Always remember that the hardware installed with your curtains affect the appearance and personality of your room.

When hanging your curtains from a curtain rod, try using decorative finials such as leaves, spears, spirals, or balls. There are endless choices of pole ends to choose from.  Let your creativity be your guide.

What is "Stack Back"?  This is a term used to describe the stack width of your open curtains as they stack back against the outer portion of your curtain rod or finial.  You will want to accomodate this "Stack Back" measurement when determining your pole length.  If you want greater window exposure or the appearance of a larger window, you must allow for the curtain treatment to stack back beyond the width of your window.  Say your windows are 48" in width and are center closure, and your stack back is 6" on each side.  You must add this additional 6" length (x2) to the length of the pole.  Therefore, you will need to order a pole with a length of at least 60" (48" + 12").  This will affect the placement of your support brackets and will vary for each window, closure type and stack back length. 

To hold your curtains open, holdbacks and tiebacks have become very popular accessories to window treatments. Many holdbacks, tiebacks and pole ends come in matching sets to offer an elegantly finished look.

If you prefer a more contemporary look, try hanging your curtains using hooks or rings.  These items can be purchased in a variety of colors and materials.

Remember, when you combine layered window treatments, you will need the appropriate hardware for the various layers to work together.

When using curtain rods, you'll need to purchase brackets to hold the rod as well. You can choose from wooden curtain rods, metal curtain rods, and specialty curtain rods.  So make sure that you have the right brackets for the rod you choose.

If having difficulty with rings sliding on a pole traverse system, try applying a little bar soap or wax to the inside back portion of each ring.  Silicone spray will also increase the performance and decrease wear on the operating components on traverse rods and poles with rings

Many window treatments are very heavy.  It is best to secure your hardware with long screws mounted firmly into wall studs.

Always use a steel tape measure rather than a cloth one - cloth tapes may stretch and give inaccurate measurements.  One inch wide tape measures are widely available and do not bend or fall back when measuring tall windows.

Always measure each window individually as size variations are common. It is a good idea to measure each side of each window as these measures can also vary slightly.

Record width first, from left to right. Then record height (also known as length), from top to bottom.

An inside mount is when the curtain rod is installed within the window casing itself, or  the wall to wall measure in a box-bay or soffit.

An outside mount is when the curtain rod is installed outside the window casing, covering an area larger than the window itself . Be sure the measurement overlaps the window opening by at least 1 1/2" (3" total overlap) to ensure privacy and light control.

Use paint or stain markers to blend the color of the screw heads on brackets. They cover like paint and are great for hardware touchups. They can be purchased at most hardware stores.

For a more professional look always cover the side profile on each end of the drapery pole. This is the area from the pole back to the wall on each end of the span commonly called the return. This is at the very end of the rod usually between the end bracket and the finial.  This amount needs to be added to the drapery  during fabrication.  For ring applications, measure from the center of the pole to the wall. For rod pocket or board mount, measure from the front of the rod or board to the wall. If you are using a finial with your rod pocket application, your installer can make a small hole in the fabric so he can screw the finial in. This way offers more room for adjustment.  Another option is to have your workroom create a buttonhole in the fabric at the exact place the finial will mount.  Your installer will secure this fabric to the wall with a tenter hook ( mount in the wall) and ring hook ( attach to the fabric) or a drapery hook (fabric) and a screw (wall). You can also use a strong straight pin and push it through a tiny bit of fabric into the wall.