Velcro! Instead of roller shades, you could use roman shades and attach the headrail to the top of the frame with velcro (industrial strength). I have one in my bathroom; it's been up for several months without a problem.

Hang the shades from the ceiling.

Can you return the shades so you can have some customized? You could then hang them outside the frame, or even from the ceiling. I recently ordered from the Shade Store, check out their website to see their options for configurations.

It probably means there's concrete walls behind the drywall. Your maintenance guys are right that you need a hammer drill if that's the case, but for 220$, you can buy a hammer drill.

I'd suggest asking around to find someone that has a drill and borrowing it to do the job yourself. A friend or family member must own one somewhere ?

The other option might be to look into renting one. It might cost you 40-50$ for a day, but certainly less than 220$ per window (that's a total scam).

I'd return the roller shades and get some blackout curtains. It's much easier to hang a curtain rod above the window, and even if they cost more than the roller shades, it'll still be less than what they want to charge you to put them up. Plus, roller shades are pretty ugly IMO.

I wouldn't drill through those frames if you can possibly avoid it! It would possibly ruin the seal and your heating costs would go up. A hammer drill is a pretty violent thing.

You can rent them though, at many hardware stores.

I'd just return the roller blinds and hang some drapes/blinds from the wall or ceiling.

Maybe put a small 1 inch wooden strip across the top of the window, which you could attach to the wall. Then hang the shade from it. Then maybe you could hide the hardware with a small wooden cornice board.

For this particular window you could hang from the ceiling as someone else mentioned or from wall to wall. But does that work for all the windows?

The steel drill bit spun around on the metal or once inside? IF it spun around once inside, use a concrete bit and keep going. If it spun around, and it is a metal bit, and you havent gotten through the metal yet, either the bit is wrong or you arent using enough force. I would think you could do this with the right drill bits...no need to rent a drill. A Dewalt should work. A wimpy drill from CVS that runs off a battery probably wont have the power.

Dave--

If the shades are inside mount, you wouldn't mount the brackets to the aluminum window frame - you'd mount them to the header above the window.

If the frame and wall are concrete, then you need masonry drillbits - At least one per window (depending on how many holes you need per bracket) as they wear down quickly. You'll also need plastic grippers to hold the screws in place within the wall.

if you decide to go with curtains, check this out: http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=409455&cm_mmc=Google_Feed-_-6-_-89-_-MP689

I'm no expert, but it could be that the header/soffit above the window in the picture contains ductwork. I would drill into it without knowing.

In my apartment, we have walls that appear to be made out of sand. They fall apart with the slightest provocation. It made putting up curtains a hassle.
We hung 'em from the ceiling. It looks great, too.

take a close up pic of the window corners to a hardware store and ask.

"take a close up pic of the window corners to a hardware store and ask."

Unless it's blatantly obvious (in which case he could identify it himself) nobody is going to know for certain what material a wall or ceiling is composed of based on a photograph of a painted corner.

It isn't a scam, but professional installers do charge ludicrously high amounts. I had the same dilemma in my fireproof building. My small cordless was useless, so I used a strong power drill with a metal bit and with a lot of effort managed to install blind brackets. Yes, it's a real PITA but it can be done with a good drill. I didn't use a concrete bit as another comment suggested but it's advice worth considering. It depends on whether the material is in fact steel or alu, and whether it's hollow or solid.

You might be able to rent a hammer drill. Alternatively, you could check CL for a handyman with one. I've never tried that route but it'd be cheaper!

If you need to affix the bracket to aluminum it is actually quite easy with a regular (non-hammer) drill, you just need the right type of screw. Look for self-tapping screws at your local hardware store. They look like regular screws, but have a slightly different tip. With these drilling into your frame should be a piece of cake. Good luck!

BlindFinder.com

I also second the option of installing a curtain rod and brackets on either side, depending on the material.

Having a similar soffit above the window, I'd nix the ceiling idea. Curtains would be a foot away, as you cannot drill into the soffit.

For lighter roman shades, 3M strips might work, or a narrow strip of wood, but the former is dependent on good adhesive and the latter on your rental rules.

FYI, if the previous tenants had shades hung there should be holes. I used a few of these holes to my advantage when I did mine. If there are no holes, they probably used curtains and a rod.

If it was my place I'd go with the velcro and roman shades idea that was mentioned above.

I wouldn't put up curtains or shades. If privacy is an issues just buy some spray frosting. You can scrape this off with a razor when you move. Why block out all that beautiful light, in what otherwise looks like a dark alcove?

Option 1: Borrow a hammer drill. I'm little and I can use one, you should be fine.

Option 2: Hang from soffit. The blinds, I mean, not you.

Option 3: Upon further reflection, perhaps a tension rod with blackout curtains.

Most hardware stores sell "Redi-Shades" that are meant to be temporary but look pretty noce. Many people use them permanently. They just attach with a sticky tape. No drilling. And they are very cheap.

I agree with the redi-shades comment. They are lovely and filter light like Japanese paper. We hung them on the bottom half of our windows. Use rubbing alcohol to prepare the surface for the adhesive.

Also, couldn't you just use a tension pole since your window is in that little nook?

A company like Smith & Noble would NOT charge $220 PER WINDOW to install roller shades.

There are also window treatment installers, and while they are not super-cheap when you don't purchase the product from them, they will do a professional install here in NYC.
Email me at hatrickdesign at a i m dot com and I can give you a few numbers of installers.

You can rent a hammer drill.

you can rent tools from any hardware store but that would probably cost a pretty penny.
i would suggest looking for those peel and stick wall hooks you can put on doors or walls without fear of ripping paint/putting holes in your walls. or in your case, crumbling the concrete in your building. they're normally used to hold coats, towels or what have you. im sure you can get them in all sorts of shapes and sizes and then hang a curtain rod from them.

this also might work IF the wall that is painted has dry wall over it. if its pure concrete than this is a no go.... i have done this before. i found a sheet, a funky patterned one from any fabric store or right off your own bed and i used tacks to pin it to the wall. voila.

Hiya, I'm a welder and metal fabricator by trade, and have also done a fair amount of masonry work. A couple of things:

1. You *absolutely* do not use a hammer drill on metal, you use it on masonry. It's not necessary on concrete, especially for a small hole (I'm a small girl, and I've drilled into my foundation in the basement plenty, using just a regular drill with a masonry bit). So there's that.

2. If you do, now or ever, wish to drill into hollow steel like those window frames likely are, and you're finding that your bit is spinning, the problem is that the tip of the bit isn't catching. You can solve this problem by either drilling a smaller, pilot hole and then sizing up to the bit you need, or by first punching a small indentation where you want to drill, using a centre punch and a hammer. What you're accomplishing either way is giving the drill bit something to "catch" in the flat smooth surface.

3. Use self-tapping screws. These are screws especially made to be driven through hollow metal, like that window frame. They have a special tip on them that acts like a tiny drill bit, and they are commonly available and cheap. If you just drill a hole, you then have to figure out your fastener ... if you drilled a hole, then what? What would your mounting screws be attaching to? It's not like drywall or wood, it's just a hollow space. Self tapping screws eliminate the need for a pre-drilled hole, and they are themselves the fastener, gripping the metal, and holding the blinds in place. Badaboom.

:)

*also* (I'm a rambler! ha)

Remember that steel is magnetic. That can be helpful in getting creative.

and also, if you end up drilling into the drywall, and know that there's concrete behind it, you do not generally put "plastic things" in it as someone suggested, like a drywall anchor. You would pre-drill a hole (use a regular drill, it's fine, I promise!) with a masonry bit, and then use masonry screws (also called "tapcons") which grip the concrete.

high fives to BLINDfinder on the self-tapping screws response, and a reminder that they work great on steel as well, not just aluminum. Good luck, and I hope you love your new apartment! :)

I second (and third!) the suggestion to get a telescopic curtain rod and hang curtains rather than the palaver of drilling holes for blinds.

hazygirl, the issue is blocking out the light AT NIGHT. Many people, myself included, cannot sleep well with the light from streetlights coming into the room.

don't mess with hammer drills unless you're familiar with one.

the installer i user is m&n installations. they're NYC based. i used them to install floor-to-ceiling drapes, mounted to the wall via screws directly into the masonry. they're very sturdy and look great. they charged about $150 total for two windows.

I also just used them to install my roman shades and inside-mount roller shades to my bedroom windows. Total cost was $163 for the two windows.

$220 per window sounds insane.

This is a common problem DIYers face. It may be a bit late to help your individual case, but for others that are currently facing this dilemma:
Purchase "self-drilling" screws to install your brackets. 1" screws should be more than sufficient length for most shades. A power driver is a must, as the screw will need to spin around many times at high speed to pierce the metal laminate behind the drywall.