Determining The Width of your Drapery Rod

Determining The Width of Your Drapery Rod

Product Support

02-10-2025

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Determining the width of your drapery rod or curtain rod

When deciding on the best width for your drapery pole or traverse rod, consider not only your window or opening size but also the drapery style and fabric operation.

Methods to Determine Final Rod Width

Window Size Method

Arrive at rod width using window (or opening) size.

Drapery Size Method

Arrive at rod width using existing drapery panel size.

Ripplefold Panels

To determine rod width from Ripplefold Draperies that are pre-existing, you must refer to the Ripplefold Fabrication Guide.

If you have pre-existing panels and intend for them to be operable (able to open and close), the rod must not exceed the combined fabric width of the panels. For non-operable styles (stationary side panels, a swag, etc.), use the Window Size Method. For Ripplefold drapery panels (attached to a traverse rod using snaps), refer to the Ripplefold Fabrication Guide to determine the rod width your existing panels can support. The Drapery Size Method is only appropriate for non-Ripplefold curtains.

Typically, the best results come from using the Window Size Method for rod width determination. Starting with a clean slate allows for new draperies to perfectly conform to your space. When reusing existing curtains, you’re confined to the parameters of the panels which may not be suitable for the design you’re attempting to achieve or the width you need to cover.

Use a metal measuring tape and stud finder to help determine curtain rod width

Window Size Method

Measure outside of trim for the drapery pole

Measure outside of trim to outside of trim

Multiple windows: Measure from the outside of the trim on the first window to the outside of the trim on the last window.

Add three or four inches for the curtain rod

Add three to four inches to each side

There’s “no rule” for how far to go outside the trim on each side. Three to four inches is good starting point.

The resulting measurement is your minimum rod width

If hanging a valance or swag without stackback concerns, this could be your “Final Rod Width”.

Adjusting Rod Width For Drapery Stackback

Curtains may obscure view if drapery rod is too short

Drapery may obscure the view if your rod is too short

Only your drapery maker can estimate stackback. Stackback will vary depending on the drapery style and fabric used.

Increase curtain pole width for stackback

Increase the rod width to include drapery stackback

Obstructions like adjacent walls, light switches or furniture may prevent you from being able to add additional width.

To prevent draperies from blocking the view through your window or opening, you can increase rod width on each side to allow the panels to stack over the wall instead of the glass.

The stackback may be 20% to 50% (or more) of the fabric width. Drapery makers can estimate stackback based on your drapery style and fabric choice.

Add the stackback estimate to your minimum rod width after ensuring you have ample wall space on either side.

Increasing Rod Width Requires More Fabric

Making stackback adjustments should only be considered when you’re having new draperies made “from scratch”. If reusing panels, you’re limited to the maximum panel coverage of the existing curtains.

As you increase the rod width to accommodate stack, you’ll also be adding fabric width to the panels which will further increase the stackback.

The goal is to reach a “happy medium” between fabric width, rod width and stackback.

Stacking charts and formulas are readily available, but somewhat unreliable since every custom drapery stacks differently due to construction.

Drapery Impacts On Stackback

Ripplefold Draperies stack tighter than Pleated
Lining and Interlining will increase stack
Drapery fullness (and/or smaller pleat spacing) will increase stack
Drapery styles with rigid headers will increase stack

Adjusting Rod Width For Structural Framing

While your drapery treatment may be primarily decorative, drapery rods and fabric can be extremely heavy.

You may need to adjust your rod width to ensure support brackets can be installed into wood studs or into the window header.

Making rod width adjustments to account for structural framing is a step that is frequently overlooked.

When installing a traverse rod, adjustable bracket placement allows a lot of flexibility to ensure you’re installing into studs. But, with a drapery pole treatment, end brackets are visible and need to be equidistantly placed on each side to balance the treatment.

You may be fortunate and have plenty of wood window header to install into; or, the stud placement may align with your desired width. If not, define a stud on one side as your bracket mount point and adjust your rod width to accommodate the stud position.

Check structural framing when deciding curtain rod width

The objective is to ensure at least one of the end brackets is installed into a stud. Use weight tested, metal hollow wall anchors rated to support the weight of the hardware and fabric combined for the bracket over hollow drywall.

Locate a stud suitable for your end bracket placement
Measure outside of trim to the center of the stud
Multiply this measurement by two and add to your original outside of trim to outside of trim measurement
Add three or four inches to either side

If adjusting for stackback: Locate your mounting stud after adding the stackback width. For one-way draw or unbalanced stack draperies: Choose your mounting stud on the stack-side of the treatment.

Traverse Rods Make It Easier

Structural adjustments may not be needed as brackets can be placed anywhere along the track. End brackets should be no more than eight inches from each side and installed into wood studs.

Traverse rod have flexible bracket placement for draperies

Drapery Size Method (For Operable Style Curtains)

When working with existing Ripplefold Style drapery panels, you must determine maximum panel coverage using the Ripplefold Fabrication Guide.

Measure curtain width to find maximum panel coverage

Measure the width of your drapery panel. For pinch-pleat draperies, it’s easiest to measure along the stiff header from the back of the panel. If you have more than one panel, measure each one and add the widths together to determine your maximum panel coverage.

Deductions From Maximum Panel Coverage

Fabric drapery returns require deduction from panel coverage

Fabric Return Deduction

If creating fabric returns to the wall, the return size must be deducted for each side.

Drapery return is the distance from the center of the rod or pole to the wall

Return is the distance from “where your fabric will hang” to the wall.

Center Overlap Deduction

For split-draw traverse rods only: a center overlap deduction of approximately three inches must be made.

Traverse rod master carriers have a three inch overlap

Overlap master carriers for traverse rods have an overlap and underlap arm that when combined usually require about three inches of fabric.

Formula
Fabric Width of All Panels
...minus...
Left Side Fabric Return
...minus...
Right Side Fabric Return
...minus...
Center Overlap
...equals...
Maximum Rod Width

With operable draperies, you can’t have more rod than fabric. Conservatively deducting an additional two inches from your Maximum Rod Width is never a bad idea. A little extra fabric on the ends isn’t a “deal-breaker”. Not enough fabric in the middle will leave a light gap at the center of your treatment.