Finger Jointed Wood Poles
If you're looking for an unfinished wood pole to stain, make sure to find out if the wood pole is finger jointed.
Many lower priced wood drapery poles are finger jointed and not made from a solid piece of wood. When you stain your wood pole, the finger joints will become visible. Finger jointed poles should be painted, faux-finished or fabric wrapped - not stained.
Consider Your Drapery Style & Function When Choosing Your Kirsch Drapery Hardware
Decorative drapery poles are a great way to enhance any window. Before you decide what type of Kirsch drapery hardware to buy, think about your curtain style and if you want to open and close them often. Drapery poles are meant to be decorative, not functional. If you're going to open and close your draperies every day, consider a Kirsch curtain rod with traditional slides instead.
Wooden Kirsch Curtain Rods And Functionality
When choosing a wood drapery pole for your window treatment, keep in mind that all natural wood products may have a slight bow. Longer wood drapery poles have a greater chance of bowing than smaller drapery poles. That's not to say that every wood drapery rod will bow, but you should keep this in mind when selecting your drapery rod. Kirsch drapery hardware from the Buckingham collection is made from solid pieces and usually do not bow.
If you are going to open and close your drapery with rings every day, you may encounter resistance over time as the rings slide across your wood drapery pole. This issue is not a defect in your wood pole, it's simply a functional fact that is inherent with all wood drapery poles. To reduce this resistance, common wax may be applied to the top of your wood drapery pole
The most common drapery treatment used with wood drapery poles is semi-stationary panels with tie backs (pictured here). Opening and closing the drapery is accomplished through the use of the tie backs and not with the decorative rings on top.
Draperies Can Open And Close More Smoothly On A Metal Pole
For most installations, draperies hung on a metal drapery pole will slide open and closed more easily than if they were hung on a wooden drapery rod. Metal drapery poles with metal rings produce less friction than wood drapery poles with wood or resin rings so your drapery can operate more smoothly if you're going to hand draw them open or closed.
Because metal drapery rods and poles are usually of a smaller diameter than wooden drapery rods, it's very important that you consider the weight of your drapery when installing your brackets.
You should install one bracket for every four feet of drapery pole to prevent bowing if your draperies have a heavy face fabric or are lined and interlined. For metal drapery poles, a center support is always reccomended. Kirsch drapery rods are available with splices and center supports.
Four Common Drapery Styles For Drapery Poles
Pinch Pleat With Rings is one of the most common drapery styles used with drapery poles. The sewn in drapery hooks attach to drapery pole rings with eyelets.
Flat Panel With Ring Clips Use rings with aligator clips to attach a flat panel drapery to your decorative drapery pole rings.
Rod Pocket (pictured here) Slide your drapery pole into the rod pocket at the top of your flat panel drapery. This type of drapery does not require the use of drapery pole rings.
Traditional Swag To achieve this style, wrap your panel around your wood or metal drapery pole and create your swag. To hold your swag in place, you can staple your panel to the back of your wood drapery pole or use tape or hook-and-loop for metal poles.
When you decide to hang custom made draperies for your window treatment, it's a good idea to have your Kirsch drapery hardware installed before you order your curtains. While there are plenty of options available to you for pre-manufactured drapery panels or curtains, many home owners decide to have draperies custom made. Maybe you have found the perfect fabric for your drapery and you want to add your own custom touch to your interior design. Obviously, there are a lot of additional expenses involved in having draperies custom made and you definitely want to get everything right the first time. By selecting and installing your drapery rods first, your drapery maker will be able to create a perfect fit for your window.
Many times, customers order their custom curtains weeks or even months before they begin the process of selecting their drapery hardware. This can present a problem for highly customized installations. By buying and installing your drapery hardware first, your seamstress or drapery maker can take the measurements for your curtains from the exact and final position where they will eventually be installed. Many times, customers are forced to choose drapery rods based on the technical specifications of their drapery rather than choosing the decorative hardware that they truly want.
Subtle features of your drapery hardware can make a huge impact on your custom curtains. A common example of how your selected hardware influences the cut of your drapery involves the drop of the ring. Getting your custom made curtain to hang exactly where you want it to is a difficult process when you're using drapery rings. Many factors like the pin setting, the position of the rings eyelet and how far the ring hangs below the bottom of your drapery pole must be factored in to the final cut length of your curtains by your drapery maker. If your Kirsch drapery hardware is installed on your window when your seamstress takes your measurements, you'll know that the fit will be exactly what you want.
The projection and design of your drapery rod brackets may also influence your custom curtain measurements. Many times, home owners are forced to choose a standard plain bracket instead of the ornate decorative bracket that they want because of the restrictions of the curtain fabric. A bracket with ornate carvings or with an extended projection will require additional widths of fabric if you want the drapery to return to the wall. You can avoid this problem by selecting and installing your drapery hardware before you measure for your curtains.
When your designing your own custom window treatment, it's only natural that you should focus on the drapery and fabric itself. After all, the fabric is the most prominent design element for your treatment. However, when you select and hang your drapery rods first, your drapery maker will be better able to provide you with a finished product that is exactly what you want.
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