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Three Common Curtain Rod Types Are Continental, Basic And Traverse

Written By:  
Published: 11-28-2011

Kirsch curtain rods in traverse and continental style

Locating the appropriate type of curtain rod for your window is simple once you match the rod style to the drapery design and your desired functionality.


When customers are looking for a rod to hold their curtains, lots of the time they begin their search by trying to find general curtain rods. But, what they don't fully grasp is that the generic term curtain rods includes a big selection of drapery hardware products from the basic white rod all of us are experienced with to ornate decorative drapery rods. Consider your drapery style and the desired function of the curtain rod that you will need for your project first. As soon as you figure out these variables, it makes narrowing down your curtain rod selection a great deal simpler.

Traverse rods are manufactured for draperies that need to open and shut using a cord.


The generic term curtain rods is usually used by drapery hardware experts to make reference to plain white curtain rods for fixed panels. If your draperies are operable, which means they will open and close using a cord, then you're going to want a traverse rod. There are many sub-groups of traverse rods for you to think about such as single or double traverse. Additionally, alternative traverse rod styles like split-draw, one-way draw left and one-way draw right are available by lots of curtain rod brands.

The type of curtain rod for a stationary valance that has a wide rod pocket is referred to as continental.


The classification of continental rods describes drapery rods that have a wide flat face. At times they're referred to as continental valance rods. For a valance that has a rod pocket that's at a minimum of two and one-half inches, the wide flat face of the continental rod is ideal. Continental rods are available in several pre-configured styles such as combo rods or shower rods. It's important to find out the rod pocket size for your valance before you choose your continental curtain rod.

If the valance has a small rod pocket, then a normal drapery rod will work great.

The standard white curtain rods are great for valances with a standard size rod pocket. A standard size rod pocket is around an inch. General white curtain rods are offered in a lot of unique sizes and some are made as double and triple rods so you can conveniently hang layered treatments. Some regular curtain rods are made with a continental rod in the front. This style, which is called a continental combo rod, permits you to conveniently install both layers of fabric on the same rod.

The three types of curtain rods described above are undoubtedly the most common. But, there are many other styles and designs available to you dependent upon the type of drapery that you would like to hang. Flat or round sash rods, door rods and cafe rods are all good examples of the other styles which you might want to be familiar with. You might need to get a special purpose curtain rod if you have an unusual installation circumstance. For example, rods categorized as special purpose may include bay window rods or arch top rods.

Once you are acquainted with the types of curtain rods available, your search for the ideal rod for your project will be simple. Matching the curtain rod you buy to the type of drapery or valance that you want to hang is very important. You could always get a local drapery installer in your area to help you if you're still not sure what type of rod you need.
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