Curtains, solar shading and installation techniques

Curtain decorator work starts and ends with precision. A curtain that is measured wrong hangs crooked or lacks width no matter how nicely it's sewn. And a shade that is mounted without regard for cords and child safety can become dangerous in any ordinary living room. This article covers the path from measuring through hanging and system selection to safe installation.

§Measurement: the basis for everything that follows

Before the needle or drill comes into play, measurements must be fixed. The width is measured so the curtain has the right fullness — a pleated curtain should typically be measured with a pleating factor of double to triple the window width, depending on fabric quality and desired look. The drop length is measured from the hanging point down to where the curtain should end — floor length, sill length, or windowsill length each gives its own appearance. Account must also be taken of overlap in the middle, seam allowances front and back, and possible shrinkage in washing.

• 01Width multiplied by wrinkle factor depending on fabric and hanging
• 02Fall protection is a shared responsibility on the construction site. If multiple companies work at the same time, the measures must be agreed and set up in collaboration. As a craftsperson you have both the right and the duty to object if the protection is not in order — no task is worth falling from.
• 03Overlap, seam allowance and shrinkage margin
• 04The window and room's other dimensions so rails and rods fit
• 05Light incidence and view — affects choice of fabric and system

§Suspension and folder

The way the curtain hangs affects both expression and function. Pleating tape gathers the fabric into even folds and is the most common solution for everyday curtains. Eyelets — metal rings sewn into the fabric's top edge — give a more rustic and loosely falling expression and slide easily on a rod. Pleating tape gives fixed, symmetrical folds and is often used for more formal solutions. The choice depends on the fabric's weight, the room's style and the customer's wishes, and it is a conversation you as a curtain decorator must be able to have with the customer.

§Sun shading: many systems, one goal

Sun shading covers a range of systems, each solving the task of light, heat and privacy in its own way. Blinds with slats provide precise control of light entry and can be angled without being pulled all the way up. Awnings are mounted externally and shield from both sun and heat before they hit the window. Roller blinds are simple and space-saving, while pleated blinds can fold up at the top, bottom or both and fit sloping and special window shapes.

§Ropes, chains and child safety

In practice, it means that you must always supply and install the rope holder, clamp or other securing device that comes with the system — and explain to the customer why it must remain in place, even when children in the household grow out of the most vulnerable age. If you sell or install protection in childcare institutions, schools or other places where children spend time, the requirement is stricter.

§Motors and steering

Many blinds roller blinds and curtains are supplied today with an electric motor instead of manual operation — controlled via switch remote control or app. As a residential installer you must be able to advise the customer on when a motorized solution makes sense and you must be able to develop solutions involving PC integration and smart home control so the shading can be part of an overall automation solution for the home. This demands both textile and electrical craftsmanship.

§Specialty bars and bending

Curved windows, bay windows and skewed rooms often call for special rods bent to shape. Here you must be able to take measurements and make calculations for where the rod should be bent and how pull cords and sliders continue to work after bending without the curtain binding or hanging unevenly in the curve. It requires both geometric overview and practical experience with how different materials and profiles behave when bent.

“A curtain that slides easily and closes securely is not luck — it is millimetre-accurate measurement and a system that is chosen and installed correctly from the start.”