Are you having real problems fitting a ceiling mounted curtain track ?....then let me give you a few tips on getting it right

Well fitting a ceiling mounted curtain track, some peoples "worst nightmare". Yet it need not give you "cold sweats and sleepless nights".

Like most things in life you just need someone to give you a few pointers a simple plan of action. Follow my step by step guide and you should not have to many problems.

Your ceiling mounted curtain track check list is

What kind of curtain track hardware ?
What works and what does not ?
Corded or uncorded curtain track ?
Bay or straight window ?
What's your ceiling made of ?

What kind of curtain track hardware are you going to use ?

You can fit curtain rods/poles to the ceiling, but to my mind they never look right. I reccomend you don't go down this road. Even if the rod/pole looks great down at the local store. Double this advice if fitting into a bay window. So what does work, well the ever faithful curtain track, metal or plastic. You can bend them to fit most shaped bay windows. The neatest tracks are the ones that fit flush with your ceiling. Some curtain track brackets make the track sit 1cm (1/2 inch) from the ceiling leaving a gap.

So how can you tell the difference when buying a ceiling curtain track

Well a good rule of thumb is to look at the curtain track gliders. If they sit in a groove either under the track or a groove on the back of the track, then you should be ok. If the curtain track gliders are the large kind that sit on the front of the track. Then curl over and under the track to the back then these are not the best. This is because the glider needs a space between the the track and your ceiling to move along when opening and closing your curtains.

Corded curtain tracks "V" uncorded curtain tracks ?

Corded tracks are great on straight tracks, but not so good on bay windows (regardless to what it says on the packaging). Why's that you say, well when you bend a corded curtain track into a bay. The cords rub against the bends. The tighter the bend the worse it gets. On a straight corded track your cords sit loosely in the channel on the back of your track. When the cord moves it does not create much friction. On bays the cord rubs a lot on each bend creating a lot of friction. The more bends the worse it gets.

So am I saying don't buy a corded bay track ?

No what I am saying is be aware and if the still want one then pick one of the better quality ones, spend a bit more. Another important point to consider is the weight of your curtains. If you ceiling mounted curtain track is fixed to a not so great ceiling then be careful. More for bay windows but also for straight windows. When you pull the cords to move your curtains it puts a strain on the end brackets closest to the controls. Before long these brackets will start to work loose.

The answer for a ceiling mount track is...

Have a custom made metal corded track in your bay using roller gliders. Roller glider roll rather than being dragged as standard curtain track gliders do. The only draw back these custom tracks can be a bit pricey. Well worth it if you plan on staying in your home ten years or more. I recommend these for bays with 3 or more bends, or for very heavy curtains.

What if the budget is a bit tight ? Then use an uncorded curtain track and open and close your curtains by means of "draw rods". These are rods that attach to the glider on the opening edges of your curtains.

What's the point of draw rods. Well twofold really the first is on tall windows they make opening and closing your curtains easier. Secondly they keep the leading edges of your curtains clean. because you don't have to touch them as often.

So that's it for what kind of ceiling mounted curtain track to buy and why. To find out about fixing your chosen curtain track then click here.

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