Decide: recess fit or face fix?

Look at how you measured your blind when you ordered. If you measured the inside of your window frame, you have a recess fit blind. If you measured wider than the frame to cover the wall around it, you have a face fix blind. Not sure? Your order confirmation will say which type.

For recess fit: check nothing will block the blind when it is rolled down, such as a window handle, security bar, or door handle. If something is in the way, the blind needs to sit forward of the obstruction.

Mount the Tab bracket first (this is the chain side)

Your blind has two brackets. The Tab bracket (it looks like a rectangular clip) goes on the same side as the chain control. If you ordered a left-hand chain, it goes on the left. Right-hand chain: right side.

Hold the Tab bracket up to the wall or frame in the position where you want the blind to hang. Use your pencil to mark the two screw holes. Put the bracket down, pick up your drill, and drill into both marks. Push a rawl plug into each hole. Now screw the Tab bracket firmly in place.

Mount the Pin bracket on the other end

Hold the roller inside the Tab bracket on one end. Let the other end (the pin end, which has a small round pin sticking out) rest against the wall where the Pin bracket will go. This tells you exactly where to position the second bracket.

This step is critical: the blind must be perfectly level. Use your spirit level across the top of the roller before you mark the Pin bracket position. If the roller tilts even slightly, the blind will roll unevenly and eventually bunch to one side.

Once level, mark the Pin bracket holes with your pencil. Remove the roller, drill the holes, insert rawl plugs, and screw the Pin bracket in place.

Hang the blind

Make sure the fabric is rolled up (not hanging loose) before you mount it. Insert the pin end of the roller into the Pin bracket first, then apply gentle pressure pushing the roller toward the Tab bracket side until the headrail clicks into the Tab bracket. You should hear a firm click when it is seated correctly.

Fix the chain loop to the wall

Pull the chain down to let the blind drop. Find the chain loop holder (a small plastic piece with a clip) that came in your box. Thread the chain through it. Hold the chain loop holder against the wall and mark its position at exactly 1.5 metres above the floor. This is the child safety height requirement. Drill, plug, and screw the chain loop holder in place with the chain still inside it.

Test the blind by pulling the chain in both directions. It should roll up and down smoothly without any resistance or catching.

Check your blind type before you start

Feel the tilt control. If it is a flat wand (like a ruler), you have a 50mm venetian. If it is a cord (a string), you have a 25mm venetian. The bracket systems are slightly different and are covered in the steps below.

Position the brackets

Decide recess fit (inside the frame) or face fix (on the wall above the window). Hold the blind up to the position where you want it to hang. Look at the tilt control: the brackets must sit at least 50mm away from the tilt wand or cord on each side. This is so the controls can move freely without catching on the bracket.

For 50mm venetians (face fix): Position the bracket with the swing arm facing toward you. Mark the two screw holes, drill, rawl plug, and screw in place.

For recess fit: Measure how far any window handles stick out from the frame. Mark that distance inside the frame on the top surface (the lintel). Your bracket goes behind that mark so the blind clears the handle when lowered. Drill, rawl plug, screw in place.

Fit the valance clips (50mm blinds only)

Your 50mm venetian comes with a decorative front panel called a valance or pelmet. Before you mount the blind into the brackets, slide the valance clips (small white or grey plastic hooks) onto the headrail, spacing them evenly along it.

If you have a face fix blind: clip the two short side valance pieces (called returns) onto the ends of the main valance, then clip the whole valance assembly onto the headrail using the clips you just attached.

If you have a recess fit blind: the valance is cut 20mm longer than the headrail so it fills the frame nicely. You may need to trim it slightly with a hacksaw for a perfect fit. Clip it on last, after the blind is hung.

Mount the headrail into the brackets

For 50mm venetians: Hook the front of the headrail onto the front of the bracket, then press the back of the headrail up into the bracket until it clicks into place.

For 25mm venetians: Slip the headrail onto the front plastic piece of the bracket, push it inward, then twist the back of the headrail up in one smooth motion until it snaps into place. It feels like a single push-and-twist action.

Understand your controls

Your venetian has two controls. The lift cord (or pull cord on 25mm models) raises and lowers the blind by pulling the slats together and apart. The tilt wand (a flat rod) or tilt cord (a string) rotates all the slats from fully open to fully closed, controlling light and privacy.

Fix the cord cleat to the wall at exactly 1.5 metres from the floor. Wrap the lift cord around it when the blind is at the height you want.

About the ladder tape/cord

Running vertically through the slats you will see two sets of evenly-spaced horizontal threads connecting to vertical cords. This is called the ladder tape or ladder cord. It is what keeps every slat perfectly level and parallel to the others. Do not cut it, remove it, or adjust it. If a slat comes loose from the ladder tape, thread it back through before operating the blind.

Decide: recess fit or face fix?

Recess fit (also called reveal fix) means the track mounts inside the top of the window opening, on the horizontal surface called the lintel. Face fix means the track mounts on the wall above the window opening, or on the ceiling.

Face fix brackets are adjustable and provide 50mm of clearance between the wall and the track. This gives the louvres room to swing open without catching on the wall.

Mark and drill your bracket positions

Place the first bracket right at the edge of the window opening, left side. Space the remaining brackets at no more than 600mm apart across the width of the window. For most windows, three brackets are enough. Wider openings may need four or five.

For recess fit: measure how far any handles or fittings stick out from the frame before you drill. Your bracket must sit behind that measurement so the louvres hang clear of everything when they swing.

Mark each bracket position, drill, insert rawl plugs, and screw each bracket firmly in place.

Snap the headrail (track) into the brackets

Lift the headrail up to the brackets. The headrail snaps into the brackets from below. Press it up firmly until you hear each bracket click. To remove the headrail later, press the release lip on each bracket upward with a flat screwdriver.

Hang the louvres

Each louvre has a small plastic hook at the top. Along the headrail, you will see a row of carrier stems pointing downward. Push each louvre hook up into its carrier stem, then press it straight down until it locks in place. You should feel a positive click for each one.

The louvres are all the same, so there is no specific order. Start from one end and work your way across.

Test the blind

Pull the operating wand or cord to draw the louvres across the opening. They should slide smoothly in both directions. Important: always open the louvres to the flat (open) position before you try to traverse them across. If you try to pull the louvres across while they are in the closed (tilted) position, you will stress the carrier mechanism.

Pull the tilt chain once in each direction to rotate the louvres. This also automatically aligns any that are sitting slightly off-angle.

Identify your mounting surface

Is your blind going into a timber beam, a concrete lintel, or a steel fascia? Each requires different fixings. Timber: pre-drill a pilot hole, then drive a coach bolt or heavy wood screw. Concrete: masonry drill bit plus masonry anchor bolts. Steel: self-tapping bolts designed for metal. Take a photo of your beam to the hardware store if you are not sure what to buy.

Mount the controller bracket first

The controller bracket has a rod and a small mechanism where the crank handle will attach. Mount this bracket on the side where you want the crank to be. Hold it up to your beam or lintel, mark the fixing positions, drill, and bolt it firmly in place. Tug it hard before proceeding: this bracket takes the full weight of the blind on one side.

Mount the Pin bracket on the other side

Hold the roller with one end in the controller bracket. The other end has a pin sticking out. Position the Pin bracket so the pin seats inside it, then check that the entire roller is perfectly level using your spirit level. Mark the Pin bracket fixing positions. Remove the roller, drill, and bolt the Pin bracket in place.

A roller that is even 2 or 3mm out of level will roll unevenly and eventually bunch or tear the fabric. Take time to get this right.

Hang the roller

With both brackets mounted and confirmed level, place the roller back into position. Insert the pin end into the Pin bracket first, then seat the controller mechanism into the controller bracket. The roller should sit securely without any movement or wobble.

Attach the crank handle

Hook the crank handle onto the controller mechanism. Turn it to lower the blind slowly. The blind should unroll evenly across its full width. If one side drops faster than the other, the roller is not level and needs adjustment before you continue.

Fix the bottom bar anchor hooks

Lower the blind fully. Along the bottom bar you will find a chain or strap. Ground anchor hooks can be screwed into the floor of your patio or deck directly below the blind. Hook the bottom bar chain to these anchors when the blind is fully lowered. This prevents wind from getting underneath and lifting the blind, which can cause serious damage.

For permanent installations on exposed coastal patios, Duncan recommends flush stainless steel anchor points set into the tile or deck.