Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Madetomeasure Curtain Tracks

Create your own custom window treatments with made-to-measure curtain tracks.


Curtain tracks allow curtains to hang directly from the ceiling, creating a full floor-to-ceiling window covering. The curtains hang from hooks attached to gliders and are easy to open and close. You can use curtains hung from tracks as window coverings or as DIY room dividers. If you want to cover a large wall of windows or close off an area in a large room, you may find that the available curtain tracks don't fit your length needs because they are too short or too long. Build your own made-to-measure curtain tracks to fit any space.


Instructions








1. Cut your extruded aluminum piece to the length you've predetermined for your made-to-measure curtain tracks. Smooth away any jagged pieces or burrs from the end you just cut by rubbing them away with your file.


2. Hold your extruded aluminum piece against the ceiling where you want to install it. Draw a line down the entire length of your aluminum piece, marking this area with your pencil.


3. Use your stud finder to find joists in your ceiling. Hold your stud finder up against the ceiling and press the activation button. The display on the stud finder should be facing you. At first, the device will spend a little time calibrating for your ceiling's thickness. Once you get your stud finder's indication that calibration is complete, which is often marked by a green light, you can start looking for ceiling joists. Listen or look for your specific stud finder's indication that a joist is present as you run the stud finder along the ceiling. Usually a stud finder makes a beeping noise or flashing light signal when it passes over a joist. Mark the locations of your ceiling joists along the pencil line you drew.


4. Hold your aluminum piece back up against the line you drew. Transfer the dots you drew to mark the joist locations onto the aluminum piece, this time using your black marker. Make the marks in the very center along the length of the piece, where you'll be drilling your screw holes.


5. Drill holes into the marks you made on the aluminum piece. Match your hole's circumference to your wood screw's circumference. Be careful not to make the holes larger than the screws, because then the screws can't be used to attach the track to the ceiling.


6. Hold your aluminum piece back up against the ceiling one more time, making sure the flat side is flush with the ceiling and that the opened side faces down. Screw the extruded aluminum piece to the ceiling, going through the holes you drilled and attaching the piece directly to the joists.


7. Thread one end stop into track. Thread your rollers into the track next. Complete your project by inserting your final end stop and attach your S-hooks to the rollers.

Tags: aluminum piece, stud finder, curtain tracks, Hold your, against ceiling