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Fitting the kitchen blind

In the steamy atmosphere of a kitchen where boiling pans, hot taps and kettles are always in use, blinds are a much safer bet than curtains when it comes to window dressing. However pretty your Harvard curtains may be, curtains just aren’t practical as they are prone to keeping smells from cooking food, they can become damp and end up rotten and they can also be something of a fire hazard (and before ask, no- tiebacks don’t solve the problem).

Roller blinds on the other hand are perfect for the culinary environment- not only are they frill free and easily wiped clean but they can wound completely out of the way, allowing you quick access to the window. Fitting a roller blind is a much simpler job than you might think but just so you’ve no excuses for not making your kitchen safe to inhabit below is a handy step by step guide.

The first measurement needed is that of your window opening. If the roller blind is to be fitted to the outside and hang over the entire opening then allow a suitable overhang either side of the window reveals. I’d say, when fitting or fixing to the wall face you allow 50mm either side of the opening size and always measure to make sure the distance either side of the window is exactly the same. If fitting the blind inside the window opening, allow about 25mm each side between the edge of the blind and the window reveal.

Most roller blinds allow you to cut them down to size and suggest in the instructions, doing this with a junior hacksaw. However in my opinion, a sharp hobby knife is much more appropriate for the fabric as it leaves a much smoother edge. A junior hacksaw is fine for the roller itself but a clever little trick is to wrap a few turns of masking tape around the area to be cut to prevent the saw slipping.

All roller blinds come with two different end pieces. One end is for the chain or pull chord, the other is a fixed bracket. The instructions for your particular blind will make it clear which one is which. It is always a good idea to fit the brackets to each end of the blind just so you can see, before you drill any holes, where each one sits and how it works.

Push the chain operation unit into the appropriate end of the blind and the non functioning end cap into the other, then measure between them to give yourself an accurate measurement for the width of the fabric. Find the appropriate fixing bracket for the chain end and, using the positioning guidelines a few paragraphs above, mark its position with a pencil.

Drill pilot holes into the pencil marking for the screw and fix the first bracket. Push the blind into this bracket and hold the remaining bracket in position. Mark this position with a pencil.

Drill the pilot holes and fix the last bracket. Fit the blind into the brackets and as they say in France- le jobs a good’n!

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