Please help me put up a blind!! I'm hitting metal

[IAmOptimusPrime]

I have spent flipping ages making 2 roman blinds for my mum's new build house. I have a bracket that needs to go in to the window recess, I have to drill these to the top of the recess.

The first hole was ok, easy for about 1/4 of the wall plug length then really hard but suddenly popped through.

On the left I just cannot make the hole deep enough, I think I'm hitting metal and 4 holes later I am grumpy and have buggered up my mums wall! What do I do now, I need help.

I cannot help, but will bump the thread for you.

Advisory: I haven't lived in England for nearly 50 years, buyer beware...

It is possible you are hitting metal, if your house has metal studs and/or metal window frames. Is the "drill dust" plaster, wood, or metal? Note that if the metal is very thin, there may not be a visible metal chip. Assuming you can't move the bracket to a different location, can you not just use a drill bit intended for metal?

It is possible that the first hole was also hitting metal, and then broke thru. It is possible that your drill bit is now blunt, so you can't break thru on the second hole?

I'd have to see it to be sure, please send airfare...

Thanks for the help, it was fine plaster dust coming out so I will get myself down b&q tomorrow for a new bit! At the moment it looks like a mouse has been at the wall.

I had a similar problem and went to B&Q and spent £3 on a new drill bit, it worked a treat!

are you drilling upwards or sideways?

and what does the tip of your drill look like? What colour is the drill?

Morning!

I am drilling upwards and the drill bit is silver. They are the only drill bits my dad has with a cordless drill. I was dreaming about it last night!

above the window will be a steel lintel to support the brickwork over the opening (some buildings have a reinforced concrete lintel, and older houses may still have wood)

A silver drill bit is normally a masonry bit, and will have a squarish piece of tungstun carbide brazed into the tip.

blue-black drills are for wood and metal.

Neither drill be will much use on the wrong material, and will quickly go blunt.

If you have already gone through the plaster and any mortar with the masonry bit, you can use a blue-black drill to go into the lintel. It must be slightly larger than the plasplug you are going to use, which will expand slightly when the screw goes ino it. You may find it easier to make the first hole with a slightly smalller drill, then use a large one to open it up. The lintel will be hollow. I wouldn't use a drill smaller than 4mm as you will probabably snap it.

Turn off the hammer action except for drilling into brick or block.

This happened to us. We fixed a strip of wood where the blind should be. The wood can be attached to the wall in other places to avoid the metal. Then attach blind to the wood. We painted the wood to match. It looks fine.

Good luck!