Curtains

…a sun problem at times during the day (heat, glare, damage furnishings), darken a bedroom for morning sleeping or a TV room for daytime viewing, a privacy problem in the daytime, a privacy problem at night, security issue when the house is vacant, purely decorative function only, make the room more cosy, or a combination of some of these. Working through these questions will guide the consultant’s thinking, and your thinking about No 1 what types of fabric and No 2 what track installation are going to answer.

Fabrics first: window furnishing fabrics and treatments are classed as blockout, or translucent (which allows light through), or transparent (which can be seen through). Transparent is usually referred to as a ‘sheer’ in curtains or roller blinds, or a sunscreen as a particular type of roller blind sheer fabric. Answers to the questions above about why the need for the window treatment help determine fabric type.

Track Types: the simplest track arrangement is a plain single track installation, for example Styleline made to measure tracking. Styleline is the basic professional custom track system. Continuous lengths of sturdy aluminium section are cut to size to make tracks up to 6 metres in one length. The difference between this basic track and a whole variety of ‘decorator tracks’ discussed later is that the curtain heading is designed to cover the track when the curtain is closed, as opposed to hanging below the track to make the track a feature.
Track installation types: Having determined with your consultant that a single layer curtain is going to suit your needs, the next question to be sorted is whether the curtain should be centre open i.e. the curtain in two pieces that meet at the centre, or one way draw i.e. the curtain in one piece that opens or stacks to one side usually to match a one way sliding window or door.

Centre open curtains are often favoured for one way sliding windows however, for the sake of appearance when the curtain is open. Stackback should be allowed in this case. Stackback means that the track extends past the opening to allow the curtain to be stacked off the opening to some degree.

Stackback is also a consideration with narrow width openings such as single double hung windows in a Queenslander. In this case, if stackback is not allowed, most of the opening remains covered even when the curtain is open.

An alternative to stackback in such situations is tiebacks or holdbacks.

Note: at night time the situation is the reverse of daytime, with a sheer curtain or blind and the inside light level higher than outside, people can see into the room but you can’t see out.

The other type of double track installation uses a sheer fabric on the front track and a solid lining on the rear track. This has become a popular option in recent years with the explosion in variety of very affordable sheer fabrics, in many colours, textures, and amazing finishes. Coloured blockout linings are also available to enhance the colour depth of the sheers.

Double layer treatments involving curtains and blinds are also an option to be kept in mind, for example in the case of sheers on small windows or for short drop curtains, a blockout roller blind, or a venetian behind the curtain may be neater. The other situation is a sheer or sunscreen roller blind behind a solid curtain.

Fixed side drops

Fixed side drop curtains (not meant to cover the full width of the opening), often with tiebacks or holdbacks, are another installation which combines with blinds of various types to achieve light or privacy control plus the decorative effect of curtains.

Side drops are also used for decorative effect in front of sheer curtains over blinds or even over blockout linings on separate rear tracks on large openings. This is referred to as a triple track installation.

Double pinch pleat is the basic all-purpose professional curtain heading – fabric fullness in the curtain will be 2 to 2.25 times track width. Your consultant is likely to specify other headings in the following situations:

• Triple pinch pleat (fullness 2.5 + times track width) is used for a very plain curtain fabric or a sheer which relies on the fullness of drape for effect. This amount of fullness is not generally necessary for prints, especially bold designs which may even be detracted from with too much fullness, or for elaborate jacquards etc.
• 75mm pencil pleat tape is used for a backdrop sheer to avoid ‘duelling’ pinch pleat headings with a front curtain, and also for a front sheer curtain for a more casual look depending on the style of the fabric. Fullness needs to be minimum 2.5 to achieve a neat appearance to the pencil heading, not too loose. Fullness is commonly 3 times for plain sheers.
• 50mm pencil pleat tape is the standard heading for curtains behind pelmets or valances where the heading is not on view and not a feature. It provides a more compact stack at the heading than pinch pleat, and this is often an advantage under pelmets etc.
• Inverted pleat heading, full name Inverted box pleat heading, has been around for a long time but has recently come into vogue because it gives a flat, unfussy look to the heading. The pleated fabric is to the rear of the heading and sewn flat. This is excellent for minimal fullness, and this is the way Andersons do their separate track linings behind sheers where, as well as giving a neat plain heading to the lining, less fullness is an advantage to stackback size and this heading at minimal fullness like 1.5, which is more than adequate for separate track linings, stacks quite compactly.
• Inverted pleat heading can be a problem for generous curtain fullness however in that the pleats at the back butt to each other and restrict stackback, which may be an issue. Andersons have a solution in the Reverse pinch pleat, which allows no restriction in fullness, and provides the most compact stackback of any heading, but it does require a decorator track installation – or the curtain hanging below the track.

Our S-Fold is adaptable to our main decorator track options as well as Styleline under a pelmet or Styleline flat fix for ceiling mount installations to give a slim unobtrusive track.

The S Fold heading is very effective with sheer curtains which of course are designed to be seldom stacked back. Even a plain sheer over a large enough opening creates a striking effect with the depth and evenness of the folds

Tab top and eyelet headings – beware!

Other curtain headings you might need to be aware of: Eyelets and Tab tops. These have limited applications for the same reason as decorator poles with rings (to be covered in the next section), you can’t get the curtain past a bracket. Neither of these are easy to live with in that the rings, unless the very largest size, generally jam on the pole when you try to close the curtain and tab tops likewise drag. The curtain will not look like that picture you’ve seen without a lot of painstaking arrangement. Let alone, why would you want custom made curtains that look like the flood of ready-mades from China that are everywhere now?

Curtain lining fabrics in general use in Australia are predominantly coated fabrics with a poly-cotton base cloth available in two colours, white and ivory.

There is a better quality option of 100% polyester base cloth for softer draping linings which also don’t cling so much to the curtain fabric, allowing it to drape more naturally. 1PASS lining has a single layer of acrylic mixed with fabric fibres to give it a soft, slightly textured fabric-like feel rather than a smooth painted surface feel as in 70’s and 80’s before the ‘Suedelina’ innovation. 1PASS lining is a translucent fabric about the same light transmitting density as the heavy cottons that used to be used as linings. The advantage is longevity – you can think of the acrylic coating as something akin to exterior house paint, designed to cop a beating from the sun. Linings before coateds were mainly plain cotton which, like all natural fibres, quickly deteriorates under strong sunlight.

3PASS lining, or blockout lining is the other lining in common use, accounting for probably 90% of the Queensland market. It consists of a layer of black light blocking material sandwiched between two layers of the white or ivory acrylic. (2PASS lining has the black material applied immediately on the fabric so the front of the fabric appears grey. This is an economy option for some commercial situations where it is mostly used.)

The very latest innovation in coated linings is silicon coating applied as a finish over the final acrylic. And talk about the fashion wheel, we are back to the smooth surface feel of 30 – 40 years ago, with this important difference – the coated sides are fully washable, will not stick together in heat or moisture conditions, and in addition the silicon coating has anti allergy properties.

I am sure we have already passed the boredom limit with this subject, however to wrap up, another lining fabric option that has taken off in a big way in the last 10 years only is tripleweave. A layer of black light blocking fabric is woven between two layers of plainweave dyed polyester fabric. These fabrics are described as ‘dimout’ or ’80 – 90% blockout’ because with the lighter colours particularly there is a degree of light transmittance. They have a very soft and appealing drape quality and have also moved into curtain fabric options in printed and textured finishes to establish a firm place in the market.

This allows the linings to be laundered separately. In earlier times with cotton linings, the ravages of the Queensland sun would have meant linings needing to be replaced possibly a couple of times in the life of the curtain.

Surprisingly, the last time I checked, this arrangement of having detachable linings is almost unknown in Victoria where linings are sewn into the curtain heading fixed, as a standard thing. Another ‘state difference’: the West Australians happily make their coated lining unhemmed or overlocked at the bottom. Pretty smart really. It makes for better draping and there is no danger of fraying. The Victorians would surely have a fit over something so unconventional.

Sewn-in linings would be the preferred option for fixed side drops which are smaller curtains more easily laundered, and because the lining draping together with the curtain fabric assists to make even folds in the tied back curtain.

Coloured linings

A final update. With the resurgence of curtain treatments in recent years, lead by the very practical option of sheer front curtain with lining on separate track behind, coloured linings to blend with the front sheer curtain fabric have become readily available in both coated and tripleweave fabrics.

A point of difference to consider with these two options is that whilst the backing of coated linings is usually white or off white, the tripleweaves generally have the same colour front and back which may or may not be the look you want to appear to the outside of your house. Interestingly though, we have done apartments where the body corporate has specified dark grey to be the colour showing to the outside.

Styleline made to measure tracks

As mentioned previously, Styleline is a proven design of made to measure basic curtain track in four basic colours. The track is extruded aluminium supplied in six metre lengths which we cut to size so that every track is a one-piece section. There are no overlapping joins to eventually cause trouble, as in packaged ‘expandable’ tracks.

Styleline componentry includes a large variety of bracket options to suit every fitting situation. It is available in hand draw, and cord draw which is used for larger width openings generally. Cord draw operation is also standard for the rear track lining on a double track installation with sheer on the front track.
With every hand draw track Andersons include control wands which are lightweight clear acrylic rods attached to a leading glider in the curtain so that the curtain can be drawn across that track without handling the fabric. Styleline tracks can also be bent to bay window shapes or 90 degree corner bends in both cord or hand draw.

Decorator tracks

Apart from the basic curtain track such as Styleline, there are decorator tracks in a large range of sizes and finishes. The decorator tracks are made to measure aluminium, round section typically 25mm and 35mm diameter, but available in other sizes, and come in a range of metal finishes and powder-coated finishes. Some are available cord draw for large openings. They also have a range of finial types i.e. the decorative end fittings.

If stained wood is the finish required or custom painted to match walls or curtain fabric etc. there is such a thing as pole fascias. What looks like a normal 38mm wood pole is rebated at the back to take a Styleline track, concealed from view. The curtain butts to the bottom of the pole, no rings however, and large expanses can be traversed on the hand or cord operated track.

Motorised curtain tracks

Motorised curtain tracks will no doubt one day be the norm on larger openings, just as they are becoming the norm for large roller blinds or multiples of roller blinds in an installation. The price reductions and the extra features available for motorisation in recent years are amazing.

There are also packaged decorator rods in metal, without rings, designed for eyelet headed or tab top curtains, expandable (i.e. in two pieces with overlapping join, (not good) and usually in smaller diameter 19mm, not to be confused with the made to measure items. These expandable ones are commonly sold with readymade eyelet curtains with the invariably not very happy outcomes, that we see from time to time with DIY curtain installations.

The problem with rings on rods

Of course there are also beautifully custom finished upmarket decorator rods/poles (with rings or without) in wood and a variety of finishes in metal, all with elaborate finials and with pole sizes up to 50mm diameter. As a general rule these are more decorative than functional. The limitation with rods/poles is that they suit small openings only, or fixed side drops because the rings which encircle the pole are not able to move past a wall bracket. Bracket spacing is a maximum of 1.2m - 1.5m depending on the weight of the curtain, and the diameter of the rod. A decorator rod/pole will therefore definitely not suit a one way draw curtain on a typical Queensland sliding door, and commonly is not up to even a centre open curtain with stackback on a 2400mm opening, of which Queensland has many.

Upholstered pelmets lead the way, in plain straight style as opposed to the fancy winged and scalloped designs of previous fashions. The amazing variety of fabrics available today, in themselves are sufficient to provide the interest and accent needed without added fancy shapes and detail. There will always be a requirement for the more traditional pelmet shapes however, in appropriate settings.

Valances as top treatments i.e. normal curtain headings of various types with 300–400mm of finished length have receded in favour with the one exception of the inverted box pleat for a clean tailored look.

Swags in full tailored style have a limited specialist traditional style application, as a rule. Andersons are ready again when the fashion changes. ‘Draped’ swags, so popular only 5-10 years ago, where anyone could have a go with a length of fabric draped over ‘swag holders’ or decorator poles, have died a merciful death.

These items, against expectations, considering the minimalist vogue in interior decoration, have enjoyed renewed interest, a small rebellion against unrelieved plainness in style. They appear as fringing and cord trim on blinds and pelmets as well as on curtains and for cord and tassel tiebacks of sumptuous detail which are great value. Cord and tassel tiebacks, and other passementerie options in tiebacks such as rope tiebacks and plaited tiebacks have largely supplanted the custom made padded tiebacks in the curtain fabric, but not entirely.