Can you talk me through how to put curtains up in bay window please?

beckstar1975

Is it possible to hang a curtain track from a false ceiling in a bay window? It would have to be from the ceiling as there's not enough clearance at the top of the window for it there?

Any hints/tips? I think I'm going to have to do it and I've v little DIY experience 

[Deleted User]

It would possible to put a track up there but you'd probably have to use very lightweight curtains.

Some people have the track infront of the bay - so when curtains are closed it is, in effect, shutting it off from the main room - with me - would that work ?
The ceiling would be capable of taking a sturdier track too -
It's a while since i've had this scenario so am a bit lacking in practice here ! 

I'm sure a few searches would show you the way to go though.

beckstar1975

Ooh what I did think following your message is that I could get longer curtains that would be attached outside the bay in the straight bit of the room, but then tuck behind the radiator, which is under the window. If I could get some long enough. I'll have ot measure how much longer they would have to be. Else if I didn't do that and they just went straight across the radiator would be the other side!. And, I may need to move a desk there to work and it gets freezing so would need to sit at desk with curtains closed. Hmmm, will think on . .

FreeBear

beckstar1975 said: Is it possible to hang a curtain track from a false ceiling in a bay window? It would have to be from the ceiling as there's not enough clearance at the top of the window for it there?

Any hints/tips? I think I'm going to have to do it and I've v little DIY experience 

Yes, it is possible, but....

I have a bay window with zero clearance at the top. Also fortunate in knowing where the timbers are above that support the plaster. Had some polished stainless steel tubing bent to shape and got some tee pipe fittings to screw to the joists (one each end, and a third in the middle). Despite it looking a little flimsy, surprising solid. From memory, it cost me about £50 from a local stainless steel fabrication shop.

Misslayed

A friend who worked as a 'professional person who dresses windows with curtains' (I'm sure there's a proper name, window dresser doesn't quite fit) did this for me quite a few years ago, on this window and another even trickier one which was a square bay and had a door in the middle.  In effect he built a mirror copy of the window sill on the ceiling, then attached the curtains to the edge, so they hang right on the edge of the sill.

beckstar1975

Ooh that's good - I've just looked and if we weighted curtains at the bottom we could probably get curtains 180cm ish long and attach to the outside of the bay and then tuck them in. But I like the other solution better.

On looking again there is some solid wall either side that the pole could attach to so there's maybe only one or two fittings needed

FreeBear

beckstar1975 said: On looking again there is some solid wall either side that the pole could attach to so there's maybe only one or two fittings needed

If you are thinking about hanging a straight pole across the bay to block it off, you need to consider what is holding the wall up. It might be a large timber beam, a really hard gnarly concrete lintel, or a steel RSJ. Which ever it is, it will extend either side of the bay opening by ~150mm.

Blocking off the bay, you'll lose valuable floor space, and if there is a radiator under the window, heating will be wasted.

Any idea when the house was built ?

beckstar1975

1936. I was going to get curtains that I could then tuck behind the radiator, so it’s like circus drapes. 

I’ve just emailed around local friends to ask what they’ve done as many of our local houses are the same

FreeBear

beckstar1975 said: 1936. I was going to get curtains that I could then tuck behind the radiator, so it’s like circus drapes.

Similar age to mine then - Unless the ceiling has been replaced in the last 40 odd years, it will probably be lath & plaster. If fixing to it, you need to careful where the screws go, especially if you plan on using heavy curtains. All too easy to stick a screw in, hit a bit of wood and think you have landed on a joist. When a chunk of plaster falls down a month or two later, you find the screw has gone in to a lath.

beckstar1975

Yes - I know it is as I peeled a bit of the anaglypta back to check

If local chums can't help then I think the lintel and drapes is the way forward for now - we can't afford to pay much to get it sorted but we can't carry on without anything

Thanks for all your responses

FreeBear

This might work for you assuming that you are using hooks to hang the cortains - https://www.direct-fabrics.co.uk/fineline-curtain-track-white.html - Not used it myself, but the prices isn't outlandish, and you can fix to the ceiling. Finding the joists will be the hard part - A small metal detector should be able to locate nails securing the laths in place. This will give you a pretty good idea where the joists are (they should run front to back).