How To Measure For Curtain Rods - Continental Window Fashions7 tips for choosing a curtain rod.

General guidelines for you to work with are a bit subjective, but other things to keep in mind.

That's right, width.To get the right curtain rod length, you have to consider how much you want your curtains to carry past the window opening.

The rule of thumb for determining rod length is to add 20% to the measured frame width.There is a table that can be used to determine rod lengths quickly.

The space needed for the stack is a factor to consider.When you open your curtains, they will gather on either end, which is referred to as the "stack or stack back".When dealing with small windows, you want to expose as much of the window glass as possible to give an illusion of a larger window.

If your window is 48 inches wide, your curtains split in the middle.If the stack width of your curtains is 10 inches on either side, the window glass on the other side would be covered by the gathered drapery.A full 20% of the window glass will be covered by the stack.It's not ideal.

The stack should be pushed all the way over so that the window glass is not covered.To do that, you need to make sure the curtain rod is at least 20 inches larger than the original window size.When curtains are fully opened, all 48 inches of window glass will show.It's most ideal!

We recommend allowing at least 3 inches minimum on each side to allow the curtains to open completely, even though it is not necessary for your drapery to always clear the window glass.Let the sun shine!

You should allow one-third of the window's width for the stack-back.You may need to add an extra inch or two if the fabric is bulky.Light-weight fabrics on narrow windows need more of a stack-back than heavier fabrics.

The curtain rod should be extended three to four inches from each side of the window frame.Use a pencil to make a small mark on the wall.You might want to use a level to make sure the marks are straight.

HEIGHT.It's important to determine the appropriate height to hang your curtain rod.

To make sure the window hardware is straight, measure on each side of your window.To mark the wall on each side of the window, use a pencil.

If you can, hang the drapery high enough so that it covers the top of the window.If you are using tab / tie top drapery panels or clip rings which will lower your drapery making it sit well below the rod, you will need to move it up a few inches as an allowance for the difference, thus ensuring the top of your window will not be visible through the gap.

The illusion of a taller ceiling can be created with drapes.It can be accomplished by mounting your rod above your window or below your ceiling line.

A minimum of 4 inches is what we recommend.By drawing the eye up, the drapery creates a visually vertical line that gives the illusion of a higher ceiling.This creates a palatial look, and is also helpful when you want to emphasize existing high ceilings or draw attention to intricate architectural details in a room.

If you are using ready-made draperies, you should check to see what lengths are available and decide on the rod height according to the panel length for your ceiling height.There are a variety of lengths for ready-made drapery panels.This allows for flexibility without requiring custom panels.

Most customers want their rods hung too low, from our experience over the years.Once we explain the design and conceptual advantages of installing curtain rods higher, most tend to agree and end up happy and satisfied with the finished installation.