Pleated Drape Curtain Measuring
Friday, July 22nd, 2011| There are two ways to order and install your drapes. One is for privacy and light control and the other is for decorative stationary panels. Once you decide which one best suits your decorating needs, just follow our simple guidelines below. We recommend that you print this guide and note your measurements. |
| 1. Simple Privacy & Light Control (Installing New Hardware) |
| Measure your window casing-to-casing. You need to add at least 4″ on each side of the casing for your drapery to stack when open. This is the position from the window where you will put your drapery hardware brackets. So if your window is 40″ casing-to-casing, adding 4″ each side will give you 48″. 48″ is where you will mount your hardware brackets. We now have the bracket-to-bracket width established. Then you need to add another 12″ for your overlap and returns for a total of 60″. This is the size you will order. When your drape is finished, it will be 48″ wide, have a 4″ center overlap and 4″ return on each side. Overlaps and returns do not change where your brackets are mounted. This is just additional fabric required to fabricate your drapes. In Full Custom, your drapes will be finished at 2 to 1 fullness so when they are closed for privacy and light control, they will have a nice full appearance. |
| Width | Measure | Example |
| 1. Measure window casing-to-casing: | _______ | 40″ |
| 2. Add Bracket Extension**: |
_______ | 8″ |
| 3. Add 12″ for Overlap & Returns: |
_______ | 12″ |
| 4. Add 1., 2. & 3. for your Finished Width |
_______ | 60″ |
| **This is where you mount your brackets. The overlap& returns do not change the position of the brackets. | ||
| Length | Measure | Example |
| 1. Measure from the top of your casing to the floor: | _______ | 80″ |
| 2. Add minimum of 4″ above the casing**: | _______ | 4″ |
| 3. Add 1. & 2. for your Finished Length |
_______ | 84″ |
| **This is where you mount your brackets above your window casing. You want to make sure the top of your window casing is not exposed when your drapes are closed.If you want to go higher above your casing or create a puddle on the floor with your drape, you will need to add this to your length. Add 5″ to 8″ to your casing floor measurement for a casual trouser break. Add 8″ to 12″ to your casing floor measurement for a dramatic puddle. Follow our simple Installation Guide at the bottom of the page. | ||
2. Glass Clearing Privacy & Light Control (New Hardware)
If you want your drapes to more or less clear the glass when open, you will need to move your brackets out farther from your casing. This will give you the extra space necessary for your drapes to gather (stack) on the wall beyond the glass. Instead of casing-to-casing measuring, you want to
measure the glass width on the window or slider. The chart below will give you the approximate amount of “extra” inches you need add to your glass width for the rod length (the rod length is also where your brackets will be positioned). If you are ordering two panels, then split the extra inches on each side of the window. If you are ordering one panel, then the extra inches will all be on the stacking side. Note: this is a general guide. There will be slight variances in the way a drape stacks based on fabric thickness, lining selected and the hardware you will install.
| Glass Width |
Inches to Add |
Rod Length |
| 24″ | 21″ | 45″ |
| 30″ | 23″ | 53″ |
| 36″ | 25″ | 61″ |
| 42″ | 26″ | 68″ |
| 48″ | 29″ | 77″ |
| 54″ | 30″ | 84″ |
| 60″ | 31″ | 91″ |
| 66″ | 32″ | 98″ |
| 72″ | 34″ | 106″ |
| 78″ | 36″ | 114″ |
| 84″ | 37″ | 121″ |
| 90″ | 38″ | 128″ |
| 96″ | 39″ | 135″ |
| 102″ | 42″ | 144″ |
| 108″ | 44″ | 152″ |
| 114″ | 45″ | 159″ |
| 120″ | 48″ | 168″ |
To get your final drape width to order you need to add 12″ for your overlap and returns. Overlaps and returns do not change your rod length. This is just additional fabric required to fabricate your drapes correctly. Pleated drapes are made with a 4″ overlap where the drapes meet in the center. The returns (fabric from the rod to the wall) are 4″ on each side. For your finished width, you will need to add the bracket extension, overlap and returns. Your drapes will be finished to a luxurious 2 to 1 fullness so when they are closed for privacy, they will have a nice full appearance.
| Width | Measure | Example |
| 1. Measure window glass width: | _______ | 48″ |
| 2. Add Glass Clearing Amount**: |
_______ | 29″ |
| 3. Add 12″ for Overlap & Returns: |
_______ | 12″ |
| 4. Add 1., 2. & 3. for your Finished Width |
_______ | 89″ |
| **Your rod length is 48″ + 29″=77″. Overlap& returns do not change the length of the rod. | ||
| Length | Measure | Example |
| 1. Measure from the top of your casing to the floor: | _______ | 80″ |
| 2. Add minimum of 4″ above the casing: | _______ | 4″ |
| 3. Add 2. & 3. for your Finished Length |
_______ | 84″ |
| **This is where you mount your brackets above your window casing. You want to make sure the top of your window casing is not exposed when your drapes are closed.If you want to go higher above your casing or create a puddle on the floor with your drape, you will need to add this to your length. Add 5″ to 8″ to your casing floor measurement for a casual trouser break. Add 8″ to 12″ to your casing floor measurement for a dramatic puddle. Follow our simple Installation Guide at the bottom of the page. | ||
3. Decorative Panels (Installing New Hardware)
A Decorative Drape or Panel is for “decorative” purposes and not intended to provide complete privacy and light control. Decorative panels are made in 1.0, 1.5 & 2.0 widths of fabric for each panel. In Full Custom drapes are ordered in inches. Please consult the chart below for the inch measurements you will need to order for different panel widths. If you order a center-split (pair) at 48″, we will make two panels and each panel will be 1.0 width of fabric. The chart also provides our recommendations the number of widths you should consider based on the size of your window. Your decorative drapes will be made with 4″ returns on each side. Tip: The goal for decorative panels is to use the right amount of fabric so the finished drape doesn’t look too skimpy or too heavy for the scale of the window. The chart below will help you make the right decision.
| Width | |
| Window Width | Finished Width to Order |
| Up to 72″ | 48″ |
| 73″ to 97″ | 72″ |
| 98″ Plus | 96″ |
|
| Length | Measure | Example |
| 1. Measure from the top of your casing to the floor: | _______ | 80″ |
| 2. Add minimum of 4″ above the casing: | _______ | 4″ |
| 3. Add 2. & 3. for your Finished Order Length: |
_______ | 84″ |
| **This is where you mount your brackets above your window casing. You want to make sure the top of your window casing is not exposed.If you want to go higher above your casing or create a puddle on the floor with your drape, you will need to add this to your length. Add 5″ to 8″ to your casing floor measurement for a casual trouser break. Add 8″ to 12″ to your casing floor measurement for a dramatic puddle. Follow our simple Installation Guide at the bottom of the page. | ||
Existing hardware makes your job very simple. You don’t have any brackets or hardware to install. You just have to get your measurements from your existing hardware. You can also simply measure an existing drape, if you like how it hangs.
Decorative Rod and Rings
Your width measurement is your existing bracket-to-bracket width.
| Width | Measure | Example |
| 1. Existing Bracket-to-Bracket Width: | _______ | 70″ |
| 2. Add 12″ for Overlap & Returns: |
_______ | 12″ |
| 3. Add 1. & 2 for Finished Width: |
_______ | 82″ |
| Length | ||
| 1. Measure from the bottom of the ring to the floor: | _______ | 84″ |
| 2. Deduct floor clearance | _______ | 1/2″ |
| 3. Deduct 2. from 1 for your Finished Length |
_______ | 83-1/2″ |
| **If you want to create a puddle on the floor with your drape, you will need to add this to your length. Add 5″ to 8″ to your casing floor measurement for a casual trouser break. Add 8″ to 12″ to your casing floor measurement for a dramatic puddle. Follow our simple Installation Guide at the bottom of the page. | ||
Standard Curtain Rod or Traverse Rod
If you have an existing curtain rod or traverse rod, your width measurement is your existing bracket-to-bracket width.
| Width | Measure | Example |
| 1. Existing Bracket-to-Bracket Width: | _______ | 70″ |
| 2. Add 12″ for Overlap & Returns: |
_______ | 12″ |
| 3. Add 1. & 2 for Finished Width: |
_______ | 82″ |
| Length | ||
| 1. Measure from the top of the rod to the floor: | _______ | 84″ |
| 2. Deduct floor clearance** | _______ | 1/2″ |
| 3. Deduct 2. from 1 for your Finished Length |
_______ | 83-1/2″ |
| **We recommend that you have approximately 1/2″ clearance from the floor to the bottom of your drape. This will give you a designer look and the ability to open and close without the fabric dragging on the floor. | ||
5. New Hardware Installation Tips
New Hardware:
Hanging drapes is actually a fairly easy project. There are a few tips that will help your installation go smoothly. You should allow for about an hour for the first one. It can go much quicker, but this is one of those projects where most people double and tripe check themselves. If you have multiple windows, the subsequent installations will go much faster.
| 1. Since this is a new installation and you are not experts, you should start by putting the drapes on the rod |
| 2. Place the rod on the floor running parallel to the window in about the same position as if were hanging on the wall |
| 3. Spread the drape to the closed position on the floor as if it were mounted on the window |
| 4. Once you have the drape in that position, place the brackets on the floor. Measure the distance from bracket to bracket and write that down. This is your width position |
| 5. Using a pencil, mark those two points on the wall above the window making sure you have equal distance from the center point of the window. Don’t worry about the height just yet; we are only interested in getting the width position right now |
| 6. This next step is a little tricky, but it’s fool proof. Raise the drape off the floor (it will take 2 people with two step stools). If you have a very large drape or heavy fabric, you can just slip one panel on the rod. You may want to attach the finials to keep the drape from slipping off the end of the rod |
| 7. Lift it to a point where you want the bottom of the drape to be relative to the floor. You can be a ½” off the floor or just kiss the floor, slight break or puddle the drape. It’s all based on how you ordered your drapes |
| 8. While holding the bracket in position, mark one of the screw holes on the bracket. This mark is for the height only; we’ll get to the width in a second. Now you can set the drape down. Then you will intersect the width mark with the height mark for one bracket only |
| 9. Take a small finishing nail and using a hammer, gently drive the nail it into the sheetrock at your intersecting mark. If the nail goes in easily to a hollow, you will need anchor bolts. If the nail hits something hard, that is the wood framing around the window and you can just use wood screws. You will need a power drill to create the hole for the anchor bolt or to create a pilot hole if you hit wood. The anchor that you use will have instructions on the drill bit size required. A pilot hole is a very small drilled hole that guides the screw into the wood. The pilot bit needs to be much smaller than the screw so you still get a strong bond |
| 10. Set the first bracket firmly in place with two screws or toggle bolts |
| 11. Now you need to attach the second bracket. There are two ways to do this. One is to measure the installed bracket from the floor and transfer that to the second bracket. This is not fool proof, especially if you have an old house where the floors have settled. We recommend that you take the drape off the pole (yes it’s a pain) and set it in the installed bracket. Using a carpenter’s level to make sure the pole is level, mark and then attach the second bracket just like you did the first |
| 12. On long spans or telescoping rods, you will need a center bracket to keep the center from sagging. That is the last bracket to install |
| 13. Put the drape back on the pole and set in on the brackets and you are done! |
| 14. If you are putting up more than one set of drapes, the next ones will go quickly |
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