Curtain poles - maximum length, weight of curtains?

TomsMom

I need some curtains for the lounge in our house we're having renovated. I was thinking of having eyelet curtains. The curtains I am thinking of will have to be made to measure because of the size and the material is a thick chenille so quite heavy.

You can see a picture of the room here, top two photos, and I'm thinking full length, wall to wall. The wall is 153" wide altogether. The bit of wall to the left of the window is 29" and to the right is 16". The TV will go in the left hand corner.

The maximum length of pole we have seen is 140" although apparently you can have them made longer, we've been told it's possible in brass so far so I'd need to look elsewhere as we don't want brass. There will only be 3 supports, one at each end and one the middle so I'm wondering how much weight a pole can take?

Has anyone got heavy chenille curtains? Do they look OK with pencil pleat tops if we have to have a track instead of a pole? I'm wondering if they're too thick to draw up into pencil pleats. We'd need three widths in each curtain so that's a lot to draw up!

Mummy_Jo

Hi there

Just a quick question based on our experience of curtain poles falling off the wall!

We live in a fairly modern house (1994). We have lightweight curtains and they have been pulled out of the wall numerous times due to the type of construction. Our walls are dot and dabbed plaster meaning that there is no firm fixing for the screws to go in. My concern is that your heavy weight material may be too much for your walls. If I am right you will have 6 widths in total and that is a lot of weight on your curtain pole with only the centre support. One way round this issue is to screw a wooden baton to the wall first as that would provide a bit more support. I've made a few sets of curtains so I know how heavy they can be. Pencil pleat should look good too if they are done correctly. Are you thinking of having them interlined too? Would look great but would add to the weight.

Jo

TomsMom

Yes Jo, there will be 6 widths in total. The wall is brick.

Yes they will be interlined, and as the sun is on that room from mid-morning to sundown the linings will need to be heavy ones so as not to rot (I've had that in a previous house, linings rotted but curtains were OK). It might be better to have loose linings, maybe thermal ones, so if they do rot I can renew them easily.

I'm thinking pencil pleat might be the safest way to go, was just thinking eyelets would be a bit more modern.

Mummy_Jo

Hi

I've never seen poles that big but I have never had the need to look either. I would check with Manufacturers website to see if they have any guidance on poles and weight. Why don't you go to somewhere like John Lewis and have a chat with them about eyelet vvs pencil pleats and also weights. You could always pretend that you want them to make them for you. Let me know how you get on with it. I will be interested.

Thanks

Jo

TomsMom

Mummy_Jo wrote: »

Hi

I've never seen poles that big but I have never had the need to look either. I would check with Manufacturers website to see if they have any guidance on poles and weight. Why don't you go to somewhere like John Lewis and have a chat with them about eyelet vvs pencil pleats and also weights. You could always pretend that you want them to make them for you. Let me know how you get on with it. I will be interested.

Thanks

Jo

The biggest poles we've seen anywhere are 140" so it would have to be a special order and we were offered them to be made in brass but the assistant didn't offer any other advice (we wont be going there for the pole, her attitude lost the sale!).

Unfortunately our nearest John Lewis is about 3 hours + drive away so we can only go to specialist curtain shops nearer, which is where we encountered the not too helpful assistant :rolleyes:

I shall do some more research on the 'net and see what I can come up with but my sensible head is telling me to go for a normal heading + track as it will be better supported.

gmgmgm

Someone else had this question a few days ago... I'd suggest using curtain tracks. Much stronger.

I really wouldn't consider mounting curtain rails that long on plasterboard...

JulieM

I've got eyelet curtains in one of my bedrooms, bought them thinking they would look modern but they look untidy when they're closed. Will stick to pencil pleat in future.

TomsMom

gmgmgm wrote: »

Someone else had this question a few days ago... I'd suggest using curtain tracks. Much stronger.

I really wouldn't consider mounting curtain rails that long on plasterboard...

Mine isn't plasterboard, it's brick.

TomsMom

JulieM wrote: »

I've got eyelet curtains in one of my bedrooms, bought them thinking they would look modern but they look untidy when they're closed. Will stick to pencil pleat in future.

Thanks Julie, I've only ever seen them in shop displays or pictures on the 'net not actually in anyone's house. It's good to have feedback from someone who actually has them.

toffeegirl

If you do go for the pole option, remember to alllow for the length of any finial plus an extra amount of space required to put them on (i.e. the recess inside the finial for the pole).

The issues you face are:
1. Fixings on the walls to support the poles.
For fully functioning curtains, you'll only be able to have 3 brackets - so get the longest fixings you can and maximise the number of fixings to hold on the bracket. I attached my heavy hallway curtains to a wide wooden batten.

2. The strain on the pole
The pole is likely to bow under the strain of the weight of the curtains coupled with the (greater) distance between the brackets. The stronger / thicker the pole the better - though this may add to the weight which the brackets need to support!

3. Opening / closing the curtains.
With all that weight, just trying to pull the curtains is not a good idea - always remember to lift the curtain before you pull - taking the weight off the pole and thus reducing friction, as the curtain moves.

Depending upon the brackets used, you could use 2 poles, with the central bracket hiding the join.

If you wanted lined curtains but the weight was an issue - you could go for a double-pole system.

If you were happy to go with tracks, there are steel / aluminium based products available as well as the normal plastic. Again, long fixings are the way to go - so be prepared to discard the ones that come in the packet.

Otherwise, I think you need to get a mathematician in to write you a formula based on wall construction, length of fixings, pole length, pole strength and curtain dimensions...

toffeegirl

An alternate solution (which you've probably considered and discounted...but I'll mention it anyway) - is to use separate panels of curtains.

Go for a 3 panel solution: 1 for each of the windows and 1 for the french door. The curtain over the door can be opened either to the left or the right (i.e. the opposite side to the door you are most likely to open). This way you can have 4 brackets.

You could even go for a curtain panel for each window and each side of the door.... 4 panels and 5 brackets. More managable in terms of support and opening / closing - though not the clean mass of fabric you are aiming for.