DIY curtain rod installation

Windows are often decorated with a variety of curtains. They are attached to a special structure, which is usually called a cornice, but you can also find the name "podkardinnik" and "podshtornik". How to hang a curtain rod for curtains, how and what to fix it on the wall, on the ceiling and will be discussed.

Wall mounting

Before you hang the curtain rod on the wall, you need to decide on the distances. How far from the ceiling should it be installed? The curtains look best when from the cornice to the ceiling 1/3 of the entire distance between the window and the ceiling, and to the window - 2/3. It should be remembered that the minimum gap from the window is 5 cm.

At what distance from the ceiling to hang the cornice

It is also worth deciding at what distance from the window opening the edges of the cornice (pipe or profile) should end. This applies more to the choice of cornices, but it will be useful to remind: the minimum distance is 15 cm, and the maximum distance is up to 40 cm (more can be, but it may look disproportionate).

Bracket types

To hang curtain rods, you need to consider the bracket on which it is attached. They are of several types:

• In the form of the letter "G". These brackets are usually equipped with metal curtain rods. The easiest way to work with them: the holes for the fasteners are clearly visible.
  

  L-shaped brackets are the easiest to install

• Round collapsible. Consist of several parts. The first is a washer for the installation of fasteners, a cover plate with a holder for a pipe or profile is attached to it. Brackets of this type are equipped with light eaves - plastic.
• There are also one-piece holders with holes drilled in them for installing fasteners. These are most often found in wooden models.

The most difficult installation is with round collapsible brackets. The difficulty is that they understand and assemble. Otherwise, everything is the same, the installation procedure is the same as for other types.

Installation procedure

Having decided on where the cornice will hang, you can proceed with the installation. Attach the curtain rod, level with a building level. At this stage, it is advisable to have an assistant who will hold the second edge.

We hammer nails into wooden walls or screw in self-tapping screws right away. You can only remove the pipe / pipes to make it easier. You can't just install fasteners in brick, concrete, foam concrete and other similar walls. Dowels are required, and to install them, you need labels.

How to install a plastic curtain rod on the wall: installation order in pictures

Having set the curtain rod for curtains by level, we put marks (right, left, top, bottom) in those places where the brackets will stand - 15 cm from the end of the pipe / profile and at a selected distance from the window and ceiling. We remove the cornice, remove the bracket, install it in the right place, mark the holes for the fasteners. We put all the marks - we set as many holes in the holder as there are.

We drill holes according to the marks. The hole diameter depends on the size of the dowel - we use a drill of the appropriate diameter. Having made a hole, we insert a dowel into it. It should go completely - as a last resort, if it is not possible to sink the dowel by a couple of millimeters, the excess is cut off with a sharp knife.

The principle of assembling curtain rods with round holders / brackets

Having installed all the dowels, attach the bracket, align the holes, tighten the screws that come with the dowels. After all the holders are installed, we assemble the cornice and you can hang curtains and curtains.

How to hang a curtain rod on the ceiling

Wall-mounted models of curtain rods with round holders for guides can also be hung on the ceiling - they are universal. The installation procedure is the same: mark, make holes, install holders, insert guides into them. Everything is exactly the same as for wall mounting. But there are plastic ceiling cornices, which are also called tire ones. They have a different look and structure. We will talk about how to hang a curtain rod made of plastic in this section.

Tire plastic ceiling cornice

Where and how to make holes in the tire

Plastic ceiling curtain rods come in one, two and three rows, depending on the number of curtains you are going to hang. They are sold without mounting holes. This is a single long strip made of plastic with molded paths along which runners with hooks move for hanging curtains and curtains. To install a plastic curtain rod on the ceiling, you need to drill holes in it.

Mounting holes are drilled between the tracks. These gaps represent a closed rectangular contour and both layers of plastic must be drilled. But they must be of two different diameters, so they use drills of two diameters:

• the diameter of the drill is greater than the diameter of the head of the self-tapping screw / dowel-nail for the front of the eaves (so that the fasteners go into this hole);
• the diameter of the drill is equal to the diameter of the fastener rod (the installed self-tapping screw / dowel-nail will hold the bar with a head).

How to install a plastic curtain rail for curtains on the ceiling

First, holes are made with a larger diameter drill in the front part. They change the drill to a smaller one, make another smaller one in the back wall through the hole already made. The tire cornice can now be installed on the ceiling.

One more point. Holes for single-row or double-row models can be made in one line - in the center (in the picture above, indicated by a red arrow). For the wider ones, it is better to arrange them in two rows (marked with yellow arrows). If you plan to use double curtains made of thick fabric, you can use all three lines.

If the curtains are not heavy, one row of holes can be made on double-row curtains

The hole pitch is 50-70 cm. The exact distance depends on the weight of the fabrics being hung. The weight of tulle curtains can be ignored, but blackout curtains can weigh a lot. The more weight, the more often you need to install fasteners.

Installation procedure

After the mounting holes are made, we take the cornice, center it relative to the window, set it according to the level, set the marks. Next, you need to mark on the ceiling with a pencil or marker where to drill holes for fasteners. If there are assistants, this is not a problem - they hold, you draw.

If there are no assistants, you can do it alone. You will need double-sided tape. Cut 3-4 pieces about 5 cm long, attach them to the back of the tire (the one that faces the ceiling). Two at the edges and one or two in the middle are enough for a 4-5 meter plank. Remove the protective coating, attach the cornice according to the applied marks. On the scotch tape it holds firmly enough, you can work without fear. If necessary, you can correct the position by tearing off the tape (you will have to make significant efforts).

In wide tires, it is better to put fasteners in two rows and arrange them in a checkerboard pattern

When the marks are made, remove the tire, drill holes, install plastic dowels. Next, put the cornice in place, aligning the holes (this is the most troublesome part), screw in the screws. If you previously attached double-sided tape, it will help hold the bar in place, if not, it is easier to install the mount at the ends, then in the middle.

Features of the installation of cornices on a stretch or suspended ceiling

Neither a suspended nor a suspended ceiling is able to hold at least some mass. Therefore, it will not work "directly" to hang the curtain rod on the suspended / stretch ceiling. There are two options:

• During the installation of the ceiling, install mortgages (usually wooden blocks), to which the holders are screwed. In this case, the load is transferred through the mortgages to the main ceiling (floor). When fastening to wooden bars, the fasteners are self-tapping screws. Length - less than the height of the bar.
  

  Embedded under a stretch ceiling

• Mount the ceiling so that its edge does not reach the window by 10-15 centimeters. You will get a niche with access to the main floor, into which the cheapest of the cornices is installed (you can - string or tire).
  

  Second way

Both options are working. Only in the second case, a hidden cornice is obtained, which is not visible. There are only curtains and curtains. The cornice (curtain, undercurtain) is not visible.

When installing mortgages, you can fix the bar parallel to the wall. In this case, the installation will be similar, but a whole beam under the cornice is wasteful. You can install small segments - 30-50 centimeters in length in the places of the proposed mounting of the cornice. Installation will become more difficult - you will have to take into account the position of the mortgages, but this is nothing. If the timber is expensive, saving is more important.

If you need to lower it lower

If the ceiling is lowered not by 5-7 cm, but at a greater distance, several bars should not be fastened. In this case, metal brackets are screwed to the base (base floor), and to them a small piece of timber or thick plywood. The bottom edge of the plank / plywood should be aligned with the stretch / false ceiling.

In the case of a plasterboard ceiling, you can use a profile as a mortgage, which is screwed with the "back" down. In this case, you will need to use metal screws. Most likely, before hanging the curtain rod, you will have to drill holes with a small drill, otherwise the self-tapping screw may "not go". A great effort to develop will not work, since the suspensions will bend.