DIY install guide
How to Install Roller Blinds
Installing a roller blind is one of the friendlier DIY jobs in a house: two brackets, a handful of screws, and the blind clips in. If you can hang a picture straight, you can hang a blind. This guide covers the order to do things in, the tools you need, and the small details, level brackets, the right fixings, a secured chain, that separate a neat install from a wonky one.
Our DIY blinds arrive made to your sizes with brackets, fixings and instructions in the box. Set aside a free morning for your first few windows and you will finish ahead of schedule.
Tools you need
Everything on this list is ordinary home kit.
- Drill, with a driver bit and a drill bit sized for your fixings
- Pencil and metal tape measure for marking bracket positions
- Spirit level, or the level app on your phone
- Step ladder that gets you comfortably above the window
- Wall anchors or masonry plugs if you are fixing to plasterboard or brick
- A second pair of hands for wide or heavy blinds
How it works
Five steps, in order
Unpack and check
Check each blind against your order: width, drop, fabric and control side, before anything goes on the wall.
Mark the brackets
Hold the brackets in place, recess or face, and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Keep both brackets level with each other.
Fix the brackets
Drill pilot holes and screw the brackets home with fixings that suit the surface: timber, plaster anchors or masonry plugs.
Then finish the job
Clip the blind in
Seat the control end first, then clip the idle end into its bracket until it locks. The blind should sit firm with no play.
Test and secure the chain
Run the blind fully down and up, check it tracks straight, then fix the chain safety device taut to the wall.
The details that make it look professional
Level matters more than centred. Eyes forgive a blind that sits a touch off-centre in the recess; they never forgive one that runs downhill. Level the brackets against each other with a spirit level before drilling, and on face fits, level against the window frame too, because ceilings and cornices are rarely straight.
Check what you are drilling into before you drill. Tap the wall: solid means timber or masonry, hollow means plasterboard that needs anchors. Above windows there is often a steel lintel; if the drill suddenly stops biting, step up to a metal bit rather than forcing it. And keep clear of the wiring that commonly runs beside window frames to switches and power points.
Finally, secure the chain. Loose chains are a real hazard for small children, and Australian rules require blind cords and chains to be kept out of reach or secured. Fit the supplied tensioning device taut to the wall, low enough to hold the chain firm. It takes one screw and it is not optional.
No blinds yet? Price them online.
Measure with our guide, enter your sizes, and see your blinds priced instantly. Brackets and fixings come in the box.
Install questions
How long does it take to install a roller blind?
Your first blind takes the longest while you find your rhythm; after that each one is quick. A careful beginner gets a standard window done well inside an hour, usually much less.
What do I screw the brackets into?
Whatever is behind the surface: timber, brick or plasterboard. Screws bite straight into timber, masonry needs a plug, and plasterboard on its own needs proper wall anchors rather than bare screws.
Do roller blinds come with brackets and screws?
Yes. Our DIY blinds ship with brackets, fixings and instructions. If your wall needs something special, like masonry plugs, any hardware store carries them.
Which side should the chain go?
The side you chose when ordering. Think about which side of the window you can actually reach once furniture is in place.
Do I have to secure the chain?
Yes. Loose blind cords and chains are a hazard for small children, and Australian rules require them to be secured. Fit the chain tensioning device supplied, fixed taut to the wall or frame.
What if the blind rubs or will not sit level?
Loosen one bracket and adjust before assuming the blind is wrong; small bracket movements fix most rubbing. If it still will not run true, call us and we will troubleshoot it with you.
More guides: How to measure roller blinds and how to measure curtains.
Free, in your home, Melbourne
Rather have it done for you?
In Melbourne, blinds bought through the free measure and quote are fitted by us, and the fit is our responsibility.