RippleFold curtain using 3091 snap tape, 7120 snap carriers, and 52124 curtain track

Snap Tape can be sewn to a curtain you are already using on a curtain rod – or – it can easily be sewn to a curtain you are making.  It is a very good option for curtains mounted in public venues and where kids may be inclined to pull on the curtains, since the snaps on the snap tape can come undone without anything  ripping or breaking.  It also makes removal and replacement of the curtains onto the drapery hardware simple, as well as eliminating the need to remove hooks for curtain cleaning.

Sewing snap tape to flat curtain panel using zipper foot

Numerous customers and designers want their curtains to cover the carriers.  This can be easily achieved with the Snap Tape.  Simply sew the Snap Tape on the curtain ¼ inch from the top of the curtain header.  Want to hide the hardware AND track?  Just increase the distance from the top of the header.  Our 3091 Snap Tape is stiff enough that it will not fold onto itself.  For best results, place the first snap about 1 inch from the side of curtain.  Depending on the width of your curtain, you may need to adjust the spacing for the last snap on the opposite side.  This will help hold the sides of the curtain securely and maximize the entire width of the track.   Our experience has proven the effectiveness of a zipper foot when sewing the tape on the curtain.  This will keep the foot from hitting the snaps as you sew and you will be able to sew smoothly along the webbing.

Snaps positioned within an inch of each side hem

Varying the drop of the snap tape helps conceal the drapery hardware

Looking for full curtains?  Use our Snap Tape along with our 84106 carrier.  The 84106 Wheeled Carrier- Corded for Ripple Fold is a great choice if you want to maintain a ripple fold effect on your curtains when closed.  These carriers are attached to a cord spaced 2-5/8 (60% fullness) or 2-1/8” (100% fullness).   When attached to the snaps, this system will hold the ripples at desired uniform spacing.  Check out the 84003 & 84004 Track Systems!

Rear view of ripple fold curtain using 3091 snap tape, 7120 snap carriers, and 52124 curtain track

Our team at Curtain-Tracks.com is always striving to help our clients achieve the decorating look of their dreams.  Whether glam or function is your goal, check back often for tips and updates.

Brenda

Customer Advisor

“Just received my order and am VERY impressed with the quality of the goods.  I was looking on your site for a ‘testimonial’ page to add my praise.  Professional materials and design and a super price.  And the shipping tube was amazing – I had to laugh a bit at the “Do Not Bend” label – I don’t think a circus strong-man could bend THAT puppy!”

Alan – Thanks for taking the time to share your share your testimonial.  We appreciate all feedback, good and bad, as it helps us gauge how well we are doing.  As for the shipping tubes we use, we want to insure that the drapery hardware reaches each customer in pristine condition.  Your order may not encounter a circus-strong man, but sometimes those Fedex distribution centers may seem like a three ringed circus.  By using heavy duty shipping tubes, we do all we can to prevent the tracks from being bent or broken.  That is also why our shipping charges may seem high to a customer that isn’t used to ordering products like ours.  However, to deliver 8 ft long parts successfully, the packaging costs and the shipping costs charged merely cover the expenses we incur.

Thanks again for your message, and we hope to earn your repeat business moving forward.

Trees:

• When purchasing an artificial tree, be sure to verify the  “Fire Resistant” tag on the tree.   This doesn’t mean that the tree is fire proof, but does mean it will not ignite easily and should  extinguish quickly should it catch fire.
• When purchasing a live tree, be sure to consider the freshness of the tree.  Many trees are cut in early to mid November to be available immediately after Thanksgiving.   The needles should  not be falling off or the branches braking if you intend to have it up for any length of time.  Also be sure to water the tree frequently to extend its life, and cut 2 inches off the trunk before placing it in a stand to improve the trunks ability to absorb the water.
• Tree location is also important.  Avoid placing at tree near a fireplace, radiator, cooking surface, or other source of heat or flame.

Lights:

• All lights used (indoor or outdoor) should have a label indicated they have been safety tested by a recognized testing organization like UL.  This will indicate that the lights conform to safety standards.  Recognize the all lights are not created equal and cheapest may not equate to safest.
• Check all lights for broken sockets and bulbs, frayed or cracked insulation, or loose connections.  Throw away any Christmas light sets that begin to show wear and tear.
• Replace burned out bulbs immediately with the same wattage bulbs.
• Only use lights sets that contain fuses to avoid any surge or short that can cause a fire.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree, as an exposed wire or socket could charge the tree and shock any person or pet who came in contact with it.
• Only use lights designed for outdoor use when decorating outside or in a damp area.
• For outdoor lights, only plug them into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).  You should be able identify a ground fault outlet as it typically has a test and reset button on the outlet.  Portable GFCIs may be purchased at hardware stores.
• If you outdoor lights go out when it rains, you will need to reset the ground fault circuit with the reset button when the lights dry.  You may want to replace those lights as they are not fully sealed as originally designed)
• Secure you lights to avoid them falling or coming with reach of small children or pets.
• Be mindful that the twinkle of colorful lights is a magnet for small children, and that pets can be prone to chewing light strands, risking  shock to themselves and exposing  live wires to people.
• Always remember to turn out your holiday lights when you leave or go to bed.

Candles:

• The occurrence of fires started by candles doubles during the month of December.  Whenever candles are used, they should  never be left unattended.   Always extinguish candles when you leave a room and avoid falling asleep with candles lit.
• Avoid using them in close proximity to any flammable materials, including Christmas trees, garland, or wreaths.

Christmas Decorations:

When small children may be present:

• Avoid the use of breakable or sharp decorations, or decorations with small removable parts that could be a choking hazard.
• Avoid decorations the resemble food or candy that may tempt kids into putting them into their mouth or ingesting them.
• Avoid the display of Holly or Poinsettias, as both can be toxic if consumed.
• Avoid the use of mantel top stocking holders than can easily be pulled down onto the heads of toddlers.

We’d like to bring added attention to this last point.  We offer a Christmas Stocking Hanger kit that  allows for stockings to be hung from a track mounted under a fireplace Mantel.  This method for hanging  Christmas Stockings was designed specifically to address this safety concern for parents of small children.  We’ve discussed the safety issue in greater detail in a previous article, which  offers interesting  links to articles on the topic, and informative customer  comments as well.

Christmas Stocking Hanger Kit with Adjustable Hooks

As we do business with home owners and business professionals on a day to day basis, we are constantly soliciting feedback from our customers.  We appreciate hearing customers’ opinions, whether the reviews are positive or negative, and that input helps guide our decision making process.

Curtain-Tracks.com is proud of its strong track record of meeting the needs of our customers.   We’d like to share some data that helps validate our claims of delivering against our commitment to be the best in class when it comes to customer satisfaction.

1- Curtain-Track.com has never had a complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).  We have earned an A- rating, with the only perceived drawback being the time we have been in business (operating since 2007).  Curtain-Tracks.com is been accredited by the BBB for  a year.

2 – Curtain-Tracks.com operates a small eBay store where we offer a sub-set of overall product offering.  We encourage customers to purchase through our main Website, because the functionality (single checkout for multiple items and combined shipping rate calculations) and depth of information (product and compatibility information, product images, installation guides, etc) are far greater than what we can offer via the eBay platform.  However, we do earn business from customers looking for parts and have not discovered our primary site, and will continue to operate that store as additional way to attract and retain customers.  We have received feedback from over 425 eBay customers who rated their purchases, and we have never received a negative ratings posted over the last 4 years.  This has helped earn us “Top Rated Seller” status from eBay.

3 – Curtain-Tracks.com  offers Google Checkout  as a payment option via our checkout  process.  As a result, Google solicits feedback from customers who choose that payment option to rate vendors. While we have not had a perfect track record with this feedback, we do believe our rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 reflects an excellent track record, given certain biases that can occur while collecting satisfaction data.  For those customers who were not satisfied and rated us with 1′s or 2′s, we wish there would have been an opportunity to address their concerns.

We’ll be the first to tell you that we aren’t perfect.  Issues do arise, as with any company that sells a wide range of products to customers all over the US and Canada.  We feel our strength lies in how well we deal with  issues when they are encountered by our customers.  Our team works hard to meet everyone’s needs and to satisfy our customers by getting them the right product in a timely fashion at a competitive price.  By the looks of the ratings we have received to date, so far – so good.  However, you are only as good as your last performance.  If you have a complaint, suggestion, or compliment, we are open ears and appreciate your  feedback.  To contact us, call 888-434-7444, send email to info@curtain-tracks.com, or contact us via the website.

7191 Privacy Cubicle Track Roller

These carriers offer tapered nylon wheels and round nylon body that moves within the slot of the privacy cubicle track.  The plated steel hook rotates freely on a swivel.  This cubicle track carrier is designed for use with a privacy cubicle track that is 1.12 inches wide x .75 inches tall.  The overall height of this carrier from the top of the wheels to the bottom of the hook is 2.5 inches, the wheel diameter is .53 inches, and the axle length is .92 inches.

This carrier or roller is available in packs of 14 for $15.00.  For quantities of 1000 or more, we can offer bulk pricing as well.

Our goal is to provide whatever curtain track hardware our customers need.  If you have a part you are trying to match, and don’t see it on our site, call us or send us a picture and there is a high probability we can source it quickly.   The addition of this hospital roller carrier is an example of just such a scenario.  We listen to our customers, and when we hear a request more than once, we move to meet the demand.

Interested in a complete privacy cubicle track system?  Take a look at the 88001 track, which is a versatile commercial grade hospital track commonly used in commercial and medical applications.

In creating your  interior design around a bay window, you are faced with a couple options if curtains are your preference:

1. Use angled or curved drapery hardware that follows the shape of the bay window
2. Use straight drapery hardware that spans directly from end to end of the bay window

Below we will outline the advantages and disadvantages of both, and make recommendations on the proper curtain or drapery track that will meet your needs.

We begin by addressing the option of installing a curtain track or curtain rod that forms angles to match the shape of the bay window.  There are curtain rods that can be cut or bent to follow the contour of the bay window.  But because curtain  rods are supported by wall brackets, this option limits the overall movement of the curtain panels.  A better option in to install a curtain track that allows for the curtain panels to move side to side via the full length of the track.  This allows for the curtain panels to be pulled fully clear of the window when not in use and block light and provide privacy as needed by simply drawing the curtain closed by hand.

Bay Window Curtains Using 6100 Flexible Curtain Track

As shown above, the 6100 Flexible Curtain Track can be easily installed with angled bends to match the shape of the bay window.  The standard duty flexible track can be bent with a fairly tight bend radius, and the ceiling mount option shown above makes the hardware inconspicuous.  The wheeled carriers on this track system move freely, and make opening and closing the curtains or draperies easy.   The installation of this track system is easy, since the track is bent by hand during installation to form the angles.  This means the track only needs to be cut to length, with no splicing or pre-bending of the track.  Once the ceiling cartridges are mounted to the ceiling on 9-10 inch intervals, the the flexible curtain track simply snaps into place, taking the angled shape needed to fit the bay window.  It can also be useful to add ceiling cartridges on each side of the bends when tight a small bend radius is required.

Double curtain tracks can also be run in parallel, allowing for sheers to be hung behind decorative or black out curtains, allowing for the panels to open and close independently.   This does require the purchase of  two different tracks to be used in combination.  However, double ceiling cartridges are available to keep the track uniformly spaced as they are installed side by side.  This is useful for both bay windows and standard window applications.  There is also a flexible valence kit available in 10 foot sections that allows you to easily fabricate and install a valence that follows the same bend profile as the track or double track.  The flat valence panel is attached to the special hardware with a Velcro strip for easy removal and replacement for cleaning.

6100 Flexible Track - Double Track Installation

Either of these single or double flexible curtain tracks can also be mounted to the wall instead of the ceiling.  The ceiling cartridges mentioned above can be added to the wall brackets, or wall cartridges (single curtain track installation only) are also available if you prefer the track be mounted closer to the wall.  The wall mount flexible track operates in the same fashion as the ceiling mount track.  Either is suitable for bay windows, depending on your particular situation.

We mentioned a straight drapery track solution for bay windows above.  This can be down with a ceiling mounted track that spans the window side to side.  The  advantage to this option is that the drapery tracks can be extended well past the bay window, allowing for better clearance when the curtain panels are opened.  However, this option does mean that you lose the use of the area between the curtain and the bay window when the curtains are closed.  While this is an option, we typically recommend the flexible track as it provides a custom look.

If you need help deciding what curtain or drapery track system may be best for your particular bay window installation, feel free to call Curtain-Tracks.com at (888) 434-7444 to get expert advise and help configuring your order.

It is right there.  It has been staring us in the face for a long time, and yet we had never noticed it.  We often hear similar stories from our customers too, when they talk about finally realizing that a curtain track is exactly what they need for a given application.  They may have checked into a hotel, or be sitting in a doctor’s office or hospital room when they look up and notice that there is a curtain track system mounted on the ceiling.  They will notice the range of motion that the curtain track offers, and how subtle the  hardware is when mounted on the ceiling, and how well the curtain open and close.  That’s when their “ah ha” moment occurs, as the answer to their design challenge had been right in front of them all along.  Then our customers usually turn to the internet to find  the drapery hardware they need once they discover the best curtain track systems are not available at the big box or local hardware stores.  That’s where Curtain-Tracks.com comes in…as we look to meet our customers’ needs.  We’ve got the drapery hardware to tackle that project of hanging curtains of drapes on a curtain  track.  We’ve also got the expertise to help those who aren’t in the know when it comes to curtain tracks and drapery hardware.

So now, back to the Fedex logo.  Do you see the arrow?  Pointing ahead between the E and the X?  There it is, and now you are probably acknowledging that you’ve never noticed it before either.  Join the club.  A fun fact we thought  you might enjoy as much as we did.

This provides an interesting segue to the topic of Christmas decorating.  We know it is hard to be thinking of the holiday season as we expect the 23rd consecutive day of 100 degree plus heat in the Houston area with no end in sight to this record heat wave, but December will be here before you  know it (with cooler temperatures, we hope).  As the time for hanging  Christmas Stockings approaches, we want to be sure you consider a Christmas Stocking Hanger Track Kit for your  fireplace mantel.  The track mounts under the mantel and can be left up year round  since the  profile is so small.  The hooks easily slide from side to side and can be removed when not in use.  The kits come in white, black, brown, and gray to match most any decor, and can be used to decorate throughout the year.  If you  don’t have a fireplace, the kits also work on bookshelves, window sills,  or any horizontal surface.  It really is a handy product that you will use more often than you may think at first pass.  If you hang Christmas stockings, you need one of these Stocking Hook track kits.

Wheeled Curtain Carriers: Wheeled carriers are designed with wheels to roll on or in a track.  These carriers either have wheels the extend on the outside of the carrier if they are designed to run  inside of a curtain track, or wheel oriented inward if they are designed to run on an I Beam type curtain track.  The wheels on these carriers are mounted on an axle of some sort, and may  also have ball bearings inside the wheel to facilitate ease of movement.  Wheeled curtain  carriers usually offer the best east of movement versus friction carriers, since they roll along  the track instead of slide across a track.  A drawback to wheeled carriers are that  they may not offer the same durability as friction carriers in certain situations (particularly in damp environments like outdoor curtains) where the ball bearings have a tendency to rust.  Wheeled carriers are also typically more expensive.

7140 Wheeled Curtain Carrier

84100 Ball Bearing Carrier

88100 Wheeled Cubicle Curtain Carrier

Friction Curtain Carriers: These carriers are designed with a head the slips into a curtain  track or a slot that fits over an  I Beam curtain  track.  They are usually a single piece of molded nylon or other plastic.  Because of their design, they must slide across a track instead of rolling.  As you may guess based on their name, the laws of physics and friction require more force to move these carriers under the same load as a wheeled curtain carrier.  However, these carriers can be more durable than their counterparts with wheels, and can be perfectly fine on smaller curtains where the range of motion is limited, while also offering a lower price point.

3050 Eye Slide (Friction Carrier)

7124 Button Carrier (Friction)

88106 Privacy Cubicle Friction Carrier

Master Carriers: These are larger curtain carriers that are used on the leading edge of curtains.  When used in a pair, they force two curtain panels coming together to overlap, improving the curtains’ ability to block light an afford privacy by eliminating a gap between the two curtains where they meet.  Master Carriers also offer a sturdy attachment point if a baton or wand is desired to help draw the curtain panels open or closed.  Because a baton is attached at the top of the curtain, the curtain is more easily drawn in parallel with the track, versus applying force at an angle when pulling on the curtain itself to draw the curtain.  Plus, by using a curtain baton, it reduces the hand prints and wear that can occur on a hand drawn curtain.  Master carriers actually come in both wheeled and friction carrier designs, depending on the style of the track they are to be used with.   Master carriers have also be used as a more sturdy connection point when curtain tracks are used to hang things other than curtains (e.g. displays in a retail store window).  The metal arms of some master carriers can be removed or flipped to better meet the user’s needs.

84114 Master Carrier and Baton Kit

7150 Master Carriers (Friction)

Selecting the right curtain carrier really depends on a combination of the track style preferred, the location and size of the application, and they project budget.  If you have a question or need advice on curtain carrier selection, the Curtain-Tracks.com staff is here to help.  And don’t forget the hooks!

Regardless of the dormitory room configuration, the track can be arranged to offer some form of privacy when both student are in the room.  Layouts can range from a straight divider that splits a room to a track system that follows the contour of a bed or other furniture.  This can be extremely helpful for a number of scenarios including offering blackout capability that shields one roommate who tries to sleep from another who may have lights on studying or watching  TV.  This also affords students privacy while changing when guests are present.  Finally, the curtains can provide a way to shield themselves from visual distractions when studying despite other activities within the dorm room.

Alli from College Lifestyles shows off her dorm room featuring bright privacy curtains

If the dorm rules preclude a track from being  mounted to the ceiling, another option is to use curtain tracks and curtains on the bunk beds that are provided in many dorm rooms.  By adding a simple track to the bunk frame, the lower bunk can be transformed into a sanctuary of sorts that provides a cocoon that shields its inhabitant from all that is going  on in the room, while reading or rest is a priority.  In addition to blocking light, the bunk curtains can also dampen sound as well.  The same concept that has been used for years on bunks in ships can be applied to dorm room bunk beds as well.

The advantages of bunk curtains on a ship translate directly to dorm living

In addition, let’s not overlook the fact that divider curtains, bunk curtains, and window curtains can really transform the look of a dorm room.   University dorm rooms are bare bones when students arrive, offering a blank canvas upon which each freshman can express themselves during their initial foray into independent living.  The curtains can be a great way to create, adding flair to the appearance of the room while enhancing the  functionality too.  Whether the student has the budget to order custom divider curtains, or chooses to transform their room by using a bed sheet or drop cloth to make their curtain, the combination of a curtain and track system can make a big difference in how a dormitory room looks as well as how well it meets the student’s needs.

Any students who need some advice are welcome to speak with any of our “Professors” who are experts with curtain track systems and can surely find a solution to meet any dorm room need.