Knowledge CenterHardware Buying Guide

Poles

Standard Sizes

We carry three sizes of quality curtain poles: 4 feet, 6 feet and 8 feet. All three sizes come in either a satin-black or silver finish with two options of finials (the decorative attachments for curtain-pole ends), discussed below, which also come in either satin-black or silver finish.

Our curtain poles are designed so that any one of them can be easily attached to any other, to create new poles of greater lengths (for example, a 4-foot pole may be attached to an 8-foot pole to create a new pole of 12 feet in length). The connection between poles, noticeable only upon very close inspection, is entirely hidden by a hanging bracket, which we always recommend adding at any points where poles are to be joined.

Pole Suggestions for Decorative Curtains

If you're hanging curtains solely as a decorative enhancement for your outdoor-living space, and have no need to close the curtains (for privacy, for instance), then you may not need a full-size hanging rod. Two shorter poles used in tandem with two curtain panels offer an excellent, highly attractive means of framing an outdoor room or other outside-living space. We recommend custom-sized mini-poles of 1½-2 feet in length.

Pole Suggestions for Functional Curtains

If you intend for your outdoor curtains to be opened and closed, and not just to hang stationary, then we recommend selecting a single outdoor-curtain rod (or several curtains rods attached to create one) that spans the length of your outdoor-living space. For specific installation advice, see our Installation Tips.

Once you've worked out how much total hanging area you'd like your curtains to cover, you'll want to figure out the right manner for hanging the curtain rod itself.

Wall Brackets

Traditional wall brackets mount directly onto a wall or other upright hanging surface, with the curtain rod itself then resting in the brackets. This style of hanging allows you to change out your curtains simply, with both tab-top and grommet curtain styles sliding easily onto the curtain rod. With wall brackets, your curtains will hang approximately 4 inches away from the wall or other hanging surface.

Our wall brackets are available in two finishes, either satin-black or silver.

Eyelet Brackets

Eyelet brackets offer the unique advantage of allowing you to hang your curtain pole directly from a ceiling or other overhead surface if you don't have a wall to work with – though eyelet brackets will work in hanging curtains from walls as well.

Uniquely attractive, eyelet brackets are not, however, quite as simple to use as are wall brackets for changing out your curtains, or routinely cleaning them. With eyelet brackets, taking the curtain pole down requires sliding it back out through all the brackets first.

If you expect to be taking your curtains down on a regular basis and choose eyelet brackets for hanging, then we recommend that you also choose tab-top curtains instead of curtains with grommets. Removing tab-top curtains from the curtain rod is as simple as un-attaching the curtains' Velcro fasteners, whereas taking down grommet-style curtains from eyelet brackets requires sliding the pole back out through both the curtain grommets and the brackets.

With eyelet brackets, your outdoor curtains or outdoor-curtain sheers will hang approximately 6 inches below the ceiling or other overhead surface, or 6 inches out from the wall.

Our eyelet brackets are available in two finishes, either satin-black or silver.

Inside-Mount Brackets

These are an ideal option if your hanging area has built-in borders (such as columns or walls) to either side. Inside-mount brackets give the curtains more of a natural feel, since hanging hardware is largely hidden from view.

Inside-mount brackets attach to the inside of a column or wall, with each pole-end then resting in the arc of one bracket. This makes the pole easy to remove, so curtains can be switched out or taken down for cleaning with little effort. Both tab-top and grommet-style curtains work well with this type of hanging bracket.

Note that to use inside-mount brackets for hanging your curtains, you'll need to know the exact curtain-pole length that will fit the hanging space you're working with. Otherwise, your curtain pole may not rest securely between the two brackets, and the pole may then become dislodged. For that reason, inside-mount brackets often require the use of custom-length curtain poles, but also need no finials to complete them.

Our inside-mount brackets are available in two finishes, either satin-black or silver.

Traditional

Smart, functional and classic. This finial style is available in two finishes, either satin-black or silver.

Whimsical

For a stylish look that's long on fun. This finial style is available in two finishes, either satin-black or silver.