Timber Venetian Roller Door

My driver behind this project was budget at first, and quickly became about having something different. I found it really hard to find a blind in a roller door for some reason! I thought it pretty obvious a need & was surprised at how little there was available. so, like I do, I decided to make my own!

This Instructable will not go into too much detail however will hopefully give you enough guidance to be able to construct your own to suit your needs. I have also given guidance on the track I used, however again, it will be personal requirement for you so I encourage you to go to your hardware store to establish your own needs for your project.

Good luck! :) (oh and I forgot to mention, I saved HUNDREDS of dollars on this project)

1. remove all old fixings and prepare your area

2. install the side that will remain fixed

Needless to say, when purchasing your blinds make triple sure you've measured correctly. I measured the exact inner of the recess & halved it first, then I played around with the concept of adding width to ensure a decent overlap when the blinds were installed. Keep in mind also that the timber frame will add width. The best part about this is that you can be over in width & it won't matter as much as the idea is to ensure coverage & privacy.

Really have a think on this during the planning stage as the construction will be that much easier.

I bought some quality timber (solid, straight yet not too heavy) from the hardware to make the frame.

You'll need:

- drill & saw (hand saw or jig saw or if you're lucky enough, bench saw)

- timber screws to suit wood thickness

- wood glue (PVA is fine)

- timber to suit door size (remember, this project is installing to roll 'outside' the recess, so measure a few cm off the floor to a few cm just under the top recess as you will attach rollers to the top for hanging)

- your blind!

Measure 15 times (ok maybe not, but seriously, measure until you're confident) and cut then glue & screw all frame pieces together.

Affix the blind as per the products instructions to the underside of the door frame (keeping in mind the weight distribution & also the placement of the rollers on top in the next step)

Affix the rollers to the top as per product instructions. I affixed mine with the mindset that the door was fairly heavy by the time I was done & I wanted as much support as possible.

Affix the roller door track to your wall (depending on what material your wall is, you may need wall plugs or another appropriate support. check during planning)

As you can see, that track I used was a particular style (I've attempted to 'draw' it for you in the pic).

I had to consider things like;

depth of gap between the blinds as they roll past

depth of blind slats as they are open & closed

guide options at the bottom and if there are any skirting boards I need to take into account

Carefully hang your door on the track (I suggest contracting the blinds completely before attempting this).

I affixed the guide onto the floor as per my own method as it suited me better after some thought. However, once you hang the door, you can decide the best option.

So, affix the bottom guide & test it out!

I wish I could be more specific, but it really was a 'make it up as you go' project. You just really need to be mindful of measurements & the laws of physics in this one ;)

I will be making a pelmet to suit my blinds soon so I will take a more detailed account of that & post it up.