Curtains are versatile elements of interior design that serve both decorative and functional purposes. Making the house look really homey and cozy, they may prevent the penetration of excessive sunlight, as well as hot and cold air from the outside.
They may completely block the sunlight from entering the room if you’re trying to catch some sleep during the daytime. Your privacy will be protected as well.
And, multilayered ones serve as one of the additional window insulation methods, as their thick fabric creates quite a significant barrier for the cold air that manages to get to your house through the tiny openings in your windows.
Besides, if you are not a fan of heavy and thick curtains that create an eye-catching accent on windows, you may always opt for lightweight and sheer drapes.
They will eliminate the unfinished look of your windows without covering them with layers of thick dust-collecting fabric.
Obviously, no matter which curtains you choose, you need to hang them up. Professional handymen make it look quite easy.
But,the thing most people struggle with when it comes to hanging curtains is installing the rod at an even level and securing it in place the way that it’s able to hold the curtains weight.
That’s why we’re going to figure out how to hang curtains correctly to make them look great and avoid issues with falling or crooked rods.
How to put up curtains
Choose the perfect rod and its position
The matter is that the curtain panels will never sit exactly on the ends of the rod.
And even if they do, the look of the curtains that smooth down the border line between the wall and the window is much more pleasant than the look of awkward curtains trying to ‘fit’ into the restricted window frame space.
That’s why the first rule of curtain hanging is that the rod should be at least 10’’ wider than your window.
This way your curtains will never fail to cover the window, as well as create an illusion that your window is a little bit wider than it actually is.
Similarly, it’s better to attach the rod about 5 inches higher than the top of your window to make it appear taller and brighter.
Most importantly, you need to choose the rod that is meant to support the weight of certain curtains and features suitable type of curtain hanging attachments (hooks, rings, etc.).
Get the right curtains
The type of fabric you may go with depends on your style preferences, the current design of the room the curtains will hand in, as well as the purpose you want to hang them for.
The same applies to the color alternatives.
Privacy and light-blocking drapes are a lot denser and heavier than breezy sheer drapes.
However, textured and layered fabrics tend to look quite formal and dressy, while translucent ones bring a touch of freshness and tenderness to your room.
No matter which type of fabric you choose for your curtains, make sure that they’re a lot wider than the width of the curtain rod you’re going to hang them on.
This way they will create those pretty curtain folds that make them look flowy and elegant.
The rule of thumb is that the perfect fit of curtains is achieved when they’re 2,5-3 times wider than the window.
Finally, your curtains should be long enough to hit the floor, but short enough not to wallow on it. The length you should be aiming at is about an inch or half an inch less than the distance between the curtain rod and the floor.
Again, between the curtain rod and the floor, but not the top of the window frame and the floor, as we’ve already decided to hang the rod a little bit higher.
How to hang curtains with an ease
The easiest way to ensure that your curtain rod won’t be crooked and that your curtains will be hung at the same level on every single window is to use a template.
In order to make one, measure how far away from the side and top frames of the window you’d like your curtain rod to be positioned at.
Let’s say you’d like it to go beyond the side frame of the window by 4 inches. And, you’d like to hang it 6 inches above the top window frame.
Thus, you’ll have to cut out two 10-inch long rectangles 6 and 4 inches wide and glue them together at the right angle. You’ll end up with a template that looks like a builder’s square.
Then, the only thing you’ll have to do to determine the rod hanging points is to fit your template to the top corners of your window and mark the outer corner of the template on the wall.
Use an electric screwdriver to mount the rod according to the directions on its packaging, clean up the floor, wipe the rod and hang your pretty well-ironed curtains.
If that’s too much for you, don’t hesitate to leave a curtain hanging request for handymen on HireRush.com and let them deal with your curtains and rods professionally.
