How to Choose Your Curtain Rail

Like curtain rods, there are several curtain rails available for hanging curtains.

To decorate and dress your windows in an original way, you can decorate your curtains with curtain accessories.

Presentation of Curtain Rails

The purpose of your curtain track is to support your curtains and drapes.

Curtain sheers, double curtains, vertical slat blinds, or Japanese curtains, you will need curtain rails to hang them. A brief description below:

– Curtain rails make it easy to close and open curtains.

– They are available in various sizes.

– The colors are often white, aluminum, brown or gold.

– They can be fixed to the ceiling or wall.

– They can have several slides (double rails) to hang two curtains.

– The curtain track is easily cleaned with a damp sponge.

Types of Curtain Rails

Depending on the curtains you wish to hang, some rails will be better suited than others, namely: the railway track, door rail, curtain box, vertical slat rail, Japanese panel rail, malleable rail or electric rail.

The Railway Track

Unsightly and very functional, it will be hidden behind the top of the curtain.

Description of the rail:

– The rail track has its own wall brackets for fixing.

– It is equipped with sliding roller wheels.

– The curtains are fixed with hooks.

– A cord is used to set the curtain in motion.

– The railway curtain can be designed for one or two curtains.

The Door Track

This acts as a curtain rod because it is fixed on a pivot pin of the door. This makes it possible to follow the movements of the door.

The Curtain Box

– The curtain box is equipped with a rail that is concealed by a wooden or PVC cladding.

– Possibility of double rails such as the railway track.

The Rail for Vertical Slat Blinds

– The vertical slats of the blind are clipped onto a sliding carriage.

– It is important to leave 5 cm between the window pane and the rail for the orientation of the slats.

– The rail is equipped with a chain to operate and move the slats.

– It is possible to fix the rail to the wall with suitable accessories.

The Curtain Rail for Japanese Curtains

Here are some features of the Japanese curtain track:

– screwed to the ceiling;

– a sliding carriage allows to fix the Japanese curtain;

– the rail is crossable;

– it is possible to connect two rails to obtain a central opening;

– it is equipped with a pull cord to operate the curtain.

The Malleable Rail

– The malleable track is ideal for rounded windows or corner installations.

– Bending is easy and manual.

The Electric Rail

The electric rail is an intelligent, design and elegant product which is equipped with an integrated programmer with possible bending.

– It operates on low voltage.

– It is delivered ready to install and with a remote control to operate the curtains.

– It can be used for all types of curtains.

Accessories and Curtain Rail: The Leg Glides

Leg glides are curtain accessories that come in various designs, shapes and colours:

– The leg glides allow you to hang curtains and drapes with legs on a curtain rail. Simply slide them on.

– They are sold in sets of 10 and cost between 5 and 20 dollars depending on their diameter.

How Do I Install a Curtain Rail?

Here are the main steps to install a curtain track:

– First of all, the length of the rail will be according to the width of the window.

– If necessary, cut the track to the right size.

– The curtain should cover the window completely, about 15 cm on each side.

– If you hang two rails, leave at least 5 cm between them.

– The rail is attached by means of small rings (rail holders) that you click onto the rail. For large curtains, leave about 50 cm between the rail holders to allow ease of movement.

– If the rail is mounted on the ceiling, use toggle plugs.

– Screw on the rail and place the stops and sliding hooks to hang the curtains.

Good to know: if you fix the rail between two walls, do not forget to insert the stops and hooks before hanging the rail, because afterwards you will not be able to do so.