Fit bay window blinds to a solid brick or block wall

1 each · Pencil

BW-02Gather tools and materialsGet everything ready before you start: cordless drill, masonry bits, spirit level, screws, wall plugs, brackets and the blinds themselves. Lay a dust sheet under the window to catch masonry dust and offcuts.

1 each · Cordless drill

1 set · Masonry drill bit set

1 each · Spirit level (600mm)

1 each · Dust sheet

BW-03Check for cables and pipes, and find your stopcockRun a cable and pipe detector over every fixing point before you drill. Even so, expect a cable or pipe could still be there - detectors miss things that are deep, in metal conduit, or outside the usual safe zones. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt about what's behind the wall, isolate the electrics at the consumer unit before drilling.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

BW-04Confirm what's behind the wallThis job assumes solid brick or block. Tap the wall with a knuckle - solid masonry sounds dense with little rebound, unlike the hollow tap of a stud wall or the duller, slightly springy sound of dot-and-dab plasterboard. Bay window recesses are almost always solid masonry, but return walls beside a bay are sometimes dry-lined with dot-and-dab or built as a stud partition. If a return wall sounds hollow, treat it as dot-and-dab or stud rather than solid masonry, and use the fixing given in the variation step below.

BW-05Mark and level the bracket positionsHold a bracket in position and mark through its fixing holes with a pencil. Use a spirit level across the tops of all brackets on the same run so the blind hangs straight, not just level to a wall that may be slightly out of true. Double-check spacing against the blind's own fixing points before you drill anything.

BW-06Drill and fix brackets into solid brick or blockDrill each marked point with a masonry bit sized to your plug - typically a 6mm bit for a standard red wall plug with a no.8 screw - to a depth of at least 40mm. Push the plug in flush, then drive the screw in until the bracket is tight without overtightening and cracking the masonry. Use at least three brackets per rail on wide bay recesses.

12 each · Red wall plugs (6mm)

12 each · Screws 40mm no.8

1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

BW-07Fixing into a dot-and-dab or stud return wall (if you have one)If a return wall beside the bay is dot-and-dab, a standard plug only grips the plasterboard skin and will pull out under the blind's weight - use a fixing long enough to reach through the 30-50mm dab gap into the masonry behind, such as a 75mm frame fixing. If it's a stud partition, find the stud with a detector or by tracking screw heads, then drill a small pilot hole: timber dust means a timber stud, fine grey swarf means a metal stud. Fix a wood screw into the centre of a timber stud. Never use a plain wall plug or ordinary wood screw on a metal stud - it strips straight through 0.5mm steel; use a self-drilling metal-stud screw or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the load. Because a bay blind pulls on its brackets every time it's used, a single metal-stud fixing is often not enough for a heavier rail - fit a timber noggin between the studs, or fix through to the masonry behind, wherever you can.

6 each · Frame fixings 75mm

6 each · Self-drilling metal-stud screws

6 each · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchor

BW-08Fit the blinds and test the movementClip or slot each headrail into its brackets, following the blind maker's instructions - most simply click into place. Test that the blind raises, lowers and tilts smoothly across its full range before you move the ladder. If it catches at any bracket, loosen and re-level that bracket rather than forcing the mechanism.

BW-09Motorised or mains-powered blinds: electrical workIf you're fitting a motorised blind that connects to the mains, treat the wiring separately from the bracket fixing. Any new circuit connection, and any new wiring in a kitchen or bathroom, falls under Part P of the Building Regulations - get a registered electrician to carry out or check this work. Battery-powered or plug-in motors don't need this.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Part P of the Building Regulations covers new mains wiring. A registered electrician must carry out or sign off any new circuit connection, especially in kitchens and bathrooms.

BW-10Tidy upVacuum masonry dust from the sill and floor - it's fine and gets everywhere. Wipe down the brackets and sill with a damp cloth. Dispose of packaging and give every fixing a final tug-test before you finish.

1 each · Vacuum cleaner (own tool)

1 each · Cloth