Fit bay window blinds to a timber stud wall

Fit bay window blinds neatly by marking level bracket points, then choosing the right fixing for your wall before drilling and tidying up.

BW-01Plan the job and gather your toolsMeasure each window recess for width and depth, and decide whether brackets go on the side reveals or on the wall face above the window. Check you have enough blind kits for every window in the bay. Lay a dust sheet over the sill and floor, and gather your tools before you start.

1 each · Cordless drill

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1 set · Mixed drill bit set (wood, masonry, metal)

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1 each · Spirit level

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1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Pencil

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BW-02Mark the bracket positionsHold the first bracket where you want it and use a spirit level to draw a level line across to each matching point. Mark every fixing hole with a pencil dot. Step back and check the whole bay looks level and even before you drill anything.

1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Spirit level

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BW-03Check what's behind the wall, and stay safeRun a cable and pipe detector over every mark, then still treat the wall as if something could be there — detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, and anything hidden behind a metal stud frame. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe; if you're at all unsure, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling. Drill one small pilot hole at a test point: fine pale dust means timber stud or masonry, fine grey swarf means metal stud, and a hollow sound with no stud contact means you're between studs on plasterboard.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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BW-04Fix brackets into a timber studDrill a 2mm pilot hole into the centre of the stud so the screw doesn't split the wood. Drive a 40-50mm wood screw through the bracket into the pilot hole until it pulls up tight, without overtightening. This is the strongest fixing available in a stud wall, so use it whenever a stud lines up with your mark.

8 each · Wood screws 40-50mm

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BW-05Fix brackets into a metal studNever use a wood screw or a plain plastic plug in a metal stud — it will strip straight through the thin steel. Use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a hollow-wall toggle rated for the load, driven through the plasterboard into the steel track. Metal studs won't hold heavy fittings or anything that pulls away from the wall in use; for a heavy pelmet or wide wooden blind, fit a timber noggin between the studs first, or fix through to the masonry behind if there is any.

8 each · Self-drilling metal stud fixings

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1 length · Timber noggin (if fitting one)

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BW-06Fix brackets into solid brick or blockDrill with a masonry bit sized to your wall plug — typically 6mm for a No. 8 screw — to a depth of about 40-45mm. Blow or vacuum the dust out of the hole so the plug grips properly. Push in the plug, then drive the screw through the bracket into the plug until snug.

8 each · Rawlplug wall plugs

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8 each · Wood screws 40mm

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BW-07Fix brackets into dot-and-dab plasterboardDot-and-dab walls have a plasterboard skin held off the masonry by adhesive dabs, with a gap behind of up to 50mm. Use a long fixing — a screw and plug of at least 75-90mm, or a suitable frame fixing — that reaches through the plasterboard and the gap to bite into the solid masonry behind, not just the board. A short fixing here will pull out under load, taking a chunk of plasterboard with it.

8 each · Long frame fixings 75-90mm

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BW-08Fix brackets into lath and plasterOld lath and plaster is brittle, so drill slowly and don't force the bit. Where you can find a timber lath or the stud behind, fix a screw into that; where you can't, use a hollow-wall toggle fixing rated for the bracket's load, so the grip spreads across the plaster rather than one weak point. Expect small cracks even with care, and keep some ready-mixed filler on hand to patch them.

8 each · Hollow-wall toggle fixings

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1 tub · Ready-mixed filler

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BW-09Fit the blinds and check they run smoothlyClip or screw each blind headrail onto its brackets, following the kit's instructions. Check the blind sits level along the top and operates smoothly when raising, lowering and tilting. Adjust the brackets slightly if the blind binds or hangs unevenly.

3 each · Bay window blind kit

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BW-10Tidy upVacuum drilling dust and plaster debris from the sill and floor. Wipe down the window frame and blinds with a dry cloth. Fold away the dust sheet and dispose of the packaging.

1 each · Vacuum cleaner

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1 each · Dry cloth

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