The first decision in any blind installation is not which blind to buy but where it will sit: inside the window recess, or on the wall or frame around it. That choice decides how the blind is measured, how it is fixed, how much light gets in around the edges, and whether it will clash with window handles when it is down.
Voltify Contractors fits roller, Roman, Venetian and vertical blinds in homes, rental properties and commercial buildings across East and South-East London. Blind fitting is one of the jobs covered by our handyman and property maintenance service, and several windows can be done on one visit.
Inside the Recess or Outside It?
| Inside the recess | Outside the recess | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Neat and built-in, leaving the sill clear | Frames the window and can make it look larger |
| Light and privacy | Small gaps at the sides let some light through | Overlaps the opening, so blocks more light; better for bedrooms |
| How it is fixed | Usually top-fixed into the underside of the recess | Face-fixed to the wall above the window, or to the ceiling |
| What to check | Recess depth for the headrail and slats, and clearance from window handles | Enough flat wall above the window, and clearance from curtain poles and coving |
| Measuring | Width taken at several points inside the recess, as recesses are rarely square | Width and drop measured with an overlap each side and below the sill |
Handles on tilt-and-turn and casement windows are the most common problem with inside-recess blinds. If the recess is shallow, the blind may catch the handle or stop the window opening, and an outside-recess blind or a blind fitted to the window frame itself is usually the better choice.
How Each Type of Blind Is Fitted
Roller blinds
Two small brackets hold the roller. They must be exactly level and in line, or the fabric tracks to one side and frays against the edge of the recess. Roller blinds are also the type most often cut down by the retailer, so the ordered width needs to allow for the brackets.
Roman blinds
A headrail carries folded fabric, which makes Roman blinds heavier than most rollers, particularly with blackout lining. The headrail brackets are spaced along its length and fixed securely, because the whole weight hangs from them each time the blind is raised.
Venetian blinds
Wooden and aluminium Venetians need enough recess depth for the slats to tilt without hitting the glass or handles. On doors, hold-down brackets at the bottom stop the blind swinging each time the door is opened.
Vertical blinds
Common on patio doors, bay windows and in offices. The track can be fixed to the ceiling or the wall above, and it has to be dead straight, as any dip makes the louvres bunch or fail to close evenly.
Frame-fitted blinds for uPVC windows
Some blinds are made to clip into the beading of uPVC windows and doors so the frame does not need drilling, and the blind moves with the window when it is tilted open. Fitting follows the blind maker’s instructions for that system. Screwing other blinds directly into a uPVC frame should be avoided unless the blind maker says it is suitable, and it is worth checking with the window installer first.
Child Safety and Blind Cords
Looped cords and chains on blinds are a known strangulation risk for babies and young children. New blinds normally come with safety devices such as cleats, chain tensioners or breakaway connectors, and these are fitted as part of the job rather than left in the box. When planning where blinds go:
- keep cleats high, out of a child’s reach;
- fix chain tensioners to the wall or frame so the loop stays taut;
- move cots, beds and furniture children could climb on away from windows with corded blinds;
- consider cordless or wand-operated blinds for children’s bedrooms.
Older blinds with long loose loops can often be made safer by adding a cleat or tensioner, or replaced with a cordless design.
What Is Above the Window
The underside of a window recess is normally the lintel, which in many homes is concrete or steel and much harder to fix into than the surrounding wall. Top-fixed blinds depend on it, so the fixing method is chosen once the recess has been checked. Where the lintel makes a top fix impractical, a face fix on the wall above or a frame-fitted blind can be the better route. Old plugs and holes from previous blinds are filled so the new brackets go into sound material; larger damage can be put right through our drywall and wall repair service.
Blind Installation Cost and Ordering
Most made-to-measure blinds are ordered to exact sizes, so the measurements matter more than on almost any other fitting job. Follow the retailer’s measuring guide for inside or outside recess, note which deductions they make, and check the blinds when they arrive, before the fitting visit, so any sizing problem can be sorted with the retailer.
The documented minimum call-out is £80 for the first hour. The total depends on the number of blinds, the type, whether they are top-fixed, face-fixed or frame-fitted, awkward access such as stairwell or high windows, and whether old blinds are being taken down first.
Blinds are often fitted alongside curtain poles, shelves or a longer list of small jobs in one handyman visit. Landlords fitting blinds between tenancies can arrange it through our landlord property maintenance service, and offices and managed buildings can schedule it as part of our commercial property maintenance work.
Standard visits run 7am–5pm, Monday to Friday. Contact Voltify Contractors to arrange your blind installation, or check the areas we cover across East and South-East London.
