Are there any sort of visible screw heads in the mounts? Normally, the thingees that hold the curtain rods are screwed into the wall with rather long screws and the holes drilled into the wall are lined with dübels (that's what they're called in Germany) - I think they're called "chevilles" in French. But in any event, they're little plastic things that you pound into the hole you drill in the wall and they hold the screw much more firmly.

You may want to check to see if the square metal bit you're describing is perhaps a cover that can be popped off to reveal the screws and dübels.

 

The square metal bits are over 3" long sticking straight out from the wall. There are no visible fixings at all

 

OK, can you unscrew the square metal bits directly? It's possible that they are basically a sort of big screw set into a dübel.

 

I will give that a try tomorrow, thank you

 

Sometimes there is a cover on the support hiding the screws. Have a look.

Ikea do that. It usually pulls off from the bottom.

But I am guessing that...

The support itself is 'twisted' into the wall and fixed with one large screw.

Try untwisting the whole support anticlockwise. It will come out like that.

 

If your house is an ancient dwelling with stone walls covered with plaster, your curtain rod supports may well be cemented into the wall.

If the wall's made of plasterboard or hollow brick, then they'll be screwed into a plastic or metal rawlplug.

 

Okay thanks for the input, I'll report back tomorrow

 

If your house is VERY old, they may even be leaded in... (Fixed into a chiselled hole in the stone, using molten lead as adhesive/filler).

I think from your description we have the same sort in our house. Getting them out is a *****. Putting them back, almost impossible. We left ours and worked around it.

Regards



Ian

 

If your house is VERY old, they may even be leaded in... (Fixed into a chiselled hole in the stone, using molten lead as adhesive/filler). ..................

I mentioned our house was modernised in the 1970's, but it was apparently converted in the 1900's from an even older building which was a brickworks with some living accommodation.

So the supports which I took out of the wall could have been antiques.

 

Our house was "modernised" in the 1970's.

I don't know if this was ever a general system, or bricolage by the previous owner, but the curtain rod in one room was supported by two solid square section steel rods, about 1/4" diameter and 6" long, with a point at one end, driven into the brick wall.

There were vertical pins about 1/4" long at the other ends, which I assumed were originally designed to hold something fancier than the round wooden rod which was sitting loose on the supports.

I removed the supports when I insulated the inside of the wall, by hammering them gently from side to side until they were loosened.

EDIT: I just found a picture of something similar Atelier de forge ROBERT & ROBERT : Tringles anciennes

Scroll down and click on the image of the yellow curtain. Maybe the original bar was missing from ours.

 

Our house was "modernised" in the 1970's.

I don't know if this was ever a general system, or bricolage by the previous owner, but the curtain rod in one room was supported by two solid square section steel rods, about 1/4" diameter and 6" long, with a point at one end, driven into the brick wall.

There were screws about 1/2" long tapped vertically into the other ends, which I assumed were originally designed to hold something fancier than the round wooden rod which was sitting loose on the supports.

I removed the supports when I insulated the inside of the wall, by hammering them gently from side to side until they were loosened.

EDIT: I just found a picture of something similar Atelier de forge ROBERT & ROBERT : Tringles anciennes

Scroll down and click on the image of the yellow curtain. Maybe the original bar was missing from ours.

That's them all right. I tried twisting with a pair of mole grips but apart from a very slight movement - nothing. I'll try hammering as well and I have considered cutting them off with a Dremel (or similar) but the mess will be an issue. I may just hacksaw them short to the wall and disguise them with the new curtain rod supports.

More later

 

Well, those certainly don't date from the 1970s, or even the 60s. When you purchase an old home, you have to expect that there will be issues.

 

Our house was built in the 1960's - always expect issues, this was just to see if anyone had a method of removing them.

 

if they are square, an adjustable crescent wrench otherwise a pair of mole grips and twist it loose / out and as suggested fill the hole which would need to be done anyhow. If you cut it off as sure as eggs is eggs it won't be flush with the wall or better still below the surface and sods law says the remainder in the wall will be exactly where you want to place a new fixing.

 

I tried that - the metal twisted. I can cut them off 1/2" from the wall and mount the new fixings immediately below the stubs - they will be hidden from view