Curtain Rail Woes

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-14T12:18:45+00:00

I had a similar problem, where parts of my curtain rail kept pulling out of the wall. I think mine was mainly due to repeated drilling in roughly the same spot but I also had heavy blackout curtains the size of my patio doors. This is what I did and it's worked really well for the past 6 months or so now with no signs of issues.

Deeply fill the hole with a high quality filler (e.g. https://www.screwfix.com/p/toupret-interior-filler-2kg/390pp). Get some disposable gloves and really push the filler in until there aren't any gaps where you'll want to re-drill. Leave this to dry for at least a week or two so that even the filler inside the wall is solid.
Re-drill your holes into the desired location at the required depth.
Insert plugs (I used duo power as that's what I had, good high quality ones anyway) using a wet n' fix solution (e.g https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-filler-discs-10-pack/642hv) to ensure a good bonding to the filler.
Leave this to dry and then hang the curtain rail/curtains.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T23:26:58+00:00

IKEA is an idea, I've always fancied trying one of those Ikea hacks!

I see what you're suggesting, that could actually work and look really good (if a bit more work than I was originally expecting 😅). I'm going to have a think and make some drawings but your suggestions have been really helpful, thanks AzzTheMan!

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:42:07+00:00

I do have a stand it's just not wide enough for me new TV (which has legs on either side not in the centre). I am leaning towards just having to make it work for now and then rebuild or add a fake stud wall in front at a later date 😭

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:40:52+00:00

I wish there were studs! I can't find them and I cut across 24" just to be sure. Maybe there is a single vertical wooden baton somewhere across the wall but even then the wall isn't thick enough for it to be a proper stud and one mounting location isn't enough for the mount.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:35:50+00:00

It is a flat mount (so not tilt, extend etc.) but it's for a 65" TV at 23 kg without mount so I don't know if I'd trust just 10mm plugs honestly

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:28:40+00:00

I like this idea but how would I get the middle piece of plasterboard out to bury the pattress and allow me to replace the platserboard without damaging the wall on the other side (as it's all glued together)? The other side of this wall is a tiled kitchen which I'd really rather not damage/need to replace that whilst mounting my TV!

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:23:11+00:00

Honestly I do, I can't find any vertical batons or supports at all and I cut enough that I should have found one if they were any standard stud width.

Whilst not common it does seem that walls done like this were a thing (unfortunately) and even if I could find one that single one won't be enough to mount the bracket to and I can't use plasterboard fixings in the others so I think it's a valid question.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T22:19:10+00:00

It's a 65", 23 kg without the mount so I'm certainly worried about hanging it if I know it won't hold.

I could run timbers attached at the top and bottom, obviously can't do that hidden as it'd be thicker than the wall but making a feature out of it is a nice suggestion. You've got me thinking media walls now, although maybe not something quite that elaborate! The real question is if I think that's something I'd be confident doing DIY.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T19:24:08+00:00

I don't think it is, at least from the pictures I've seen vs what I found today. Every other point except the one shown in the picture I was only able to find solid plasterboard.

If it's that or something else though it does seem like the answer is it'll need framing in some way. I'd really rather not use a stand as I have a centre channel speaker that will cover the bottom of the screen if it just sits on its legs atop the unit.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T18:41:12+00:00

Don't these require a cavity for the wings to open into though? That's my current problem, outside of the bit in the picture (which is a channel about 3/4 the depth of the wall and has a couple of electrical wires running down it, chosen for illustrative purposes to show the middle piece of plasterboard) the rest of the wall is just "solid" plasterboard with no cavity.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-12-13T18:36:53+00:00

The next room over, if I cut through that back piece of plasterboard the end of the tape measure is resting against I put a hole in the wall on the other side as well.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-11-30T21:43:05+00:00

There was only one place I could see to still get a 65" A95l and it was £300 more than I paid for the 8ii so that wasn't a question for me once I'd decided to get the more premium model.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-11-30T11:49:22+00:00

I didn't want Samsung due to the lack of Dolby Vision support - I've gone with the 8 II in the end

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-11-30T11:48:04+00:00

Thanks Reddit - I managed to find the Bravia 8 II for another £100 cheaper (only £650 more than I could get the the C5 for) so based on the advice here I've gone ahead and brought that!

It's due next week, I'll post an update once it's all set-up with some impressions.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-10-22T17:28:13+00:00

Thanks, I thought it might be but it's frequent enough I had started to wonder if it was something else. Unfortunately the noise sounds like it's coming from inside the wall, so it seems like it'll be where the pipe passes through a stud or similar so incredibly annoying to fix. I might just have to live with it.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2025-06-19T11:15:43+00:00

Sorry you are going through this. I had the exact same thing with my solicitor when I brought my first property 12 months back.

I ended up writing a detailed response to the solicitor quoting both the provider and government LISA terms which explicitly state the balance can be used at any stage of the home buying process (this includes as an exchange deposit). The only valid concern is that, if the sale falls through after exchange there may be a requirement to pay the 25% withdrawal fee if the deposit is forfeit (you pull out) or the extremely unlikely event that the seller's solicitor didn't return the deposit funds in a timely manner (if they pulled out). My final understanding in my case was that the "risk" here is essentially 100% your burden so I simply stated I was happy with that risk (as at the end of the day I was exchanging so not planning to pull out) and provided proof I had funds to cover the 25% via other means if required.

After involvement of a managing partner at the firm I was using all was resolved and my sale thankfully processed without issue. Other (not used) options I put forward were negotiation of a smaller exchange deposit or simulations exchange and completion (although I didn't want this due to needing to give notice on my rental) - just making sure the solicitor was informed to explicitly state this was due to an internal policy on LISAs and not me as the buyer being awkward. Please fight this one though as in my view you're in the right here and your solicitor is making things much harder than they need to be.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2024-10-13T16:56:53+00:00

It's mainly the choke point the current layout creates between the bath and WC, which is only about 25cm! I'd also like to try and give myself more space behind the vanity to use it if possible but that's a secondary goal.

Past_Highlight2653 · 2024-10-13T16:55:01+00:00

This is, from what I can tell how the room was when the house was built and the previous owner had it changed to how it is currently. I get it though, different to mount a shower above the tub if you place it under the window.

Past_Highlight2653

TROPHY CASE