Curtain Rod Q and A
As usual after I write a post where I think I have covered everything, the questions come in that let me know I haven’t. This time my definitive guide to curtain rods left some loose ends so here you go. I’ll answer your questions on the curtain rod here. If you have any more issues, leave a comment and I will answer them shortly.
Not Enough Space
If you have a restricted space to hang your curtain rod, just install it so that it almost touches the wall with the finial on one side and extend by an inch or so on the other side. In this case, rather than using a pair of curtain panels, it is often best to use just one curtain, on the side close to the wall with a hold back. That can look very effective.
Not Enough Curtain Rod Rings
In some cases your curtain rod may come supplied with rings but there do not seem to be as many as you would like to hang your curtains. This can be the case, for example, with pinch pleat drapes where you need one ring for each pleat to give the neatest finish. Check to see if you can buy additional matching rings. If not you will need to buy a whole new set. That is not such a hardship as it means you can buy extra special ones which will boost the whole look of your window curtains.
Can't Fail Window Treatments
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Great Curtain Rods, Wrong Finish
If you already have a curtain rod or have seen a curtain rod for sale which is just right apart from the finish, you can spray paint it with paint suitable for a metal or wood curtain rod (depending on the type of rod). Do this outside where there is plenty of ventilation on a calm day and put down a protective sheet if you do not want to spray paint your surroundings. The paint will eventually rub off with the action of the curtain rings especially along the top of the rod that’s why window curtain rods are usually powder coated. However, give your rod two coats letting the first dry before applying the second and you should be good to go for ages and it is a quick repair to repaint the rod in any case.
I Don’t Like DIY
You normally need to drill holes in the wall to install curtain rod brackets but some rods, called spring tension rods, work on a kind of spring and are held in place inside the window frame. A spring tension rod would normally only be used for hanging an inner sheer curtain rather than a normal curtain, especially as they can’t take a huge amount of weight. Another option is for magnetic curtain rods, although these can only be used with metal window frames. A magnetic curtain rod, as the name implies, is held in place with magnets but again they have to be used inside the frame of the window and are best for sheers. If you don’t like DIY and drilling the best thing is to hire someone to install your curtain rods. Try and have a few DIY jobs to do so that you can get everything done by one person in one go and it need not cost too much.
I Have A Valance to Hang Too
In that case use a double curtain rod as this will need fewer holes in the wall! Double curtain rods use special brackets which hold two rods a few inches apart from each other and are excellent for hanging curtains and valances or voile curtains and heavier curtains together.
Invisible Rods Required
If you want to hang sheer curtains without the rods showing use a crystal clear curtain rod. Crystal clear curtain rods are made of clear plastic or acrylic. Although plastic curtain rods are not well thought of in the world of interior design, these are fine as they are meant to be invisible and are hidden by sheer curtains anyway.
How about Door Curtains and Dormer Windows?
Swing arm curtain rods are the answer for installing curtains across an opening door or inward opening window such as a dormer window. A swing arm curtain rod is fixed at one side of the window or door with a hinge which can be used to swing the rod and curtain inwards independently of the door or window.
I have a Bay Window
You can buy a bay window curtain rod, which is especially designed to work in that situation. A local specialist curtain supplier should be able to help you or do a search online for bay window curtain rods which will give you a number of places to buy them.
Curtain Rods: The Best You Can Buy!
Curtain rods come in all kinds of styles and finishes and can make your window curtains and other window treatments look fantastic. For a selection of the best curtain rods on sale at the moment, see here or take a look at the great selection below, but if you are not sure what you need yet read on for help with choosing exactly the right ones for you.
So, what do you have to think about when choosing curtain rods? Here are all the factors to consider. The right curtain rod will fit all your criteria. If that sounds like a tall order, don’t worry, as there are multitudes of different rods available online and in stores, so the right one for you is out there.
The Right Length
Measure the length of rod that you need. You can either fit your curtains inside the window frame or (what would be more usual) place your rod just above the frame (generally about 4″ above). If you are fitting your rod inside the frame measure the width of the recess. If you are fitting outside, it would be normal to have your curtain rod extending about two inches each side of the window, so the total length of the rod itself (not counting finials) would be 4″ wider than the window. However if you want your curtains to be drawn right back to expose more of the window you could make it 4″ either side instead. This allows more light into the room and makes the window appear larger. Just make sure that the curtains still overlap the sides of the window by an inch or so when drawn back or the arrangement will look quite odd.
Rods come in standard sizes but it is not a problem if you don’t have standard windows as most of them are actually called extending curtain rods for a good reason – and they will give maximum and minimum measurements they can accommodate. On the packaging or in the instructions, you will see how you can make your rod the right size and fix it in place so it does not slide about when attached to the wall.
The Right Diameter
You can get curtain poles and rods in all kinds of diameters to suit various curtain types. In most cases where you are hanging curtains using hooks which attach to rings on your rod, all you need to make sure is that you have the right size of rings to suit your rod. Often you will find these are supplied with the rod anyway.
If you are using curtains with a casement type heading, however, you need to make such that the rod or pole is a small enough diameter for the casement. You will usually see this specified on casement curtain descriptions e.g. “Suitable for a curtain rod up to 1″ diameter”
In any case it is best to match the diameter of the rod to the style of curtains. Heavy velvet curtains, for example, would look silly with a dainty thin rod (and might bend it anyway) whereas sheer voile curtains would look out of place with a big chunky wooden curtain pole. If you have medium weight curtains, you can get away with anything in terms of diameter but check the section on style below.
The Right Materials and Style
We’ll consider these two together as the material in which the rod is made (as well as the finish) have a huge influence on the style and whether the curtains in a particular room look good or not. You can buy decorative curtain rods in wrought iron, brass, nickel, stainless steel, plastic and wood. The only one to avoid is the plastic curtain rod or track which is not going to do your decor any favors unless you are completely covering it out of sight with a valance. No exceptions! If you can see the drapery rod then make it look as good as your drapes, if not better!
If you have a country style decor go for wood curtain rods in a finish which fits in with your wooden furniture. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same wood but the same tone will work best. Alternatively, wrought iron or rustic curtain rods will work very well.
In a city apartment or for a contemporary style room, a nickel or stainless steel curtain rod looks good whereas wooden curtain rods work well for a traditional setting (same rules apply for matching up furniture as for country style rooms). Brass curtain rods would also work well here.
For a room with white furniture, choose a white curtain rod, which will normally be a wooden or metal pole painted white and sealed to avoid the paint rubbing off. You can also get these in all the ice cream colors, which are great for nurseries.
Double or Single?
If you want to hang more than one layer at your windows you need double curtain rods. See our Double Curtain Rod guide for more details on these.
The Right Fittings
Whatever you choose should come with curtain rod brackets which are the bits of hardware which are screwed to the wall and which hold the rod. If none are included (which would be unusual) then look for brackets to buy which match the style of your rod.
Your rod will normally come with finials too. These are the end caps which go on each end of the rod to stop the curtains slipping off the ends. If your rod has very plain finials (a ball shape is the most common) you can usually buy fancy finials separately to give your curtain rod a new look.
The final pieces, which your rod may or may not come with are curtain rings. If you want to use these and your rod does not come with them, you will not have to look far (at least online – try here) to find a huge selection of plain and decorative curtain rings to fit any diameter rod.
If you choose traverse curtain rods rather than standard rods you will not need rings however as these work on a kind of pulley system and you fit the curtains to the rod which already has small rings attached using curtain hooks. These have the advantage that you don’t have to touch the curtains to open and close them, which is great if you have chosen a pale colored fabric.
A Selection of Curtain Rods
Here are some great curtain rods, to show you a selection of what is available. If you want to see many more drapery rods click here.
 Levolor Curtain Rod Set in Brushed Sienna with Sphere Finials (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This curtain rod set comes complete with finials and brackets. The rod itself is adjustable to fit different window sizes. Matching curtain rings available. Click here for details. |
 Fluted End Cap Rod Set, Antique Brass by Levolor (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
Antique brass curtain rods look great in a traditional environment. This adjustable curtain rod set includes rod, brackets and finials. Holdbacks and rings also available. Click here for more about this curtain rod.
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Great contrast of light and dark in this extending curtain rod which comes complete with crackle glass ball finials and brackets. Click here for details.
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 Window Curtain Rod / Drapery Rod with Crackle Glass Finials (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
 White window Curtain Rod with Feather finials (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This white curtain rod is in tough powder coated metal and it extends in length to suit large windows. Feather finials and 3 brackets are included. Would be great for rooms with pale decor or baby’s room. Click here for details
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This satin nickel curtain rod and brackets set with scroll finials would be ideal for any contemporary home. The rod extends to fit medium and large windows. Click here for more information.
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 Levolor Scroll Curtain Rod Set, Satin Nickel (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
 Umbra Staff Curtain Rod, Matte Black (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
Black curtain rods also look great in many homes particularly if you match them up with other black metal hardware such as a chandelier light. This curtain rod is black finished metal and is adjustable to suit your windows. Brackets and matching holdbacks sold separately. Click here for details.
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Double Curtain Rod
A double curtain rod is essential if you want to hang more than one layer at your windows, whether this a double layer including sheers and heavier window curtains or a curtain and valance. As implied by the name, a double curtain rod is simply two curtain rods which fit onto the same brackets at each side of the window. The rods are positioned so that they are generally about two inches apart. This means that each curtain (or layer) can be opened and closed without the movement of the curtain getting in the way of the other one. (A double curtain rod might also be used in the bathroom to hang fabric shower curtain and inner waterproof curtain which stays inside the bath tub but then you need a special shower curtain rod and rings rather than standard double rod curtain rods.)
These double rod arrangements for windows are great for any keen home decorator as you can create so many effects with ease combining any two types of curtains and opening and closing them independently to get just the effect you need. Combining various fabrics, colors, rods, finials and curtain holdbacks or tiebacks mean you end up with endless possibilities and with imagination and flair you can have designer curtains using quite ordinary materials and at very low cost.
On a more practical level, a curtain treatment where you have sheer voile curtains as the inner layer means that you can have privacy during the day without blocking out too much light and any double curtain layer adds to the insulating properties of the window treatments. Your double rod could even be used to hang a blackout lining or thermal lining for winter while in summer you leave your curtains airy and light.
You are making quite an economical choice if you buy a double curtain rod, in any case as you will find the price less than buying two separate rods and a double curtain rod set is certainly easier to install as you only have one set of brackets to worry about and no concerns about needing to position them far enough apart. The fewer holes you have to drill in your walls the better.
You will also see some tension curtain rods for sale, suitable for double curtains. Take care with these if you are thinking of hanging two sets of heavy drapes. The tension rod may be enough to hold the weight of the curtains but drawing the curtains backwards and forwards each day may be too much for the tension! Use these only with lighter weight curtains if you want to be sure that there will be no slippage.
An easy way to buy double curtain rods is by ordering online, as you will find a good selection often at discount prices and sometimes it is easier to have them shipped right to your door. You will find a selection below to start you off on your search for just the right set of curtain rods. Most are available in several materials if you are looking for a different finish and you can often change finials to get just the effect you are looking for.
Look out too for separate double curtain rod brackets if you already have rods you can use as that could save you some money.
 Umbra Diverge Extending Double Curtain Rod, Auburn Bronze (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This bronze double curtain rod set includes two rods, matching curtain rod brackets and finials. It can be extended to suit the width of your windows. Easy to install and use. Discount and free shipping. Available in various finishes. Click here for details. |
 Umbra Mission 36 to 54-Inch Double Tension Curtain Rod, Nickel (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
Stylish double tension curtain rod by Umbra, which can be installed without drilling. Extends to fit various widths and is available in a number of finishes. Great for quick installation of light to medium weight curtains but don’t expect miracles if your try and use it with heavy drapes. Then it is time to get out your drill! See details and discount here.
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Hang your curtains for less with this cheap double curtain rod. In fact if you are hanging curtains and valance and the whole rod will be out of sight, why pay more? Click here for details.
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 Levolor-kirsch Double Curtain Rod, White (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
 Levolor Double Brackets with Adjustable Projection (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
These double curtain rod brackets can be used with matching poles or rods up to one inch diameter and finials of your choice. Matching items available to create a stylish way to hang curtain layers. Available in different finishes. Click here for more information.
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This black double curtain rod is simple and stylish – great for a contemporary curtain arrangement. The drapery rods extend to various widths as required. Also available in other finishes. Click here for details.
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 BCL Classic Ball Double Curtain Rod, Black Finish (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
 A&F Double Curtain Rod Satin Nickel (CLICK IMAGE FOR DETAILS) |
This double drapery rod set includes two rods in wrought iron (nickel finish) and 4 decorative finials along with three brackets for secure fixing to the wall. These decorative double curtain rods can be used with heavy curtains. Extends to fit your windows. Click here for more info.
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