There are a lot of choices to make when you decide to use a wood drapery pole for your curtain rod. When making your decision, consider the wood pole size or diameter first. Selecting the proper Kirsch wood pole diameter is very important for functionality. Once you choose a diameter, look to see which styles are available for your selected wood pole size.

One of the easiest methods to add a completely custom look to your window treatment is to find an unfinished drapery rod and paint or stain it yourself. Before you begin a project like this, you should thoroughly plan out exactly what type of pole you're going to buy and how you're going to finish it. All drapery poles are not created equal. Learning more about your drapery pole's construction will help you determine if it's suitable for your project.

For a custom stain finish, make sure the drapery pole you select is made from a solid piece of wood. Many shoppers don't realize that low-cost department store or home improvement store discount drapery rods are usually made from several pieces of wood joined together. That's not a problem for a factory finished pole, but if you want to add your own stain, these joints present a huge problem. The most common method of combining two pieces of wood to create a pole is to use finger joints. These joints become invisible when painted, but the reverse is true if you stain them. Staining a wood pole with finger joints will make the edges of the joint very noticeable and it will ruin your stain finish. Carefully examine your unfinished drapery rod to make sure it doesn't have any finger joints. If you're still unsure, ask the manufacturer about the construction of the pole before you buy it.

Buying a low-cost wood dowel from a home improvement store to use for your drapery rod may be an option if you're going to create a fabric wrap treatment. You can save a lot of money by opting for a wood dowel, but you need to make sure that the treatment you're creating will completely cover the dowel. Most wood dowels aren't manufactured from premium cuts of wood and they may have a rough appearance that's certainly not suitable for stain or paint. And, warping or bowing over time is a frequent problem with wood dowels. As the wood ages and dries, the dowel may distort. But, as long as the bowing is minimal, the fabric wrapped around it will hide this flaw. Remember, while buying a wood dowel may be an option, these pieces really aren't meant to be used in a decorative window treatment and they may not hold up well over time.

One of the most effective ways to add your own touch to your drapery hardware is to paint of faux-finish a drapery rod. Just about any unfinished Kirsch curtain rod will work great for painting or faux-finishing. The paint process will hide any finger joints, so buying a lower cost drapery pole is definitely an option for faux-finishing. Also remember that most of the accessory items you're going to need will be made from resin in the majority of cases. Paint or stain typically looks slightly different when applied to resin items.

Getting exactly what you want is really easy when you decide to paint or stain your wood drapery rods. Just keep in mind the few tips about pole construction when you buy your unfinished pole. And, to make sure you get everything just the way you want, see if you can get a pole slightly bigger than what you need. Trim off the excess and use the drop-off to experiment with your paint or stain technique.