Before drilling a window head, confirm what is behind the plaster and get permission for the fixing position. Choose the concrete plug and screw together, then match the masonry bit to the plug instructions. Measure the bracket position and required hole depth before drilling. If you cannot confirm the structure or locate hidden services, leave the fixing to someone equipped to check it.
How do I find out what is behind the plaster?
A condo window head is often concrete. Before you mark a hole, ask building management for information about the ceiling or lintel and permission to drill at the proposed fixing points. Ask about concealed services and any restrictions on drilling into the structure. Keep the bracket instructions beside you so you can explain where the fixings need to go.
Look for an existing exposed edge or an accessible opening that lets you identify the material without making another hole. Have the proposed fixing area checked with detection equipment suited to the construction. A tap on the plaster is not enough to choose a fixing. Do not use a trial hole to find out what is hidden.
If the drawings, inspection and detection leave doubt, stop there. Ask a qualified installer or someone equipped to assess the structure to check the fixing positions. Leave suspected reinforcement, concealed services and uncertain ceiling construction alone.
What should I measure before marking the brackets?
Decide between an inside mount and an outside mount before measuring. An inside mount sits within the opening. Check for at least 2 inches of flat depth for the cassette. If there is less, choose an outside mount. For an outside mount, add at least 2 inches each side and 2 to 3 inches above the opening.
Use a tape measure and write down the width first, then the height, to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. For an inside mount, measure the opening across the top, middle and bottom. Use the narrowest width. Measure from the top of the opening to the sill at the left, middle and right. Use the longest height. Give us the exact opening measurements without subtracting anything.
When the shade arrives, use its bracket instructions to mark the fixing positions with a pencil. Measure the available mounting surface and check that the bracket sits flat. Keep the window measurements separate from the fixing-hole marks. Do not guess bracket spacing from the width of the cassette.
Which bit, plug and screw should I use for concrete?
Choose the fixing after the concrete and the permitted drilling area have been confirmed. Take the bracket and its fixing instructions to a fixing supplier. Ask for a concrete plug and matching screw suitable for the bracket, the shade load and the mounting direction. Tell them about the plaster between the bracket and the concrete.
Use the masonry bit diameter specified for that plug. Take the hole depth, screw diameter, screw length and required concrete engagement from the fixing instructions. Write those measurements down before starting. We cannot give you a universal bit, plug or screw size without the fixing specification and the mounting conditions.
Check that the screw head fits the bracket and holds it securely. Account for the bracket and plaster thickness when selecting the screw. Do not assume that a plug supplied for another wall material will suit concrete. If you cannot establish a complete matching fixing arrangement, leave the fastening to an installer.
How do I drill and fasten the bracket?
Set out the drill, specified masonry bit, depth stop, pencil, tape measure, hole-cleaning equipment and matching screwdriver. Use eye protection and suitable dust protection. Follow the drill and fixing instructions for overhead work. Position yourself so you can control the drill without stretching across the window opening.
With the fixing area cleared for drilling, check each pencil mark against the bracket. Set the drilling depth from the fixing instructions. Drill at the marked position using the specified mode and bit. Stop if you meet unexpected metal, a void or material that differs from what was confirmed. Do not force the bit through an obstruction or move the hole casually.
Clean the hole as the plug manufacturer directs before inserting the plug. Fit the bracket and tighten the matching screw as instructed. Check that the bracket is secure before fitting the shade. If the plug turns, the hole breaks away or the bracket moves, stop and have the fixing assessed before hanging anything from it.
When should I ask ShadeForge to install it?
Ask us about installation if you cannot verify the structure, select the fixing or work comfortably overhead. We install within 75 km of Elgin Mills and Yonge in Richmond Hill. Installation is $100 per window, minimum three. Tell us about the concrete ceiling or lintel when arranging the work so we can discuss the mounting conditions.
You can still order a single shade. There is no minimum shade order. As a pricing example, a chain-operated zebra shade at 30 by 72 inches is $237.00 before tax, with shipping in Canada included. That is an example window size. We price your shade from the measurements of the window it is for.
We make shades to order in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and dispatch within three working days of a confirmed order. Transit is on top. Confirm the mounting approach before ordering, because custom shades are final sale once the order is confirmed. That does not cover a shade that arrives faulty, damaged or different from what was ordered.
What to do next
Once the mounting position is confirmed, measure your window and price it on our website. Enter the width first, then the height, to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. You can order free material samples on the website before choosing your shade.
Made to measure in Richmond Hill and shipped free anywhere in Canada. Or ring us on (289) 210-3254.