The poles and tracks used to hang your curtains you will not be surprised to hear come in lots of different options. Here are a few notes to help guide you through the main choices.
In general we recommend that Poles are placed up high. If you are having made to measure curtains you may as well take advantage and add height to your space. In the main poles are made of either metal or wood. There are various diameters in many ranges, make sure you can put a sample bit up to the position where you think you want to place the pole. You will be amazed how a sample appears to be too big is just right once you place it up high.
Rings or no rings? The vast majority of poles come with rings to match. However there is more choice! You can have gliders instead in both wood and metal and it gives a sleeker look.
Of course curtain poles do not have to be a curtain pole! You can adapt other objects – scaffolding and boat oars come to mind! Yep I have seen them both being used.
Another thing poles don’t have to be round either! Metal poles can come with a flat back and a rounded front – which comes in surprising useful sometimes. Also some poles are flat with gliders but perhaps we should be call them decorative tracks instead.
Poles and tracks do not have to be straight either – when you have a bay window you may well need to bend the pole or track. In this situation we always recommend using poles and tracks with gliders – no rings or eyelet headings. You can get poles with c-rings out there which bypass brackets but we have not found any that are truly successful so stick to the bendable poles and tracks with gliders so you can put up the brackets around the bends.
How to hang the curtains from a pole. Again there is a choice you can go have the curtains sitting under the pole or above which hides the pole when the curtains are drawn close. Our recommendation is you sit the top of the curtains under the pole as it makes it easier to pull the curtains open and shut. Also the seeing the pole when the curtains are drawn closed gives an anchor- otherwise the curtains will look like they are floating!
Also, consider the weight of your curtains and look at the specifications of the pole or track.
Poles and tracks can also be ceiling fixed. A prime example of this is curved tracks that sit flush to the ceiling. Perfect for covering bi-fold doors. If you are still at the building stage you can even recess the track into the ceiling.
In the showroom at Milloe we can guide you through your decision journey of choosing the right pole or tracks for your curtains.