Curtain poles and blinds

The short answer

Fitting a pole or blind takes 20 to 40 minutes each once someone is on site with the right access and fixings. In older Scottish properties the difficulty is the wall or lintel above a tall window, and the weight of full-length interlined curtains, which pulls out inadequate fixings within months.

What the work involves

Checking what is above the window, choosing fixings that suit it, setting height and projection, levelling across a wide opening, and fitting brackets at proper centres for the weight.

Rules and responsibilities in Scotland

No certification applies. Blind cords in properties where children may be present must meet child-safety requirements on cord length and breakaway devices.

What commonly goes wrong

Fitting a heavy pole into crumbling plaster or a timber lining that has rotted, and leaving looped blind cords accessible.

What it usually costs

Indicative ranges only, to help you judge a quote. They are not an estimate for your property — only the business doing the work can give you that.

• Cheapest done as a batch across the whole property.
• High ceilings may need proper access equipment.
• Made-to-measure blinds for non-standard period openings cost more than stock sizes.

What to do, in order

1. 1Measure every window and decide pole or blind for each.
2. 2Order everything before booking the visit.
3. 3Ask for a middle bracket on any pole over about 2 metres.
4. 4Check blind cord safety where children may be present.
5. 5Test each one under full load before the fitter leaves.

Local detail for the Lothians

• Edinburgh tenement windows are tall, so poles usually sit high and need proper access.
• Original shutters, where present, are often repairable and worth keeping.
• Deep window reveals in stone properties change the projection needed.

When you need a professional

Bay windows, very wide openings and high ceilings are worth a joiner rather than improvised access.

Common questions

How high should a curtain pole go?

Usually 10–15cm above the opening, or higher to exaggerate ceiling height — but check what is structurally there to fix into.

Are shutters better than blinds?

Original working shutters, where they survive, insulate and secure well and are usually worth restoring.

Related pages

• Shelving, storage and flat-pack assembly

  Fitting shelving and wardrobes securely into stone, lath-and-plaster or plasterboard walls.

• Sash window easing and cord repairs

  Getting a painted-shut or rattling sash working again without replacing it.

• Repainting a single room

  One room repainted properly, in a day or two, without repainting the whole property.