One of the most critical projects when picking drapery rod components is having the sizes right. Clearance, projection and return are the most traditionally used sizes that you need to be acquainted with. The distance from the mounting surface or wall to the back of the curtain rod is called the clearance. And, the length from the tip of the drapery hardware item to the wall is called the projection. Basically, projection tells you how far a specific thing protrudes away from the wall. The return dimension is the length that the curtain, when installed, must bend back to meet the mounting surface or wall.

The return measurement is more often than not used when choosing brackets.

Having the drapery bend back in order to reach the wall on the sides is a really popular design that has been used for many years. You will find that curtains with a return perform a better job insulating and stopping light, plus this design provides you with a more finished look on your treatment. To make certain that your curtain is manufactured with plenty of fabric, you will need to determine the return measurement ahead of ordering your draperies. To make locating the return easier, most manufacturers clearly state the return measurement for the item whether it's a plain curtain rod or a decorative rod. You'll want to add the return dimension to the width of your curtain panels if you'd like them to bend back to the wall.

Clearance and return are frequently mixed up by shoppers and even some industry pros.

When you provide your sizes to your drapery maker or window professional, it's really important that they understand exactly what each of your numbers indicate. It's really common for the clearance and return sizes to be mixed up with each other.

The length from the wall to the back of the rod is the clearance. The return measurement contains the clearance plus about half of the width of the rod because the drapery fabric normally hangs near the middle point of the rod. If you unintentionally supply your drapery manufacturer the clearance dimension, your draperies will be made way too short to meet the wall. Since it's easy to tuck in a little additional material on the return with a safety pin, you might prefer to add a half inch to your return measurement to reduce the chance of that occurring.

To provide you more choices, many products include adjustable returns.

When you find yourself searching for a curtain rod or drapery pole, you will find that quite a few rods and decorative brackets have an adjustable return. This means that the mounting hardware may be changed on site to supply you with the precise return that you'll require so that your drapes will hang exactly where you want them to. However, items like wood brackets for drapery poles manufactured from a solid portion of wood or resin can't have adjustable returns. But, that's usually not a problem due to the fact producers make a number of sizes each having a unique return. Just be sure to pick out the version of the product you want with the suitable return length.

Deciding upon your clearance initially is a wise course of action when you're picking out your drapery hardware items. You might like to hang a layered treatment and clearance is vital. To make sure that no obstructions in your room conflict with the operation of your drapery, double-check your projection. Finally, selecting the return is easy after you know your minimum clearance and maximum projection. You will discover that possessing a good working knowledge of these common drapery hardware terms will always make deciding upon your components easier.