WINDOWS & BLINDS

Put up a bay window curtain track on a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Fit a curved curtain track across a bay window, checking what's behind the plasterboard before you drill any fixing.

BW-01Measure up and gather everythingMeasure the full length of the bay, following the angles round, and buy a bendable curtain track a little longer than you need. Get a mix of fixings ready, because a bay wall is rarely one material end to end — expect dot-and-dab plasterboard on the main wall and solid masonry at the window reveals. Lay out your drill, spirit level, tape measure, pencil and a stepladder if the track sits above head height.
1 each · Bendable bay window curtain track (approx. 3m)
2 each · Track corner joiners
6 each · Track support brackets
1 each · Spirit level
1 each · Tape measure
1 each · Dust sheet
BW-02Work out what's actually behind the plasterboardTap the wall along your marked line: a solid thud means you've hit a dab of adhesive, a hollow sound means an air gap, and both are normal on dot-and-dab. At the window reveals, the wall is often solid brick or block with no plasterboard at all, so it will feel completely solid and sound dead when tapped. If any section sounds like a stud wall, run a detector along it, track the line of existing screw heads with a magnet, and drill a small pilot hole — timber dust means a timber stud, fine grey swarf means a metal stud. A curtain track pulls downward and outward as curtains are drawn, so if you find a metal stud with nothing behind it, fix through to a timber noggin or the masonry behind rather than trusting the stud alone.
1 each · Cable and pipe detector
BW-03Mark and level the bracket positionsHold the track in place at the height you want and mark a level line right round the bay with a spirit level, correcting for any dip in the wall as you go. Mark bracket points every 400-500mm, with one close to each corner (about 100-150mm away) so the track is well supported where it bends. Double-check the line is level on each of the three walls separately, since bay walls are rarely perfectly square to each other.
1 roll · Masking tape (for marking line)
BW-04Drill and fix the bracketsBefore you drill any of the marked points, run your detector over every one, then treat the wall as live anyway — detectors miss deep cables, cables in conduit, and anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. 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 at all, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn the water off before cutting into anything that could carry water. On dot-and-dab, drill through the plasterboard and the air gap into the solid masonry behind, using a long fixing (60-75mm) so it grips the masonry, not just the board. On the solid masonry reveals, drill a 6mm hole to about 40mm depth and use a wall plug with a matching screw. Into a timber stud, use a 4x40mm wood screw driven into the centre of the timber. Into a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor — never a plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. If any part of the bay is lath and plaster, find the timber laths first, or fit a spring toggle rated for the track's weight if you land between laths, since a plain screw can crack the old plaster.
1 pack of 10 · Frame fixings 7.5x110mm (for dot-and-dab)
1 pack of 20 · Wall plugs 6mm (for solid masonry)
1 box of 25 · Wood screws 4x40mm (for timber stud)
1 pack of 10 · Self-drilling metal stud fixings
1 pack of 4 · Spring toggle fixings (for lath and plaster)
1 set · Drill bit set (masonry and wood/metal)
BW-05Fit the track and shape it round the bayClip or screw the track onto the fixed brackets, working from one end of the bay to the other. Gently bend the flexible track by hand at each corner mark so it follows the angle of the bay smoothly, without kinking. Join separate track lengths with the corner connectors, and check with your spirit level that the whole run still sits level once it's shaped.
2 each · Track connector clips
BW-06Fit gliders, end stops and hang the curtainsThread the curtain gliders onto the track before fitting the final end stop, so they can't fall off. Fit an end stop at both ends of the track. Hang the curtains on the gliders and run them fully open and closed a few times, checking they move smoothly round both corners without sticking or dragging on a bracket.
1 pack of 30 · Curtain gliders
1 pack of 2 · Track end stops
BW-07Patch, tidy and check the fixingsFill any redundant screw or test holes with filler, let it dry, then rub it smooth with fine sandpaper once it's set. Vacuum up dust and swarf from drilling, and fold away your dust sheet. Give the track one last tug at each bracket point to check nothing has worked loose while you were fitting it.
1 tube · Multi-purpose filler
1 sheet · Fine sandpaper

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