Beautiful, properly selected curtains are an integral part of the interior. From how they are fixed, the general perception of the room depends. The best option for fixing them today is the ceiling cornice, which allows you to visually increase the height of the room. To install the design does not require significant effort and large calculations, so you can fix the ceiling curtain rod for curtains with your own hands.
Classification
Modern ceiling curtain rods for curtains are classified depending on the material, method of attachment, profile design, size and shape. For the manufacture of ceiling cornices, manufacturers use three materials: wood, plastic, metal. Wooden structures are more suitable for the interior in a classic style. For rooms where the whole atmosphere is selected in a modern style, metal structures are more suitable. Lightweight plastic cornices are universal, they will look harmoniously in almost any interior.
There are two types of ceiling mounts. Either it is hung from the ceiling using various fasteners through an opening in the bar, or it is mounted on brackets, which, in turn, are attached to the wall or ceiling.
Profile designs for different models differ in the number of rows. In single-row systems, there is only one track. In this case, hanging the curtains will turn out in only one layer. A multi-row system is characterized by the presence of 2 to 4 tracks; it allows you to create multi-layer compositions from different textures of textile fabric.
For the classic version, when curtains are hung with curtains, a two-row design is suitable. When adding a lambrequin, a three-row cornice will be required. The 4-row system allows you to create complex designs from several types of fabrics.
The shape of the cornice is of the following types:
- Straight rectangular cornice. This view allows you to hang curtains, curtains and lambrequins in a straight line is the most common option and is called a profile cornice. A variation of the rectangular shape are rounded cornices, consisting of the main straight part and two separate arcuate elements attached to the main part (bus). Cornices of this design have recently been very popular due to their rounded edges, which give the curtains a neat appearance and smooth forms;
- Profile cornice. These cornices, consisting of components, are suitable not only for windows located in one straight line, but also for windows located on different walls next to each other. Thanks to the arcuate elements, you can simulate the angular version. Swivel elements coincide with linear parts. Rows are formed along which runners with curtains move freely;
- Flexible bay window eaves. A real find for panoramic windows characterized by custom geometry. There are string and profile options. The string structure consists of one or more metal cables stretched between the brackets. The length of each string can reach a length of 5-6 meters. The flexibility inherent in the construction of the string allows you to easily design walls with a complex configuration, as well as hold them around the perimeter of the bay window ledge. Any person can handle the installation of this design.
But do not forget that string cornices are characterized by low bearing capacity, so they are not designed to use dense, heavy fabrics.
For this design, light airy fabrics (chiffon, organza, cambric) are more suitable.
A more popular version of bay windows is the tire version. They make it either from aluminum or from plastic.
Plastic profiles are easy to install, lightweight, affordable and can be used in any room, as they are resistant to moisture. Aluminum cornices are quite durable, have a long service life, a spectacular appearance and are resistant to deformation.
Due to the flexibility of the design, you can give any configuration, it can be bent to 100 degrees. But at the same time, it has sufficient strength and, unlike the string design, can withstand a load of up to 80 kg.
Any cornice can be decorated with a special plank. baguette. The most common material from which baguettes are different in texture and color is plastic. It is he who has a low price and, most importantly, flexibility that allows you to use the baguette in almost any eaves.
Video: How to Hang a Cornice Without a Hammer
One of the main functions of the baguette is the concealment of some details, namely guides with hooks, flaws made when sewing curtains, construction flaws in the window opening area. In addition, the baguette helps to visually simulate the space, participating in the style of the interior.
How far can I hang?
Before you purchase a curtain rod, you must take measurements of the window opening.
The optimal length should be such that when opening the curtains the window opening is fully open.
Determining this distance is simple: it should not exceed 40 cm from the end of the cornice to the window slope on each side. This is a standard value that allows you to freely open the window, but it can vary depending on the type of windows, the width of the curtains, as well as your preferences. In the presence of two adjacent windows, the distance from the end of the cornice to the window is 30 cm.
With ceiling mounting, it is necessary to calculate the optimal distance from the wall, at which the windows will open without any problems, hanging curtains will not touch the window sill and heating system. As a rule, a stock of 10-15 cm is enough.
For a ceiling structure that attaches to the wall with a bracket, a clearance of 5 cm must be left between the top of the fastener and the ceiling. This rule applies especially to round and string cornices. Rings or grommets used to hang curtains in these types, in the absence of a gap or a distance of less than 5 cm, can cling to the ceiling when moving. A height of 5 cm can vary in one direction or another, depending on the type of curtains and your preference.
Before purchasing a cornice, it is also necessary to take into account the weight of the curtains that will be hung on one or another type of cornice, especially if it is planned to hang a multilayer composition.
Round cornices, with a length of not more than 1.9-2 m and having a standard pipe with a diameter of 16 mm, can withstand a load of up to 3 kg per row. For longer cornices, the diameter of the pipe should be more than 16 mm in order to eliminate the risk of sagging.
Tire aluminum cornices are capable of supporting a significant weight of textile fabric. Tapestry curtains or blackout curtains in combination with light curtains can be safely hung out on such curtain rods that can withstand up to 50 kg of fabric.
How to assemble and install yourself?
In order to attach absolutely any cornice, tools are needed. First of all, you need to prepare a hammer drill or hammer drill. The choice of a tool depends on the type of wall being machined. If the wall is concrete, then you can’t do without a punch, and if the wall is made of brick, you can use a drill.
Both drill and perforator need drill bits. And there should be several of them, since the possibility of a drill falling into steel reinforcement, leading to damage or breakage, is not ruled out. Also, to install the cornice you will need a tape measure and a marker for marking.
Now we proceed directly to the process of preparing the ceiling cornice, consisting of the following steps:
- If the cornice is longer than necessary, then you need to cut off the extra centimeters using a square or hacksaw. With a ceiling mount, a hole is drilled in the middle of the profile, but if you plan to hang several layers of heavy curtains, the location will be slightly different. A few centimeters in both directions depart from the center of the cornice so that the width of the product is divided by two holes into three equal parts;
- Then, holes are drilled throughout the product, at a distance of 60 cm. If the curtains are very heavy, then this distance can be reduced to 20-50 cm. Here the rule applies: the less durable the ceiling, the smaller the distance between the fasteners;
- We apply the tire with the finished holes to the ceiling and make marks on the surface either through one central, or through two located at an equidistant distance from the center (for heavy curtains). The cornice must be positioned strictly parallel to the window opening. Then the product is attached first in the center, and then leveled, and its edges are fixed.
When installing the cornice on different surfaces, there are some nuances that must be taken into account so that the product is firmly bolted and can withstand significant loads.
Features of mounting to concrete
To work with a concrete surface, you must have two drills with different diameters.
- First, a drill is used that has a diameter that allows the screw head to hide flush in the surface of the product. The drilling depth should be equal to the height of the screw head.
- Then you need to drill a hole with a drill with a smaller diameter.
- In the marks on the concrete surface made through the holes on the tire surface, holes are made using a punch and a drill for concrete. The diameter of the drill must match the diameter of the dowel, as a rule, the value is 6 mm.
- Then, a dowel is inserted into the hole formed.
- The cornice is screwed to the ceiling by one self-tapping screw, it is leveled and exposed with marks that are drilled and inserted into the dowels in the same way as the first hole.
- After that, the cornice is fully fixed.
Brackets to the wall
Brackets are special devices with the help of which absolutely any cornice can be attached to the wall.
Most curtain rods are sold with additional parts, including a curtain rod in which there are already holes. But if they are not, then they are drilled independently. On the side adjacent to the wall, the diameter of the hole should be 1 mm larger than the diameter of the bolt. For a snug fit of the corner to the surface, the drilled hole on the back side must be processed. If there is no hole on the surface to which the tire is directly attached, then you also need to drill it yourself.
Next, you need to attach the tire to the brackets with bolts and attach the structure to the wall for marks. After that, the holes are drilled and the structure is installed.