How to Put Up A Curtain Pole

Curtains are a stylish and popular choice for every property. 

No matter what room of the house you have them installed, they provide great aesthetics, privacy and act as a wonderful decorative feature. While installing curtains onto a curtain pole is a fairly simple process that most people have experience of, putting up the curtain pole itself is considered slightly more challenging. However, there is no reason why you cannot conduct the task yourself and it is often unnecessary to call in professional help.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how to put up a curtain pole, providing you with all the tips and advice you need to easily do the job. 

Read on to find out more.

Benefits Of Curtains 

Before we explain the best way to put up a curtain pole, let’s take a closer look at why people opt to have curtains installed in the first place. 

Curtains offer various benefits in both practical and aesthetic aspects, some of the key advantages include:

• Privacy – Curtains provide every room with a sense of privacy. They’re used to cover windows and prevent people from looking into your home. This is especially important for bedrooms and bathrooms where additional privacy is required. Furthermore, closed curtains can help with security as they act as a visual barrier. This prevents potential intruders from easily seeing into your home and the valuables you own.
• Light control – The amount of light that enters your home can vary depending on the time of year and the direction your house faces. Curtains allow you to control the amount of natural light entering a room, and this is beneficial for creating a comfortable atmosphere, reducing glare on screens and protecting furniture or artwork from damage caused by harmful UV rays. 
• Temperature regulation – Curtains can help regulate the temperature of a room by providing additional insulation. During the colder months, they can even help to retain heat and when it gets warmer they are able to block out excessive sunlight and heat.    

Should I Choose A Curtain Pole or Curtain Track?

When installing new curtains, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to install a curtain pole or curtain track. While you might think that there isn’t much difference between the two choices, both types can actually make a significant difference depending on what you’re looking to achieve. 

Curtain Tracks

Sometimes, people won’t want to see any fixtures or fittings above the curtain. And in these instances, they will opt for curtain tracks. They’re particularly useful for bay windows as tracks are more flexible than poles, meaning they curve around alcoves in your home. 

However, for curtain tracks, you will need to make sure that the curtains you use come with heading tape that can be attached to the rails by using curtain hooks. 

Curtain Poles

Alternatively, curtain poles are often selected if you want to be able to see the pole above the curtains, or if you don’t really have a preference about the way it looks. 

Usually, curtain poles will come in lengths between 100cm-400cm, with extendable options also available. This means they can be incorporated into a room or window space of all kinds of different sizes. Furthermore, poles are available in a whole host of different styles and decors, and they can often be used as a decorative element in their own right. 

Putting up a curtain can be extremely straightforward if you follow the correct steps, and in the section below we’ll explain how to hang a curtain pole. 

How To Put Up A Curtain Pole

If you’ve decided to use a curtain pole for your new curtains, then you will likely need to install it yourself. While you can pay for someone to do it for you, this is not necessary and even rookie DIYers shouldn’t have too much trouble with the task.

By following the steps we’re going to outline below, you should have no trouble at all.

Clear The Area

Before you get started, you should make sure the area you’re working in has been fully cleared. Move any furniture, rugs and decorative items away from the window you’re working on. This is to minimise any obstructions or hazards that could get in the way while you’re doing the work. 

Add A Central Bracket

This may not always be necessary, but if you’re using heavy curtains or working on a particularly large window a central bracket may be required to hold the weight. 

Measure a minimum of 50mm above your window frame as well as mark 50mm from the edge of the frame on each side. Then use a spirit level to make sure the markings are straight and draw a line from the width marking to the height marking. This should produce a cross which is where your bracket will be placed. 

Now, it’s time to start drilling. 

If your window is high up and you’re unable to reach, you will need a step-ladder to do this. Any drill will do, but you need to make sure the drill bit being used will match the size of the wall plugs for the brackets you are using. 

Using your drill, drill into the crosses you marked earlier. 

Once the holes have been drilled, you can push the wall plugs into the wall. Then, hang the bracket onto the wall. 

Remove The Finials 

Now, you can prepare the curtain pole itself. Use an Allen key to unscrew the finial from the curtain pole. This is normally domed in shape, and located at either end of the curtain pole. 

Place The Curtain On The Pole   

Grab your curtain and thread it through the pole. Then you can reattach the finial to the pole. 

Place The Pole On The Brackets

Put your curtain pole on the brackets, resting it on the hooks. Finally, turn the bracket screws to lock the curtain pole in place.

Now the process is complete, and you can enjoy your wonderful new curtains.