Curtain rods: types, materials, size selection, type

Windows in residential and administrative premises are one of the most important parts that form the style of interior design. And their appearance is formed by curtains and cornices. In this part we will talk about what curtain rods can be. 

Types, types, installation methods

Even such a simple design as cornices has many types. This is not about the appearance, but about the design, installation method. In general, about the technical details.

By way of installation

First of all, cornices for curtains differ in the method of installation. There are wall and ceiling. The choice depends on your desire and type of ceiling. The bearing capacity of the walls is usually sufficient to fasten the cornice even under heavy curtains. Problems can arise only if the walls are made of cellular concrete or sheathed with plasterboard. But for such situations, there are standard solutions – the use of mortgages, chemical anchors or special dowels.

Ceilings are different. There are no problems with standard ones, but with tension or suspension ones you need to think in advance. In the case of tension ones, a ceiling cornice for curtains is usually used, and for fixing the ceiling canvas, from a wooden bar or metal rails, a structure with sufficient bearing capacity is constructed.

And not even on all suspended ceilings it is possible to install a cornice. You can attach it to drywall, but drywall itself may not withstand heavy curtains. This is only possible for light curtains such as tulle. For heavier fabrics, wall cornices are used or ceiling cornices are attached, but to the ceiling itself.

Other types of false ceiling are plastic panels, armstrong, etc. – generally not able to carry any extraneous loads. The best way out – even during the repair, before installing the ceiling, install a mortgage – an additional profile or a wooden block, well fixed to the ceiling. Then attach a curtain rod to it.

We install fasteners reliable and often, on the basis that it will have a constant load of several kilograms, plus sharp jerks, when pulling / opening the curtains. So don’t skimp on fasteners.

Type

In addition to the method of fastening, cornices for curtains differ in shape. There are:

• Tubular. Usually they are round in cross section, but square ones have also appeared. The traditional type of cornices for curtains, known since ancient times. They are also called “cornice round”. Their peculiarity is that they are part of the decor, therefore, when choosing, you also need to select a design. According to the method of fastening, there are wall and ceiling (rarely). There is also such a variety as rotary tubular cornices.
  

• Strings. They are a set of two brackets, between which several steel strings are pulled. They can be mounted both on the walls and on the ceiling, but ceiling models are more common. String cornices are inexpensive. Inconspicuous, can be hidden or open mounting.
  

• Profile or rail. For these cornices, a special profile is made in which one, two or three grooves are made. Runners are inserted into these grooves, to which curtains and tulle are attached. If you need to open / close the curtains, pull them and the sliders move along the groove. According to the type of execution, profile curtains are:
  • Hard. Are used as usual equal (linear) cornices.
    

  • Soft. They are made from a special aluminum alloy that can be bent but is still rigid enough to support the weight of the curtains. The second material from which flexible cornices are made is plastic. Corner or bay window cornices for curtains are made from these profiles.
• Baguette. It is rather a variation of all of the above. Baguette cornice for curtains has a frontal decorative strip (baguette), which closes the cornice itself, no matter what type they are: tubular, string or rail.
  

In general, these are all types of curtain rods. It is not so difficult to decide on the type – your preferences and wishes are important. Next, you will have to look for a model that is suitable specifically for your case, both in terms of technical characteristics (yeah, there are some), and in appearance.

Which is better

It is wrong to say that some type of curtain rods for curtains is better, and some is worse. Each is good in its own way, and each has its flaws. Selecting the type of cornice for curtains should be based on several criteria: the design of the room, the type of window and curtains, the desired effect.

For example, for laconic curtains without a lambrequin, any type of cornice, including tubular or rail, is suitable. Tubular ones are more suitable for rooms with high ceilings or, at least, where the distance from the top of the window to the ceiling is more than 20 cm, and preferably 30 cm or more. Otherwise, they look “not very”.

Tubular curtains are not very suitable for curtains with lambrequins, as they stand out too much, in addition, this type of curtain in combination with pipes and rings looks “not very good”. For lambrequins, a rail or string version is more suitable. In this case, the cornice itself is hidden, so that its aesthetic value does not matter. For some styles, a baguette version will look better.

Cornices for curtains: we determine the parameters

First of all, you need to decide on the length of the cornice. The choice depends on whether you want to visually increase or decrease the window opening and on the general illumination of the room. If you don’t need to enlarge the window, there is plenty of light in the room, curtain rods are taken either equal to the width of the window opening or a little more. The fact is that if you buy tubular curtain rods in the kit, they come in standard lengths: 1,6 m, 2,0 m, 2,4 m, 3,0 m. Therefore, you have to take the nearest larger one. The way out is to look for stores where pipes are sold by the meter. There are those too.

If you need to let in as much light as possible into the room or you want to visually make it wider, when open, the curtains are placed on the adjacent wall on the right, left, or both sides. Depending on the density of the curtains and the number of folds, this requires from 30 to 60 cm on one or both sides. Therefore, to calculate the length of curtain rods for curtains, 60 or 120 cm are added to the width of the window (more / less, depending on your desire). Then the task is to find the given length of the cornice, or close to the figure found.

What curtains are intended for

Before finally choosing curtain rods for curtains, pay attention to which canvases they are intended for. The description usually says “for light and medium” or “for light, medium and heavy curtains.” The last option is universal, with proper installation it can withstand any load.

If you have chosen metal cornices for curtains, you can not even look into the characteristics: they will withstand any. But with plastic and wood, you need to be careful. Quite a few models are only for medium curtains.

Number of rods (pipes)

You also need to choose how many rods / pipes / lines you need cornices for curtains. It depends on the type of curtains. There are:

• single;
• double;
• triple.
  

Single ones are used if only tulle or curtains are hung. Double – if both components are required. Triple cornices are needed for models with lambrequins. With this, perhaps, everything is clear and problems can arise only if you decide to replace the curtains. If one string / pipe turns out to be superfluous, this is not a problem, and if there is a shortage, a replacement of the eaves is usually required.

Tubular cornices for curtains: types, photos

They are made from metal, plastic and wood. Metal tubular cornices can be made of aluminum, bronze, steel and other alloys. There are round tubular cornices made of ferrous metal or aluminum alloy, laminated with a thin film that imitates wood species. These are the cheapest in this category.

Section: round or square

Basically, tubular curtain rods have a circular cross section. This is a classic. But there is also a square section with corresponding square “rings” for hanging curtains. They look stylish, suitable for interiors decorated in modern trends: art deco, loft, minimalism.

But how convenient it is to use them, how well such “rings” will slide, this is a question. Everything can be fine if the surfaces are perfectly sanded and fitted. If there are even the slightest irregularities … It is easier in this regard with wooden curtain rods. They can be varnished. Then normal sliding is ensured. Although, no one bothers to varnish and metal …

Forms of sale

There are two forms of selling pipe curtain rods. The first is a ready-made kit, which includes brackets, pipes, rings, tips. This is how they usually sell wooden or plastic cornices, some are metal.

The second form is all separate. This is more typical for metal models. Buy a pipe of the desired diameter and brackets. Under curtains, they usually take a thicker pipe – 22 mm or more, under tulle – less. There are many different tips for decorating them. Different in price, shape … For thin ones, under tulle, they take ordinary plugs, but for the first row you can choose something more elaborate (if such decoration suits the style of the room design).

With this form of sale, there are also several types of rings and clips for attaching curtains. They are also purchased separately. After all, these rings are not always needed, since there are ways to hang curtains without additional fastening – on eyelets or hinges.

String cornices: installation methods and features of choice

Nobody knows who came up with the idea of ​​using metal wire for hanging curtains, but many people liked the idea. It is inexpensive, reliable, fits into any interior. Only with heavy curtains can there be problems: the wire can sag under the weight. Most of the string cornices are designed for light and medium. For heavy ones, you will have to look for another option.

String cornices for curtains can be wall and ceiling mounting. In any case, brackets are used, they are just different types. When choosing, pay attention to the following parameters:

1. The distance from the reference plane (ceiling or wall) at which the strings will be after installation. There are models for a baguette with a small distance, there are with a large one, so that you can lower the curtains lower.
2. The length of the cornice. If more than three meters are required, three brackets are needed – two at the edges and one in the middle.
3. The number of strings. There are one, two and three rows.
4. String diameter. For light fabrics, 2 mm is enough, for medium ones, more is needed.
   

There are also string cornices for hidden and open mounting. They differ in decorative brackets. If the whole structure is hidden behind a baguette, choose the simplest and most unpretentious. Most often this is a regular bracket with several holes. It will still be hidden, so you should only worry about its strength.

Open-mounted string curtain rods have a more sophisticated look. Usually this polished metal is white or yellow, it can be with decorative elements. The principle of choosing a sign: in addition to technical parameters, it is selected for the situation. Although the brackets are small, it is better if they do not conflict with the interior.

Profile or rail

One of the most interesting and diverse groups. Curtain rails can be made from metal or plastic. Plastic with good quality behave well in operation, but are only suitable for light fabrics.

Metal ones are usually made from aluminum and alloys. In terms of reliability, they are good, but if the metal in the guide is poorly polished, it can be problematic to draw or open the curtains. But this passes with time: the existing irregularities are smoothed out. If you want to speed up this process, you can arm yourself with sandpaper for metal with a very fine grain and even out all the errors. Should help.

Mounting method

There are models of rail cornices for curtains mounted on the wall, there are – on the ceiling. Some can be mounted only on the wall or only on the ceiling, some have the opportunity to choose the installation method.

There is another criterion for division: in appearance. There are profiles of a very simple type, which are designed for flush mounting. It can be mounted on the base ceiling if a stretch or suspended ceiling is installed, hidden behind a baguette (when wall or ceiling mounted, it doesn’t matter.

There are models for open mounting. They are usually trimmed with a decorative strip. Attached to the wall or ceiling with brackets. The number of brackets is determined by the length – up to 3 meters, only two are needed at the edges, more – three are already installed.

Corner profile cornices for curtains

Rigid cornices are not suitable for bay or corner windows. If for corner windows it is still possible to join two linear cornices, then such a trick does not work with bay windows. Their line bends smoothly, many short segments have to be joined, which, to put it mildly, looks “not very good”. That is why flexible cornices are needed.

They bend perfectly in the horizontal plane. In this case, it is possible to use one or two large canvases for curtains and not many narrow ones. There are three solutions for such windows:

• flexible aluminum profile for cornices;
• flexible plastic profile;
• prefabricated plastic.
  

When choosing, first of all, look at which curtains this profile is intended for. Further, it should be taken into account that the prefabricated plastic corner cornice must be mounted strictly in one plane, otherwise the runners will get stuck at the joints. It is usually mounted on the ceiling, so it is desirable that it be without significant differences.