Instead, fill the holes if you need to and try again with red rawl plugs or use a baton to reinforce the fixture.
Tangling the blinds
When you take the blinds out of the box, don’t maul them like a werewolf. Instead, gently lay them out to ensure they don’t get tangled or twisted around themselves. This will also help you fit them going the correct direction. If you have dogs or small children, have someone entertain them elsewhere to prevent them from tangling the blinds accidentally. When it’s time to hang them, have someone help you hold them for a smoother installation.
Fitting the bracket incorrectly
There are a number of brackets you can use to secure your window blinds: face fix, screw fit, top fix and spring fit. Depending on what type you have, you’ll want to measure out and mark your drill holes and the bracket’s direction in advance. This will prevent you from fumbling around like Frankenstein’s Monster when you go to secure the brackets in place. A common blind fitting horror story is securing one bracket upside down. By marking their location and position with a pencil in advance, you can avoid this misstep.
Binning extra slats
If you have left-over slats following your installation, these are replacements. If a slat starts to look a bit zombified, you can use these extras to breathe some new life into your window blinds. So, don’t throw them away. Store them in a cool, dry place for use later on to extend the life of your blinds. To ensure they’re not damaged, include a few silica gel sachets in the storage container to remove moisture from the air, keeping them fresh.
Placing the tie-down clip wrong
Failing to measure for the tie-down clip is one of the most common blind fitting horror stories we hear. Eyeballing it can lead to a wall that looks like Dracula’s paid a visit – with multiple small drill holes peppering the surface. If this happens to you, don’t worry. Fill the holes and then measure your mechanism and chain so the pull is taught when placed into the tie-down. Use a pencil to draw through the hole (then follow that as a drill guide) to give you a great installation every time.
Need help getting the perfect fit? These fitting guides are a treat! Use them to fit any type of blind from vertical to softshade without any horrific mishaps.