Roller blind fitting broke. How to re-insert into broken plaster?

October 29, 2018 12:52 PM

We installed black-out roller blinds above our windows. The blinds fit into metal fittings which are screwed into the inside of the window frame, which is cement / plaster. When pulling down on the blind, one fitting has torn out, leaving a ragged hole in the cement / plaster. Pictures. How do I re-attach the fitting into the now-weakened window frame, so that it won't happen again?
posted by snarfois to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

You can rotate those fittings so they attach to the wall instead of the ceiling.

Will that give you a better surface to use?
posted by hydra77 at 1:01 PM on October 29, 2018

Response by poster: I don't think that's an option. The "wall" is the uPVC window frame. I don't want to drill into that.
posted by snarfois at 1:04 PM on October 29, 2018

I would first try and re-use those existing holes by first inserting a plastic wall anchor. Those will expand to fill the hole as you insert the screw. Buy a kit with a few different sizes (like this) to try and find one that will mostly fill the existing hole.

You could then spackle/paint around that before or after you put up the bracket. If those aren't working, you can work your way up through more robust anchors -- even using some epoxy to hold them in. However, those should probably work for your purposes if they get a good grip, and they are the easiest to find and install.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 1:11 PM on October 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

Do you have access to above the ceiling? If so, I would glue in a board to hold screws. Make sure that it is solid enough to drill and screw into.
If not, I would reinforce the pieces of scratch coat (cement-like material) by gluing the pieces together with epoxy.
Then patch the hole with drywall compound, dry, sand, patch, paint, etc.
Drill holes for toggle bolts and reinstall the bracket.
posted by H21 at 1:35 PM on October 29, 2018

Yeah, a screw insert so you aren't pulling on screws fastened to glued-together sand. Push an insert in, put a stick in the hole, spackle all around it, take the stick out and screw the bracket back in.
posted by rhizome at 1:38 PM on October 29, 2018

Get out all the loose and broken pieces from the plaster. Fill with epoxy (2-component) putty. Let set. Put bracket back.
posted by Stoneshop at 5:14 AM on October 30, 2018

A screw insert or plastic anchor as people are suggesting here is your best bet.
posted by kev23f at 1:53 AM on November 4, 2018