Orlando Drapery Installer & Orlando Drapery Installation in the Central Florida Area

Now that the draperies are purchased, the dreaded task of installation begins. Draperies are the dressings of your home. They make a stark, cold room into a warm, finished work of art. In order to make your drapes worth the investment, take extra care during the drapery installation process. Important tips follow to help make this often-costly investment a matter of satisfaction and not regret.

Draperies are usually hung on a track, or traverse rod, that can be opened and closed with a rope and pulley system, or on a rod, allowing them to be manually pulled open and shut. Draperies do not always cover windows and doors; some styles simply frame the opening for aesthetic value.

Davilyns Installers Can Assist You!

Ready made or custom-made draperies installed by a professional with over 40 years of drape, blind and drapery installation experience.

Measurements for the correct installation of your ready made or custom drapes is also offered at reasonable prices. Contact us at the number above or by the contact form on the top of this page to schedule a measure.

When installing draperies, extra care is required and our years of experience will leave you fully satisfied.

Don't let things get ahead of you. A basic understanding of house construction helps when drilling into walls. If the wall is made of brick or stone, a suitable masonry drill bit and anchor must be used to fasten the hardware. Many houses are built with stud walls, usually of 2” x 4” wooden members. The “two by fours,” as they are called, are actually 1 ½ inch wide, spaced every 16 inches or 2 feet, and stand vertically, creating the walls of the house. Windows and doors are completely encased with this wood, which is the support for hanging the draperies. This all can be complicated for the average homeowner and too much to undertake. Let us assist you to make your ready made or custom drapes, blinds or drapery purchase be all it should be.

 


 

Some of the installations we perform are on a variety of materials and walls.

For sheetrock or paneled walls, brackets must be attached to a stud or another piece of framing within the wall. Windows have a double stud running to the ceiling on the sides. Checking measurements carefully will get it done right the first time. It will also help to keep the rod or track level from one side to the other.

Heavy drapes will require stronger fastening than light, sheer drapes or valances. Toggle bolts or even blocking may be necessary behind the brackets screwed to the wall. Blocking would require cutting and patching a hole in the wall. Generally, this only happens when the rod or track extends well past the sides of the windows or doors. Structurally, windows and doors have a header over them that will be a minimum of 3 to 4 inches above a window or door. An inexpensive stud finder is the best way to find studs and other supports in a wall.

Draperies on Track

Drapes that are hung by track can be a single drape or several layers. Often a sheer is used behind an insulating or privacy drape of opaque material, which does not allow light through it. Pleated drapes are hung on tracks, allowing them to open wide, taking up very little space.

Draperies on Rods

Drapes can be hung on rods in ways that create completely different appearances. There are a multitude of rod types and finial styles on the market today to help accomplish this. Wooden, metal, glass, and plastic rods, combined with finials, the decorative ends of the rods, can dramatically affect the look of the drapes. Searching online for drapery hardware will provide many ideas to choose from.

Traditionally, draperies are hung on rods with tabs, loops, rings, or by simply threading the rod through an enclosed section, or pole pocket, at the top of the drape. Another stationary style includes draping the material over the rod, allowing the drape to simply fall toward the floor.

What about the rods themselves? Again, be creative. Depending on the décor of the room, a rod can be anything from a straight tree branch or a rough piece of board to a steel cable or glass rod. Wall brackets can be hand-made from wood, metal or even wire. Many brackets are incorporated into an over-the-window decorative display shelf for those knick-knacks that are otherwise packed away in a box.

When hanging the track, care must be taken to let the track extend past the opening desired to allow for the drape to hang out of the way. After determining the height and width of the drapery, the location of the hooks on the drape must be determined in relation to the track.

Headings: Valances and Cornices

A cornice is the box-like heading that covers the top of the drapery, including its fastenings and supports. Cornices can be wooden (stained or painted), or they can be covered with padded fabric. Sometimes cornices incorporate a display shelf. Cornices can be positioned flush with the ceiling, or just above the window. If the cornice does not have a flat board that can accommodate screws into the wall, use L-brackets (angle irons) to mount the cornice. Determine the height of the cornice. Locate and lightly mark the stud location above the window with a pencil. Measure the width of the cornice, center over the window, and attach the L-brackets to the wall with screws that will penetrate the wood studs at least 1 inch. Before tightening the second L-bracket to the wall, check for level. Rest the cornice over the two mounted L-brackets, and put screws into the cornice from underneath. The screws should not be longer than the thickness of the board.

Valances are short curtains at the top of the draperies to accomplish the same task as the cornice – hiding the fasteners and rod of the draperies. Many times, valances are included with a standard drapery package. A valance will use a second rod that extends past the main drapery rod, usually at the same height. Some hardware brackets incorporate a mount for the second valance rod.

It is recommended that you consult a professional for unique situations, or for installing some modern hardware, such as hinged rods, motorized rods and difficult to dress windows. Bay windows jut out from the wall and are grouped in angles of three or more. These windows require a single unit (traverse rod) each. Bow windows are curved, and need a curved traverse rod.

If windows meet in a corner, the draperies should look like one unit when closed. The draperies and hardware, however, should be independent units. Use one-way traverse rods, and install so that when opening the curtains, they are drawn away from the corner on each side.

 

Concerned About The Blind and Roman Shade Recall?

Davilyns can install new, safer blinds or retrofit your existing blinds. Call today to discuss your options.

All Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds are being recalled after reports of babies and toddlers dying from strangulation, the federal agency in charge of product safety announced Tuesday -- one of the five largest recalls in the agency's 35-year history.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall affects more than 50 million Roman shades and roll-up blinds, which have cords that can get caught around children's necks.

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25 million Roman shades were recalled because an infant's head can get caught between the cord and the fabric.
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27 million roll-up blinds were recalled because a baby's head can get caught in the cord.

CPSC said 5 children have died of strangulation and 16 others have been nearly strangled since 2006 because of the Roman shades, which pose a problem because of space between the inner cord and the shade fabric. The recall affects 25 million Roman shades.

Roll-up blinds have a large loop at the end of the cord that can strangle young children, the CPSC said, adding that 3 children have died from the roll-up blinds' hazard since 2000. The recall affects 27 million roll-up blinds.

The commission said about 5 million Roman shades and 3 million roll-up blinds are sold each year.

CPSC said it is working with the Window Covering Safety Council, an industry trade group, to provide repair kits for Roman shades and roll-up blinds sold at retailers including Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), JCPenney (JCP, Fortune 500), Pottery Barn, West Elm, Ace Hardware, Big Lots (BIG, Fortune 500), Ross (ROST, Fortune 500), and The Land of Nod.

The repair will eliminate the cord from the Roman shades and instead provide rings for consumers to install. Shade owners will have to manually lift the rings to raise the shade.

The kit will provide a device for roll-up blinds that will force the cord to separate into 2 pieces if a force equal to a baby's head is applied. The CPSC said the cord cannot be eliminated from the design of the roll-up treatment because it would strip its functionality.

In 2000, CPSC also worked with the Window Covering Safety Council to recall 85 million (see correction below) window blinds. The recall mostly affected Venetian and vertical blinds.

Since that industry-wide recall, however, CPSC said Roman shades and roll-up blinds have been installed in more homes because of their improved affordability and aesthetic.

While the 2000 recall resulted in improved standards for Venetian and vertical blinds, CPSC said the industry did not move fast enough to improve standards for Roman shades and roll-up blinds.

"The current standards are not adequate to protect the safety of children," said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the CPSC. "The recall will push the industry in the right direction to see what other stronger steps can be taken."

Wolfson also said the agency is considering setting federal mandatory standards.

"Recall after recall is not the solution to protecting children. A good standard can protect children. A good standard can protect lives," he said.

For a free repair kit, consumers can contact the Window Covering Safety Council at www.windowcoverings.org or 800-506-4636.

Here's how the recall affects blinds bought at major retailers:

JCPenney: The department store is recalling 2.2 million Roman shades and 340 roll-up blinds that were sold in stores, in catalogs and on the retailer's Web site since at least 1999 through October 2009 for between $10 and $500.

CPSC said JCPenney is aware of 2 separate instances in which a 2-year-old girl became entangled in the cord at the back of a Roman shade. Neither incident left permanent injuries.

Wal-Mart: The discount retailer is working with the CPSC to recall 500,000 Roman shades and 600,000 roll-up blinds that were sold between January 1999 and September 2009 for between $6 and $30.

No incidents or injuries have been reported resulting from blinds sold at Wal-Mart stores.

Consumers with bamboo roll-up blinds in particular should take their blinds to Wal-Mart stores for a full refund.

Pottery Barn: The home goods retailer is recalling 305,000 Roman shades, after recalling 85,000 of them in August. In June, a 3-year old boy was caught by the inner cord of a Pottery Barn Roman shade. He has since recovered from a thin laceration around his neck, CPSC said.

The Roman shades were sold at all Pottery Barn stores and their Web sites from January 1998 through October 2009 for between $25 and $180.

Pottery Barn is also recalling 45,000 roller shades which can also pose the risk of strangulation if the shade's looped cord is not attached to the wall with the tension device provided.

The roller shades were sold through the Pottery Barn catalog and online from January 2003 through October 2009 for between $100 and $120.

Consumers can contact Pottery Barn at 800-492-1949 or its Web site for a free repair kit.