Antique Brass Curtain Pole
What pitfalls may I come up against?
Curtains are a fairly standard to many rooms, but can often cause some annoying problems when not installed properly – like falling down and leaving a gaping hole in the plaster!
In every case getting a good strong fixing for the track or pole is essential, especially for heavy curtains.
In an old tenement flat for instance the Lathe and Plaster walls are unlikely to provide a secure fixing where you need to put the bracket for the pole and certainly not for the many clips on a track. The Same can be said for the modern Plasterboard lined walls. Where possible it is a good idea to use the wooden surround of the window to affix the track or pole, however if this is not possible then it may be necessary to install a strap of wood to span the wall studs and allow a secure fixing for the brackets in the correct positions. The wooden straps can either be painted to blend with the wall, or left untreated.
Curtain Pole or curtain track?
The choice of a pole or a track is generally a matter of preference for design style, as well as functionality – Availability from your local DIY store may also be your limiting factor. A bay window generally would use use a flexible track, either Corded or un-corded depending on height and weight of the curtains. When using a corded track it may be worth considering a custom made track rather than an off the shelf option. In a large bay window the flexible track is often sold in two sections with a joint in the middle, but can also be ordered as a full length. Curtain Tracks differ from poles in that they use gliders in a fixed groove, and a pole has a ring that slides on the pole, however over the years improvements have allowed manufacturers to produce Curtain poles with gliders, both straight and Curved.
In the end the choice will often be dictated by preference and/or budget!
