Trying to drill into window recess to hang blinds. Why is it never easy?

[Mander]

I live in a mid-50s ex council house and it seems that every time I try to do what should be a simple job I run into a problem.

Today I started to hang Venetian blinds in a window recess. However I can only drill through a centimetre or so of plaster before I hit something too hard for my drill. I'm using a masonry bit but it's having zero effect. How can I determine whether it's masonry and I should switch to the impact drill, or whether it's steel and I should either give up or buy a different kind of drill bit?

 

[Mander]

Ah I'm perhaps just in the wrong place.

 

[foxhole]

I always fix to frame , never drilled a recess to hang blinds .

 

[JohnD]

Perhaps there is a steel lintel. A masonry bit is unsuitable.

Or maybe a reinforced concrete one. Look at the dust or shavings on your drill.

 

[mrrusty]

As you have discovered, drilling upwards in a window reveal likely hits a lintel. Often steel. The answer is either to fix to the window frame or fix a batten across which you can do with a good quality grab adhesive as long as the blinds are not very heavy (usually not).

You can drill catnic type steel lintels with a good twist bit, and you can get a fixing with a plug, but it's easier to do something else.

 

[Mander]

There's no frame to speak of, they are uPVC windows in a brick wall. Or at least I have yet to find one in this house.

Turned out there was some kind of steel beading (? not sure what to call it but it was quite thick, but on the inside of the house rather than the external wall side) on the corner. I moved the drill back a bit and it was just brick and plaster.