Illustrated Guide to Ordering Curtain Rods For Curtains and Draperies

Rod Placement Guideline

• Conventional traverse rod - 4" above edge of glass
• Decorative traverse rod - 4-5" above edge of glass
• Café rod - drapery heading and ring clear edge of glass
• Shirred rod or pole - rod width clears edge, allows for supports

Drapery Height - The distance from the finished installed edge to the finished installed bottom edge of the drapery panel.

Finished Height - Final top to bottom length of treatment including allowances for rod take-up, poufs, etc. Allowances are added to drapery height to determine finished height

Take-up - Distance the drapery is shortened when shirred through a rod pocket.

Rod Width

• No Stackback - equals window width
• Stackback Two-Way Draw - equals window width + stackback

Stackback - The amount of space required to completely draw open the drapery to clear the glass without obstructing the view. A general rule is to add one-third of window width to allow for stackback.

Drapery Finished Width -
Finished Width = Rod Width + Overlap + Returns

Overlap - The part of a pair of draperies which hides the master carrier and overlaps in the center when draperies are drawn. A general rule is to allow 2-1/2" - 3-1/2" per drapery panel on a two-way draw traverse rod. Overlap allowance not needed for one-way draw or shirred pocket installation.

Returns - The amount of drapery that covers the distance from the face of the rod to the wall. A general rule is to add 1/2" to projection to avoid fabric binding. Exact return distances are given for each traverse rod.