4 things to consider when putting up curtains

Your window to the east through which the sun wakes you up every morning may be in desperate need of curtains but there are many things you need to consider before you can start to put up the right ones. Make sure that you do think about each of these concerns before starting at all to not leave any unwanted holes in the wall.

1. What rods are required?

Heavy materials which drapes are made of, need traverse rods as drapes are usually pleated. Panel curtains and eyelet curtains will hang off a plain round rod. You will need tension rods if you want curtains like cafe curtains which cover only half the window.  You want to look of the curtains to match the style you are going for in the room so the appropriate type of curtains or drapes and the rods that will make them possible are required.

2. Decide on the length of the curtain.

You want the curtain to cover the length of the window at least unless they are cafe curtains. This means that you want to measure the window length and then leave an extra ten centimeters below the window sill. You can also get curtains that just touch the sill or floor length ones that end one and a quarter centimeters from the floor. If your region is very humid, you might want to make them shorter to account for stretching from humidity. Some people also prefer to puddle their curtains which mean that a longer length is required.

3. Decide how much you want to draw the curtains.

Measure the width of the window and buy curtains and rods that account for how much you want to be able to move the curtain. If you want the whole window to be seen when the curtains are opened, then make sure the length of the rod and the width of the curtain are longer than the window so you can pull the curtains completely away from the window. Using an adjustable curtain rod can also help in resizing the tracks for the curtains. You may also be able to get rods which bend in at a right angle towards the wall, so that the curtains can be pulled away and then pushed towards the wall. This will save space.

4. Decide whether you want to install the rod on the casing of the window or on the wall above the casing.

This is important if you want to be able to draw open the curtains. Installing a rod inside the casing will mean that even when the curtains are opened completely, the window will still not be exposed completely and you may not get as lighter as you want.

You can always call in professionals to handle this for you but there is nothing like adding elements to your home by yourself. Once you have decided on the curtains, the rods and the placing of the curtains and rods, you are ready to drill that first hole and install your curtains.