Sliding glass doors are popular as they allow immense amount of sunlight inside your home. However, they are tricky to decorate. To decorate the sliding glass doors in the right way, you should first choose the correct sliding glass door curtains, after that you should also decide which curtain rod are right for you. Here is a detailed guide on choosing the right curtain rod for your sliding glass door.
Measure the sliding doors before choosing the curtain rods. The standard size of the sliding doors is 80-96 inches wide and 72 inches tall. Your curtain rod should go well beyond the door. This is important because you can push the curtain completely out of the door only if the rod is longer than the door. If your rod is very long, you will need at least one middle support bracket.
Material
Choose the curtain rod material based on the other hardware in the room. If there is lot of brass in the room, then get a brass rod. If you have lots of wood, you should get curtain rods made of wood. Whatever material you choose, make sure your rod is smooth. It should not be fluted. Smooth rods help in sliding the draped curtains forward and backward easily.
How high should the curtain rod be above the sliding door?
The curtain rod should be at least eight to ten inches above the door.
Figure out the weight
Before choosing the curtain rod, consider the weight the rod is to hold. The heavier curtains like thermal curtains and blackout curtains are heavier.
How to determine the weight of the curtain rod?
If you already have the curtain, weigh the curtain. Divide the weight by the length of the curtain rod. This value gives the weight the curtain rod will need to hold per foot. Now multiply this value with height covered by the curtain, that is, the distance between the curtain rod and floor.
Let me explain with an example. Say, the length of the sliding door is 86 inches. And assume you are planning to buy a curtain rod of length 90 inches. The weight of the curtain is 1 kg. Now 1/72 is 0.01. Multiply this value with the distance between the curtain rod and floor, that is, the curtain height. Say the curtain height is 75 inches. 0.01*75=0.75. Therefore, your curtain rod should be at least 0.75 kg.
How to choose the curtain rod diameter?
It is essential to choose the curtain rod diameter for two reasons.
One, the curtain rod diameter will determine if the curtain heading will fit into the rod. The curtain heading is the piece on the top part of the curtain. This part attaches the curtain to the curtain rod. There are different types of curtain headings. And your curtain rod should fit these headings correctly.
For instance, there are pencil pleats, double or triple pinch pleat, cottage pleat, eyelets, tab top, waves, etc. The eyelets come with metal rings. Therefore, you cannot use rough surfaced curtain rods for eyelets. Cottage pleats come with rings. So you should make sure the curtain rod is less than the rings so that they fit in.
Two, the choosing the curtain rod diameter will help you choose the right curtain rod bracket. This is of bid help when the curtain rod is sold separately from its other hardware parts.
How to choose the curtain rod width?
To find out the width of the curtain rod, you should first measure the width of your window. Include the frame and trim while measuring the window or door. You should take three measurements. Take one measurement at the top; one at the center; and one at the bottom. All the three measurements vary. Use the largest value of the three as the width of the rod.
If you do not have enough space on the sides of the sliding door, choose a rod whose width is same as that of the door. But if there is enough space on either sides of the sliding door, then ensure that the rod extends by five inches on both sides.
How to choose the curtain rod width for an inside mount?
An inside mount is the window covering that fits inside the window. While choosing a curtain rod for an inside mount, first measure the width of the door or window. While taking the measurement, start from the inner edge and end at the inner edge on the other side. Take three measurements as explained above and use the largest measurement.
Fasteners
Fastener joins two or more objects together. In the case of curtain rods, the fasteners hold the curtain rods to the wall. Check if the curtain rod comes with the fasteners. If not, get the right fastener for your curtain rod from a hardware store.
How to choose curtain rod brackets?
The curtain rod brackets hold the rods in place. There are different kinds of curtain rod brackets. You should choose the right one. The single curtain rod brackets hold only one curtain rods. You can use single curtain rod brackets to hang a standalone sets.
The double curtain rod brackets allow you to hang two layers of sliding door curtains. Use these brackets for hanging layered curtains. These curtains help in providing extra insulation and increase energy efficiency. You can also use these brackets to fix decorative curtain rods.
The center support brackets provide functional support to the curtain rods. The curtain rods are long and they require a support at every 30 to 36 inches. If your door or window is longer than 60 inches, then you should provide at least two center support brackets. You should also use these center support brackets if you are using heavier curtains.
The Elbow brackets are used to fix the curtain rods that meet in a corner. They are highly helpful to make the curtain rods travel along the wall angles. Measure the wall angle before buying the elbow brackets. There are some elbow brackets that can be adjusted to multiple angles.
There are Adjustable brackets that allow you to shorten or extend the depth of the bracket.
