How to Fit a Slimline Bay Track in Two Halves (One-Person Method)
Hi, I’m Lee Stevens from Ezecurtains.co.uk. If you’ve bought (or you’re about to buy) one of our Slimline bay window curtain tracks and you’re planning to fit it yourself, this quick guide shows you how simple it can be — especially when your track is supplied in two halves with a joining splice.
This video is all about the “one-person” approach: get the first half up and positioned, set the centre point, then offer up the second half and tighten the splice.
Jump to a step:
- Watch the video
- Tools you’ll need
- Step 1: Set the joining splice before you start
- Step 2: Clip the first half into the return bracket
- Step 3: Mark a guide line so the track runs parallel
- Step 4: Find the true centre and lock the first half in place
- Step 5: Offer up the second half + tighten the grub screws
- A couple of handy tips
- FAQs
Watch the Video
If you’re fitting a two-half Slimline bay track, this video is most useful for the little details you can actually see happening — especially around the join and getting everything lined up before you fully tighten it.
What to watch for on the splice (the join)
- The splice needs to sit neatly so the second half slides in smoothly — if it feels tight, don’t force it.
- When tightening the grub screws, pull the two track halves together so you don’t end up with a visible gap at the join.
How to keep the track running true
- You’ll see why it helps to keep the track parallel to the window line before you lock anything down.
- Leaving the fixings slightly “loose” early on lets you slide the first half into the perfect position before committing.
The simple trick that makes one-person fitting easier
- The video shows how temporarily supporting the first half buys you time to centre everything without wrestling the track.
- Once it’s centred, you can tighten down with confidence and then bring up the second half.
Bracket covers
You’ll also see why it’s best to leave the return bracket covers off until you’re 100% happy with the position — it keeps adjustments quick and frustration-free.
Tools & Bits You’ll Need
- Allen key (we supply one with the track)
- Drill / driver
- Suitable screws & wall plugs (depending on your ceiling / wall type)
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Step ladder
Step-by-Step: Fitting a Two-Half Slimline Track
Step 1) Set the joining splice before you start
On the Slimline track you’ll see the joining splice sitting on top. When your track arrives, the splice will usually be sitting on one half. Before you lift anything up:
- Loosen the one grub screw holding the splice in position.
- Slide the splice so it sits halfway on the first half of the track.
- Tighten the two grub screws on that side so the splice is secure.
- Loosen the grub screws on the other side (so it’s ready to accept the second half later).
Once that’s done, you’re ready to fit the first half of the track.
Step 2) Clip the first half into the return bracket
Start with either the left-hand or right-hand half (I start on the left in the video). Clip it into the return bracket that’s already fixed in place.
In this video I don’t go into full bracket positioning (that’s covered in the main Slimline fitting video), but the key point is: once it’s clipped into the return bracket, you can put a screw into a nearby ceiling bracket to hold the track up temporarily.
Step 3) Mark a guide line so the track runs parallel
A really simple trick that makes life easier: before you fix anything firmly, put a pencil mark to the back edge of the track (a couple of points), so you know the track is running parallel with the wall/window line.
That way, when you offer the second half up, everything stays true and you’re not fighting a twist.
Step 4) Find the true centre and lock the first half in place
Next, you want the track positioned so it’s centred correctly. If you’ve got a clear centre reference (like a mullion/beam) — great. If not, just measure the window width and mark the centre point on the ceiling.
Because the track isn’t fully tightened yet, you can slide it slightly backwards/forwards to get it spot on. Once you’re happy:
- Tighten the screw in the ceiling bracket you’ve used as your “holder”.
- Tighten the return bracket screw so that end is locked in place too.
- If you’ve pre-fitted other brackets, tighten those at the same time.)
Step 5) Offer up the second half + tighten the grub screws
Now bring up the second half of the track and:
- Clip it into the return bracket on that side.
- Present the track into the open end of the splice.
- Fix the nearby ceiling bracket to hold everything nicely.
- Then use the supplied Allen key to tighten the grub screws on the splice.
Top tip here: as you tighten, make sure the two track halves are pulled tight together for a neat join.
A Couple of Handy Tips (Worth Knowing)
Leave the return bracket screw covers open until the very end
On the return brackets you’ll have little screw-cap covers. Leave these open until you’ve fitted everything and you’re 100% happy you won’t need to remove the track again. If you close them too early and then need to pop the track in/out, you’ll make it harder than it needs to be.
This method works brilliantly when you’re fitting on your own
Getting the first half up and “held” makes the second half really straightforward. It stops the track drooping, twisting, or fighting you while you try to connect the splice.
No — this video shows the one-person approach. The key is temporarily holding the first half up, then offering the second half into the splice once the first half is centred and locked.
They’re the small Allen-key screws in the joining splice that clamp the splice onto the track. We supply the Allen key you need.
Before fully tightening the grub screws, make sure the two halves are pushed tight together. That gives you the cleanest join and smoothest glide.
This page is the “two halves + splice” method. For full details on bracket positioning and properly plugging/screwing each bracket for your fixing surface, use the main Slimline fitting guide – link below (or just give me a shout and I’ll point you to the right one).
If you’re not sure whether you need Slimline, Regular, Double, Corded, Wave (or you just want me to sanity-check your bay shape), send me a quick message with a photo of your window and I’ll help you get it right first time.