Home DIY

Have been tasked with fitting blackout curtains in our main bedroom but it's a rental and for some inexplicable reason none of the windows have functioning methods for hanging window fixings (lots of broken painted over ones though that look fucking awful) but the letting company insist all fittings are "professionally installed" and we'll be required to make good and remove them and fix any damage after we leave (so the next tenants can go through the same hell, landlords are cunts).

like fuck am I paying someone to hang curtains but wondering whats the most cost-efficient way to cover the windows while causing the least amount of damage. GF is notoriously finicky sleeper so needs to be pitch black in room once they're up and closed.

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for stealth i was wondering if these would work smashed into the top of the window edges. would require 4 poles and 8 fixings but not sure if they work ok or not

edit: not sure they'd work for the middle fixings in the bay window actually. balls.

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If the landlord considers the existing hardware as professionally fitted then I say do whatever works for you and plaster the evidence over when you move. Or do they inspect the work?

Do you want it to look nice or just work as blackout? You can get suction cup blackout blinds intended for travelling with kids, but you’ll have to restick them each night.

Based on needing pitch black, I'd make a thin wooden frame to sit inside the window frame, cover with black out material and then use magnets to hold in place. Small metal plates need only be attached to window frames with decent double sided foam tape. Obvs these frames need to be taken down each morning and put somewhere.

Any roller blind or similar will always have some gap round the edge that lets light in.

Blackout roller blinds fitted using the same screw holes as the current brackets, and put the existing (broken) brackets back when you move out. Just don't throw the old ones away in the meantime...

@HatBeard

I'd recommend the blackout material from this place
https://www.easyblindsonline.co.uk

They do easy to remove frame fastenings that shouldn't damage window frames
https://www.easyblindsonline.co.uk/blinds/accessories/frame-fastener-strips-for-wooden-and-upvc-window-frames

Used them when our kid was a baby, I still use them for shift work in the summer

Another item I’ve replaced, well used but in good working condition with a few spare blades.
Collection near Manchester or cover postage costs - £6ish

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Def will take if you'll ship to London! No stress if a local wants it though.

There's a pretty good chance the letting company have no idea what's installed and so, so long as what you for isn't a death trap, they won't care.

Easy option is these though. They work fine and just stick up
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/schottis-block-out-pleated-blind-dark-grey-90369507/

I’ll give it a day and if nobody local wants it I’ll post it for you

Does anyone have any recommendations for timber merchants that do reclaimed floorboards - notably somewhere that can ship/deliver up north?

1905(ish) house has a couple that have been butchered over the years and would be nice to replace once everythings been done.

More than fair. No stress.

I guess an eye mask is out?

I've bought from here before:

https://www.reclaimed.uk.com/

It's not the cheapest but they will cut to size and say they source and sell internationally.

When we got our worktops installed we didn't get any edging done - I'm not sure why, probably just because we didn't ask and our kitchen fitter was good but not particularly proactive. I think we should have, and our toddler is getting bigger and bigger and closer to the relatively sharp angles and corners.

Is rounded edging something I could do reasonably well myself? How difficult is it on a scale of 1-10? And what new tool do I get to buy, if so? I think this is what a router is for, am I right?

And what new tool do I get to buy, if so? I think this is what a router is for, am I right?

Correct router is the one (although you could go traditional as do it with planes and chisels, or moulding planes). Buy router (1/4" shank palm router will be the most controllable and best suited for the job), buy appropriate bit, set up router and away you go remembering not to do a climb cut (you want to push the cutting edge so it's spinning into the cut. If you go the other way the router can run away from you).

Pinterest rip off corner unit assembled, filled, sanded and first coat applied. 19mm MDF (left behind by the guys who built our airing cupboard) and F&B exterior eggshell (bought when ms_com wanted our front door that colour and then finally saw sense). Happy with it so far. Managed to fill the screws better than I have done previously, and my "joinery" (read: butt joints) needed minimal sanding and/or filling. Will be using 8mm plugs and 70mm screws, 4 on each side to attach to the wall(s).

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Further inspection shows the shower on a 30a fuse, and as-yet undetermined cable size. Looks chunky but I haven't had a proper look yet so could only be 6mm.

Changing cable and/or fuse are part p and building regs jobbies so that rules out DIY. Plus the tiles are all coming away from the wall in one big sheet so that needs sorting before anyone is crushed by falling ceramics whilst washing their hair... The list of jobs get longer but at least tiling is something I can do!

Yeah you'll need to get a spark in then to upgrade it then, from memory 6mm is too small for an 8.5kw shower but im sure one of the sparks will be able to correct me if im wrong.

Running power out to a garage- is this something that would need permissions from more than the freeholder as it would (I think) need to be routed underneath the driveway that for example the bin lorries use to get to the bins?

Or is this something that can be done with (in theory) the freeholders blessing?

Thank you, as ever.

Anyone put up blinds directly next to each other? We have three windows next to each other, totalling about 2m wide. Need to get blinds. Idea is three independent blinds, but I've read that unless they're on the same headrail the slats are unlikely to line up. But I can't find any UK blind sellers that do 3 on 1 headrail blinds. Maybe this is a terminology thing? Is there something that I should be searching?

Also, somewhat related, but our windows open inwards so we'll be putting the blinds on the outside of the recess. Not ideal but opening the windows is sort of important. But anyone have any other interesting options I've not thought about?

Looking good! Good coverage for a first coat. Did you use a primer or paint straight on to the MDF?

Nah, straight to MDF.