How to Extend Curtain Rods for Large Windows | addict

Adapting a curtain rod to fit a wide window can take some ingenuity.

Standard curtain rods are extendable from 28 to 48 inches or 48 to 84 inches, and for extra-wide windows, you can purchase rods that extend up to 159 inches. If you have a window with a width non-standard, you may want to adapt your current rod to fit rather than buying a new one, particularly if the window is only slightly wider than the maximum rod length. You can purchase extensions for some rods, but there are ways to improvise a solution using wooden dowels.

Use of Rod Extensions

Some companies ship extra long rods in pieces and provide couplers to connect them. The coupler consists of a short length of tubing that slides over the two pieces you are connecting. It has a pair of set screws that you tighten with an Allen wrench or Phillips screwdriver to secure the hoses you connect. You can obtain the coupler and extra length of hose by visiting the manufacturer's website or a distributor's website.

To install the connector, insert one rod until the end is halfway in, then tighten the set screw. Insert the other rod until it touches the first; tighten the screw, and you're done.

If you already have extra rod length and are just looking for a way to connect it to the existing curtain rod, consider using a metal conduit coupler, available at any hardware store. Paint the connector with a spray paint, and no one will ever know it's not from the curtain rod maker.

Connecting rods with studs

Maybe you just want to add a few inches to your curtain rod. If you have extra rod length, you can do it with wooden dowels. This technique allows the rods to be joined without using an external coupler.

Wooden dowel

Sander or scraper

carpenter's glue

Hammer

Screwdriver

Drill

1/8 inch drill bit

1/4" double ended screw

pliers

Step 1: Purchase the Stud

Find a wooden dowel that is the same diameter as the rod you want to extend. Curtain rods are usually 1/2 inch in diameter, so a 1/2 inch dowel should work. However, just to be on the safe side, it's a good idea to bring the curtain rod with you when you purchase the dowel.

Step 2: prepare the dowel

Sand or shave both ends of the dowel to reduce the diameter enough to fit inside the curtain rod. You can do this with a pad sander and 100 grit sandpaper, a belt sander or even a pull-out scraper. Remove enough material to allow you to insert the dowel to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.

Step 3: Insert the dowel

Spread a little carpenter's glue on one end of the dowel and slide it into the end of one of the rods to a depth of 2 or 3 inches. Cut the end of the dowel flush with the end of the rod , using a handsaw. Then tap the dowel in another 1/8 to 1/4 inch, using a hammer and screwdriver. Insert the other end of the dowel in the other rod in the same way, then wait two hours for the glue to set.

Step 4: Install a double-ended screw

Drill a 1/8 inch hole in the center of each dowel. Screw a 1/4 inch double ended screw into one of the holes and tighten it a few turns, using pliers, to drive it at least 1/2 inch into the stud.

Step 5: Connect the Rods

Insert the other end of the screw into the stud hole of the other rod, then screw the rods together by turning them with your hands. As the studs are recessed, you can continue to tighten until the rods snap together. really touch.

Once you're done, cut the spliced ​​rod to the length you need, using a hacksaw or tubing cutter.

If you want to make the joint disappear, fill it with epoxy putty. Sand the putty flat when it sets, then paint the joint with a spray paint can.

If you don't have extra curtain rods, you can always insert a dowel into the rod you have using the technique above, then cut it to length with a saw and paint it.