When decorating your home, it's the smallest details that make the biggest impact. One of the easiest ways to bring sophistication to any room is through your curtain rods. While there are many different types of curtain and drapery rods for you to choose from, in this article we will be focusing on traverse rods.
Let’s dive in and explore the intricate workings of traverse rods and how they can enhance your living space. Are you ready to take your window treatment to the next level?
What is a Traverse Curtain Rod?
A traverse curtain rod is a more elegant option for opening and closing your curtains and/or drapery. While traditional curtains require a more aggressive approach in order for proper use, traverse rods make the experience of opening and closing curtains seamlessly delightful. What sets traverse rods apart from regular single curtain rods is the mechanism inside the rod that allows for minimal effort when opening up your home or establishing your privacy.
Traverse rods are not only easier to use- but they also make for a stunning visual upgrade to any existing window treatments that you already have in place.
How do Traverse Curtain Rods Work?
These mechanical rods operate by using small clips that move along a track that is embedded in the rod itself. This allows the curtain or drape to move smoothly along the rod and prevents any snagging that may happen with traditional curtain rods. The reason that the material can glide so smoothly is because the pins are attached to a pulley system that allows the clips to move along the rod uninhibited.
To affix the curtain to the traverse rod, you will need to connect the clips to the curtain pins. Typically, these pins are already attached to the curtain, but if they are not, you can purchase separate pins and then use them to attach the curtain to the traverse rod.
When & How to use Traverse Rods
If you want your curtains and drapery to be functional rather than just for decoration, traverse rods are a great option because they prevent the wear and tear that would normally occur when manually drawing your curtains open and closed. Because traverse rods are corded, they allow for seamless movement time and time again without the risk of damaging the material of your beautiful drapery.
How to Install a Traversing Curtain Rod
When implementing a traverse rod into your current living space, the first step is to measure the window that you plan to install the traverse rod above in order to decide where to place the brackets. Ideally, brackets should be installed about two inches away from the trim and about four inches above the window itself.
Once the installation location of the brackets is determined, the aforementioned items can be put into position. Ideally, the brackets should be installed into the wall studs in order to provide maximum support. However, if this is not possible, then wall anchors should be used instead to secure the brackets to the drywall. It is recommended that you secure additional brackets along the top of the window every 40 inches, in order to provide additional support for the traverse rod.
The next step is to situate the traverse rod by pushing it into the brackets until it clicks into place. After the rod is pushed into position, secure it by turning each cam bolt with a screwdriver.
The last step is to attach the tension pulley to the wall directly under the opening for the cord with the hardware that is included with the traverse rod packaging. Make sure that you test the cord to check that the curtains can open and close seamlessly and with little effort. Finally, select the desired length of the cord and tie it off to that preferred span.
How to Choose a Traverse Curtain Rod
Traverse rods can be more smooth and delightful for everyone, but with so many options, how do you know that you’re ordering the right choice for you? There is plentiful variation in the rods that can be bought at Drapery Rods Direct other than color. Here are a few of the options you have:
Decorative Traverse Rods
Decorative traverse rods are meant to be seen. You still get curtain gliding technology but can also add to the room’s decor with their colors and decorative finial attachments. Every decorative traverse rod at Drapery Rods Direct comes with multiple color choices and finial options. It all depends on which collection you are viewing. One of ours is bound to have the best decorative traverse rods to upgrade your home’s style.
Superfine Traverse Rods
Superfine traverse rods are smaller than regular traverse rods. They aren’t as stylish either, coming in only plain white and not using finials. However, their purpose is not to be decorative. They have a variety of other uses such as making the back layer of double curtains. These traverse rods are easy to work with and can carry heavy draperies. The power and smoothness of these rods has set high standards for Kirsch traverse rods over the years. As a classic and simple choice, these rods may just be the perfect choice for your needs. Remember, sometimes less is more.
Single Traverse Rods
Single traverse curtains rods can be either decorative or superfine depending on your preferences for a space. Still, this classic take on windows is more customizable with the decorative traverse rod. You can choose from different finishes, add finials, and there is a larger available size range with them. Overall, single traverse rods create a simply elegant look using one layer of drapery that works great for both windows and as sliding glass door curtain rods. Sometimes, one layer of curtains is all a room needs.
Double Traverse Rods
There's so much you can convey with two layers instead of one. Double curtain rods are a great way to get creative with the curtains you match together and allow more color, pattern, and fabric variations in a room. If you want a layered look, but also want traversing technology, there’s no need to worry. You can actually have both by ordering what’s necessary to create double traverse curtain rods.
To do this, you’ll need one of our decorative traverse rods from Kirsch Estate along with the 6” wall mount brackets that can be chosen to come with it. Then, order a Superfine traverse rod to make up the back layer and you’re all set. If you have any questions aboutf your double traverse rod setup, you can contact our Help Center and we’d be happy to help.
Curtain Draws
The curtain draw that is selected will determine how the rod will “stack”. Stack describes how the curtain folds closed along the rod. Traditional rods can be drawn in a variety of ways because they are simply loose rings on a pole. Traverse rods have more complicated engineering. Unlike regular curtain rods, they are only designed to slide open and closed in specific directions. Make sure to choose the correct way in which you would like your curtains to be drawn before adding a traverse rod to your cart.
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Center-open
Curtains are drawn open starting from the middle of the window with center-open draws. The curtains will stack on each side of the window and close back towards the center. -
One Way Right
One way right is when the curtains stack on the right side. This means that when they are opened, they will bunch on the right side of the window. -
One Way Left
Alternatively, one way left is when curtains stack on the left side. The curtains open going left and they are pushed together on the left side.
Carrier Style
The term carrier style describes how drapery goes on a curtain rod. There are two main types that will almost always fit on the traverse rods that we have at Drapery Rods Direct. If you’re interested in a transverse rod, make sure you purchase one of these two types of curtains or custom drapes:
Pinch Fold
Pinch pleat draperies are attached to the traverse rod using drapery pins. Our metal rods with ring slides are only available for the pinch pleat carrier style.
Ripplefold
Ripplefold is another type of carrier style that will almost always work with our traverse rods. They are attached to the rod with snap tape which is sewn in during its manufacturing. Choosing the right carrier style is a little more complicated with ripple folds than pinch folds. There are also different curtain fullness options that must be expressed for the proper traverse rod.
The fullness is shown as a percentage. Our options for ripple fold are 60%, 80%, 100%, and 120%. The higher the percentage, the more pleating a curtain has. Along with a percentage, you must select between overlap master and butt master. The overlap master creates a flat center where two sides of curtains meet while the butt master looks like the curtain pleats are continuous all the way across.
Collections With Decorative Traverse Rods
Drapery Rods Direct specializes in traverse rods, so there is quite a selection to choose from. There are many options to match or contrast your home's current style. We have a variety of traverse rod designs in stock to satisfy whatever theme you’re working around. Here are the collections that offer these minimal effort rods: