Fit a vertical blind to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall
Fit a vertical blind track above a dot-and-dab wall, checking what's behind the board before you drill anything.
VB-01Gather your tools and check the kitGet everything ready before you start climbing up and down a stepladder. You'll need a drill with 3mm and 6-8mm masonry bits, a No. 2 screwdriver, tape measure, pencil, spirit level, and a cable/pipe detector. Open the blind box and check it has the headrail, brackets, screws, end caps, chain weights and the correct number of louvres for your window width.
1 each · Vertical blind kit (headrail, brackets, louvres)
VB-02Measure and mark your bracket positionsMeasure the full width of the window recess or frame and mark the centre line in pencil. Most headrails need a bracket at each end and one every 300-600mm along the top, so mark these evenly along a level pencil line 20-30mm above the window frame or recess. Use your spirit level to check the line is dead straight before you mark any screw holes — a blind that runs downhill is obvious from across the room.
VB-03Work out what's behind the wall before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, not just in the 'safe zones' you might expect, so run your detector over every marked point first. Even then, treat the wall as if something is there until you prove otherwise — detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or fed sideways to a socket. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry it.
VB-04Check what's under the plasterboard at each fixing pointFor dot-and-dab, the plasterboard sits on foam or adhesive dabs with an air gap behind, then solid masonry. Drill a 3mm pilot hole at one mark: if it goes through board, then a gap of 10-40mm, then hits something solid, that's masonry behind dot-and-dab. Fine white or grey dust means brick or block; if it stops dead almost straight away with no gap, you may be on solid brick with no dot-and-dab, or a timber or metal stud wall instead.
VB-05If it's timber or metal studs, confirm whichRun a stud detector or a strong magnet along the wall — a magnet will stick to the screw heads fixing the plasterboard to a metal stud, and you'll feel a change from hollow to solid every 400-600mm over a timber or metal stud. Drill a small pilot hole into the solid point: pale timber dust means a wood stud, and fine grey metal shavings (swarf) mean a metal stud. Metal studs are common in flats, new-build homes, and anything refitted since the 1990s, so don't assume timber just because the wall sounds solid.
VB-06Fit the brackets using the right fixing for your wallDot-and-dab: use a screw and plug long enough to pass through the board, the air gap and reach 25-30mm into the masonry behind — typically a 60-75mm screw with a matching plug, drilled with a 6mm masonry bit. Solid brick or block with no dab: a standard wall plug and screw with 25-30mm embedment is enough. Timber stud: drive a wood screw straight into the centre of the stud, no plug needed. Metal stud: use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the bracket load — never a plain plastic plug or ordinary wood screw, both strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Lath and plaster: pre-drill through the plaster to avoid cracking, then fix into the timber lath or stud behind with a longer screw, working slowly by hand for the last few turns.
VB-07Fit the headrail onto the bracketsClip or screw the headrail into the fitted brackets, following the manufacturer's clip method — most vertical blind rails simply push up and click into place. Check the rail sits level with your spirit level and that it runs smoothly along its full length before you fit any louvres. Gently pull down on the rail at each bracket to check the fixing holds before loading it with the full weight of the louvres.
VB-08Hang the louvres and fit the chain and weightsStarting from one end, hook each louvre onto its carrier and let it hang, keeping the pattern facing the same way if the fabric has a print. Clip the bottom chain into the weight inserts at the base of each louvre, then link the chain along the full row. Attach the wand or cord control to the end carrier as shown in the fitting instructions.
VB-09Test, adjust and tidy upSlide the blind fully open and closed a few times to check it runs smoothly and every louvre turns together. Adjust individual louvre clips if any hang unevenly, and trim the bottom chain if it's too long. Clear away packaging, offcuts and dust, and put your tools away.
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