Just buy ready to hang superfit tracks. Come with all the necessary and most curtain shops and Mega 10’s have them. Superfit are the best. Make sure they are at least 400mm each end longer than the window is wide. Don’t stuff around with the expandable types,these are the ones that cause all the problems. Superfit are made by Rufflete in NZ, now known as NZ Window Shades.
King Track are another good brand but not sure where you will find them but you can Google.
A tip for tracks that have been up a while is to spray them with silicone spray. Makes them run and tenants then don’t have to yank them and stretch the curtains.
Make sure you screw the brackets into a stud if you can, much more secure but if you cant use gib screw thingy’s for the screws.
A tape or level are handy tools to have as well.
Tab curtains are a pain and never slide across well.
When buying ruffle curtains then they should be wide enough to cover 1.5 times the length of the track you are using. That allows you to pull the heads together to give your curtains bulk which helps to keep them clean and looking nice. You can use wider no problem and it will give you a tighter ruffle at the top and more bulk to the curtains. Put a snail hook in every 4th or 5th hole. If you don’t have enough gliders on the track the superfit ones just click in. (any curtain person can show you how.)
Keep your curtains OFF the floor as floor drag causes the tenants to do the same to the curtains.
It also wears holes in the fold so when your curtain shrinks and you want to drop them down again ya can’t cause it looks crap.
If you must use blockout then put them up on a double track on their own and the curtain on another track. More expensive but lessens the mildew problem.
Try and avoid Taffetta and blockout. Neither breath and blockout hold a lot of heat and they go mouldy very quickly.
Thermals are ok but 10 years and two cleans and they will be most likely kaput.
Best curtains, Polyester/cottons with polycotton linning.
Do this everyday.
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