Home Interior Decorating Curtain Tracks for Window Treatments
Types of Curtain Tracks
Tracks
Tracks are generally fixed to the wall above the window, and the curtains have hooks looped into the header tape, which fit onto clips on the track and allows them to be opened and closed.
They can be made of plastic or metal with a powdercoat finish. They can be hidden under pelmets or valances or be the same colour as your wall, so that they blend in.
There are many different variations, some can have curved attachments for following the contour of a bay window for example, others can be hung from the ceiling for heavier fabrics and ceiling height windows, some are extendable so that they can adjust to the window size.
Some tracks can be cord controlled, which means that you pull the cord and the curtains open & close.
This reduces the need for touching the fabric, and in the long run keeps the curtains cleaner as the natural oils from your hands rubs off onto the fabric and build up over time which then tends to attract dirt easier.
Double Tracks
These are useful for when you want to use two sets of curtains, or a pelmet and a curtain.
Ceiling Mounted Track
This track is mounted to the ceiling rather than the wall, it is useful when you have a window that goes right up to the ceiling or a wide sill that protrudes that you want to avoid. You can mount a track far enough out so that the curtain hangs straight and misses the sill. It works well for heavy fabrics, as the ceiling mounted track is stronger than the wall mounted. |
Double tracks (in the form of casement headings, rod and pocket) one for the nets and one for the curtains.
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Extendable Track
These are by far the most common today. They are purchased in standard sizes with a range that they can be extended to. They are ideal as you can alter them to suit different window widths without having to cut them, and it leaves room for human error, which often occurs when measuring curtains. |
The back view of an extendable track showing how the hooks fit into the back of the heading tape then into the runners on the back of the track. |
Flexible Track
It is possible to purchase flexible tracks, which are ideal for bay or bow windows if you want to follow their line with the curtains. They are made of PVC and are very strong.
Poles & Finials
A rail or track which a curtain or valance is hung. Poles are available in many different materials - timber, brass, wrought iron, bamboo, and painted timber. They usually have co-coordinating rings that fix to the hooks on the heading of the curtains. Finials are the decorative fixing at the end of the poles.
They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some simple, some complex, from the traditional fleur de lys and arrowhead to the fruity pomegranate and pineapple, and back to nature with acorns, scallop shells, along with the simple colonial turned wood balls. A more contemporary type of pole system is the tensioned steel wire, which doesn't impose on the windows. |
Wrought iron pole and rings, (no finial shown) |
Pole or rod and finial with a tab top curtain.
Curtain Wire
Curtain wire is a coiled wire with a plastic coating. It is slightly expandable and is fixed by eyelets screwed into the wire at each end, which are then fixed to the hook. Curtain wire is used for lightweight fabrics, sheers and nets, that only have a short span to cover and do not need to be drawn.
