I was reminded this week that our industry is a devil for jargon. I try very hard not to use it, but found myself talking about curtain “rails”, when our customer has asked for curtain “tracks”. Cue some confusion in the discussion, and an apology from myself.
The fact is, curtain rails and curtain tracks are the same thing. A strip of metal or plastic carrying some sort of glider with holes in it, to accommodate curtain hooks. These strips are straight, although some options allow you to bend them to the shape of a bay window.
Depending on the quality of the product and installation, bending these rails (or tracks) will either be a success, or it will not. There is rarely any middle ground.
Choose Quality, Every Time
Not surprisingly, we recommend a good quality rail (or track) for ease of draw and longevity. Much of our business comes from customers who have or have inherited cheaper curtain rails (or tracks… you get the picture), and literally have to build themselves up to draw their curtains.
Curtain hooks popping our of cheap gliders, gliders dropping out of cheap rails, corners moving in a bay window, light seeping over the top and round edges of poorly fitted tracks. Or going to draw the curtains, and the whole thing falls on your head (we’ve seen photos).
Life is too short to waste time and energy trying to put up with something like that!
Our curtain rails are aluminium and powder coated to offer several shades of colour. Gliders are nylon, not plastic. Does this matter? Yes, nylon is far less likely to degrade in sunshine, than plastic.
Stylish and Shaped
Many of your curtain rails can be bent to shape to suit most bay window shapes - we can even bend them into an S-shape, if you are looking for a room divider with a difference.
Rails can be hand drawn, corded or remote control. Corded and remote are great options if you have furniture sat in front of a window, or the window is difficult to reach.
Curtain rails are great in bedrooms, as they sit closer to a wall than a pole, blocking more light leakage around edges. They are also slimmer than most poles, making them ideal for windows where space between glazing and ceilings is limited. Curtain rails are very on- trend at the moment, with their sleek, low profile design suiting the “hotel chic” floor to ceiling curtain trends
Our curtain tracks are designed for long-term use, with many systems lasting decades with minimal maintenance.
So, if you fancy updating/upgrading your curtain hanger system, a curtain rail may be the solution you are looking for; and with 71 days (yes, 71…) left until Christmas Day, now may be the time to start the process. How lovely would it be to fling open your curtains on Christmas Day knowing they will not stick, fall off, or cause distress. That’s a great Christmas present right there.