Fit a room-divider curtain track to a lath and plaster ceiling — HomeGraft

Fit a ceiling curtain track safely, checking what's above and using the right fixing for your ceiling type.

RDT-01Mark the track line and fixing pointsDecide where the divider curtain needs to hang and mark a straight line on the ceiling with a pencil, using a spirit level or chalk line to keep it true. Mark a fixing point at each end, then every 400-500mm along the line. Hold the track up dry first to check it clears any light fittings or the top of doors.

1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Chalk line

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1 each · Tape measure

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RDT-02Work out what your ceiling is actually made ofThis changes the fixing you need, so check before you buy anything. Lath and plaster feels slightly springy when you press it and sounds dull and uneven when tapped - it's thin timber strips under old plaster, on joists usually 400-600mm apart. Plasterboard on timber joists sounds hollow and flat, and a stud detector or magnet will pick up a regular line of screw or nail heads along each joist. A metal ceiling frame (resilient bars or a metal grid, common in flats and refitted rooms since the 1990s) confuses cheap detectors and gives a slightly different, flatter tap. A solid concrete soffit has no give at all and is hard going right from the first turn of the drill. If you're still not sure, drill one small 3mm test hole at a fixing mark: timber dust means timber joist, fine grey powder means concrete, and bright metal swarf means a metal frame.

1 each · 3mm drill bit

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RDT-03Check for cables and pipes before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a ceiling, including diagonally between light fittings. Run a detector along your marked line, but still treat every fixing point as if something is there until you've proved otherwise - detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or outside the usual safe zones, and a metal ceiling frame makes cheap detectors less reliable. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely. If you have any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit first, and be ready to turn the water off at the stopcock straight away if you hit a pipe.

RDT-04Fixing into a lath and plaster ceilingNever rely on the lath alone - it's thin timber and will crumble under load. Every fixing must go through the plaster and lath and into solid joist behind it, so nudge your marked points sideways if needed to land on a joist. Start with a bradawl, drill a 3mm pilot hole through the lath into the joist, then drive a 45mm countersunk wood screw into the centre of the joist. Fix by hand for the last few turns so you don't crack the old plaster around the hole.

1 pack · Wood screws, 45mm (pack of 20)

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1 each · Bradawl

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RDT-05Fixing into plasterboard on timber joistsPlasterboard alone won't hold a curtain track - the screw will pull straight through with weight and use. Locate the joist centre with your detector, drill a 3mm pilot hole through the board and into the timber, then fix with a 40-45mm wood screw. If a bracket point falls between joists, move it a little rather than fixing into board alone.

1 pack · Wood screws, 40mm (pack of 20)

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RDT-06Fixing into a metal ceiling frameNever use a plain wall plug or an ordinary wood screw on a metal frame - it strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Use a self-drilling metal-frame screw for a direct fix into the metal channel, or a proper toggle-type hollow-wall anchor if the point falls on plasterboard between channels. A metal frame won't take a heavy load or anything that pulls sideways repeatedly, and a curtain track gets pulled every time the curtain is drawn - if the frame feels flimsy at your marked points, fit a timber batten across two channels first, or fix through to solid masonry above if there is any.

1 pack · Self-drilling metal-frame screws (pack of 10)

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1 pack · Hollow-wall toggle fixings (pack of 4)

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RDT-07Fixing into a solid concrete soffitDrill with a masonry bit and hammer action, 6mm diameter, to a depth of 40mm. Blow out the dust, insert a matching 6mm wall plug fully flush, then drive in a 50mm masonry screw or a screw sized for the plug. Concrete drilling is slow going - let the drill do the work rather than forcing it.

1 each · Masonry drill bit, 6mm

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1 pack · Wall plugs, 6mm (pack of 20)

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1 pack · Masonry screws, 50mm (pack of 10)

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RDT-08Fit the ceiling bracketsHold each bracket against its marked point and check it's still lined up with the others using a spirit level along the marked line. Drill and fix using whichever method matches your ceiling from the previous steps. Fix the end brackets first, then the middle ones, checking the level again as you go.

1 pack · Ceiling fixing brackets (pack of 3)

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RDT-09Fit the track and check it runs straightClip or screw the track sections into the brackets, following the track maker's instructions for joining lengths if needed. Run a spirit level along the underside to check it's true, and sight along it to check it's straight, adjusting the brackets slightly if it dips anywhere.

1 each · Ceiling curtain track, 2m

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RDT-10Hang the curtain and test itThread the curtain hooks or rings onto the track, then hang the curtain. Pull it fully open and fully closed a few times to check the gliders run smoothly and no bracket has come loose.

RDT-11Make good and tidy upFill any oversized pilot holes around the brackets with a fine surface filler, especially on lath and plaster where the plaster may have chipped. Let the filler dry fully, then touch in with matching ceiling paint if needed. Vacuum up dust and dispose of any offcuts and packaging.

1 tub · Fine surface filler

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1 small tin · Ceiling touch-up paint

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