Blind and Curtain Pole Fitting in Newcastle

Fitting a blind or curtain pole looks simple until you find the drill skating off a concrete lintel, the plaster crumbling around the plug, or the bracket landing right where a cable might be. Get it slightly wrong and blinds sit crooked, poles sag in the middle, or the whole lot pulls out of the wall when someone yanks a curtain.

Handy Andrew fits blinds, curtain poles and curtain tracks across Newcastle, from new-build homes in North Tyneside to Victorian and Edwardian houses in Jesmond and Gosforth, where window reveals and plaster can be unpredictable. Andrew measures carefully, checks for cables and pipes, uses fixings suited to the wall, and makes sure everything is level before the final screws go in.

It is a popular job for people who have just moved house, landlords replacing broken blinds between tenancies, and anyone who has bought blinds online and wants them fitted properly. Andrew can fit products you have bought or advise on measuring before you order, and can also take down old poles and fill the holes.

What we fit

• Curtain poles, including extra-long and corner-joined poles
• Curtain tracks, including bay window tracks bent to shape
• Roller, Roman, Venetian and vertical blinds
• Blackout and day-and-night blinds
• Inside-recess or outside-recess fitting
• Blinds on uPVC window frames using suitable no-drill or frame fixings where appropriate
• Child-safety cord cleats and tensioners
• Removing old fittings and filling holes

Inside or outside the recess?

Blinds can be fitted inside the window recess, sitting neatly within the reveal, or outside it, covering the window and some wall around it. Inside-recess fitting looks tidy but needs accurate measuring and enough depth for the blind and handles. Outside-recess fitting lets in less light around the edges and is often better for blackout blinds in bedrooms.

Things that affect the choice:

• Depth of the recess and any window handles that stick out
• Whether the reveal is square, which is not always the case in older houses
• Whether there is a concrete or steel lintel above the window
• How much light you want to block

If you have not ordered yet, Andrew can measure up so you buy the right size first time.

Bay windows and difficult walls

Bay windows are common in Newcastle's older terraces and semis, and they are the trickiest windows to dress. A curtain track can be bent to follow the bay, or you can use a bay pole with angled joints. Blinds are often fitted as separate units on each pane, which means lining them up carefully so they sit at the same height.

Walls bring their own problems. Steel lintels can be hard to drill and may need fixing into the frame or ceiling instead. Concrete lintels need the right masonry bit and patience. Old lath and plaster can crumble, so fixings may need to reach solid material behind. Andrew checks before drilling and will suggest a ceiling-mounted track or a different bracket if the wall will not hold a standard fitting.

What affects the price

• Number of windows and blinds or poles being fitted
• Type of window, such as standard, bay, bow or corner
• Wall type above the window, including steel or concrete lintels
• Length and weight of the curtains and pole
• Whether old fittings need removing and holes filling
• Whether you need help measuring before ordering