How to Hang Blinds: Brackets, Fixings and Getting It Level
To hang a blind, mark the bracket positions, drill and plug the fixing points, screw the brackets level, clip the headrail in and test the mechanism before you let go of it. The whole job takes about twenty minutes a window with the right fixing, and the fixing is the part that decides whether the blind is still on the wall in a year.
Mark the brackets before you drill anything
Hold the headrail in position and mark through the bracket holes rather than measuring down from the ceiling, which is rarely level in an older house. Brackets sit 50 to 75mm in from each end of the headrail. On a blind wider than about 1.5 metres, add a centre bracket, because the weight of a wide roller tube will otherwise pull the end brackets forward over time.
Match the fixing to what is behind the wall
Brick and plaster take a 6mm plug and screw. Drywall needs a spring toggle or a screw into the stud, never a plastic plug on its own, because plasterboard has almost no pull-out strength and the blind will drop with the plug still attached to it. Aluminium and steel window frames are drilled and screwed directly with a self-tapping screw. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a blind fails, and it fails months later rather than on the day.
Level matters more on a blind than on a picture
A picture hung one degree out reads as charming. A blind hung one degree out will not roll straight: the fabric tracks toward the low side with every cycle until it bunches at one end of the tube. Use a spirit level across both brackets, not the window frame itself, which in most Cape Town houses is not square.
| Behind the wall | Fixing | What fails without it |
|---|---|---|
| Brick or plaster | 6mm wall plug and screw | Screw strips out of soft plaster |
| Drywall / plasterboard | Spring toggle, or screw into the stud | Plug pulls straight out, blind drops |
| Aluminium window frame | Self-tapping screw, drilled directly | Plug has nothing to expand against |
| Timber reveal | Screw directly, no plug | Over-long screw splits the reveal |
| Concrete lintel | Masonry bit and sleeve anchor | Standard plug spins in the hole |
Blinds Mentioned in This Guide
Blind Installers
A blind installer measures each window, has the blind manufactured to that exact size, then mounts the brackets, hangs the…
Blind Repairs
Blind repairs fix a jammed mechanism, a snapped cord or broken slats, so you avoid the cost of a whole new blind.
Roller Blinds
Roller blinds are a single panel of fabric that winds onto a tube above the window, giving clean, slat-free light control from…
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How to Hang Blinds — FAQs
How do you hang blinds without drilling?
Tension rods and adhesive brackets exist but hold only very light blinds, and adhesive fails in the heat of a north-facing window. For anything heavier than a small ready-made roller, drilling is the only reliable fixing. A rented flat is usually the case where no-drill options are worth it.
How high above the window should a blind be fitted?
For an outside mount, fit the headrail 50 to 100mm above the opening so the blind overlaps the top of the window and closes the light gap. For an inside mount the blind sits in the recess and the height is fixed by the reveal.
Do you need a centre bracket?
Add a centre bracket on any blind wider than about 1.5 metres. The tube on a wide roller blind carries real weight when the fabric is wound, and two end brackets alone will flex over time.
Why won't my blind roll up straight?
A blind that tracks to one side is almost always mounted out of level, so the fabric climbs toward the low bracket a little more with each cycle. Take it down, level both brackets against each other rather than against the window frame, and re-hang.