Curtain alteration and fitting

Poorly installed tracks or incorrectly hemmed fabric can ruin the look of an entire room and even cause damage to your walls. Enlisting a specialist ensures that heavy fabrics are securely anchored and that hems hang perfectly level, regardless of uneven floors or window sills.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Site Survey: Measuring windows accurately and identifying the correct wall or ceiling fixings required for the weight of the fabric.
• Hardware Installation: Fitting or replacing poles, tracks, brackets, and gliders, ensuring they are perfectly level and securely anchored.
• Fabric Alteration: Shortening or re-hemming curtains to suit the window height, including adjusting linings and weights.
• Heading Adjustments: Setting the tape, adjusting pleats (Pencil, Pinch, or Eyelet), and ensuring the "throw" of the curtain is even.
• Hanging and Dressing: Rehanging the curtains, testing the operation, and "dressing" the fabric (steaming or folding) so it falls correctly.
• Repairs: Fixing broken tracks, replacing missing rings, or repairing damaged headings and linings.

Typical Costs

Pricing is primarily influenced by the complexity of the window shape (such as bays or bifold doors) and the weight of the fabric. Specialist materials, such as heavy-duty fixings for "dot and dab" plasterboard or motorised tracking systems, will also increase the overall project cost.

How Long Does It Take?

• Single Pole/Track Installation: 1–2 hours per window, depending on the wall type.
• Curtain Alterations: 2–5 days if taken off-site to a workroom; 2–3 hours if minor adjustments are done on-site.
• Full Room Fitting: 4–6 hours to install hardware, hang curtains, and professionally dress the fabric.
• Whole House Project: 1–3 days depending on the number of windows and the complexity of the dressings.

DIY or Professional?

While hanging a simple pole might seem like a straightforward DIY task, larger projects carry risks. Heavy velvet or interlined curtains can weigh significantly more than standard plasterboard fixings can handle, leading to collapsed poles and wall damage.

Professional fitters carry specialized equipment to deal with concrete lintels and "crumbly" Victorian masonry often found in UK homes. Furthermore, altering expensive fabric requires a professional eye; one wrong cut can be an incredibly costly mistake that cannot be undone.

Always hire a professional if you are dealing with bay windows, double-height ceilings, or motorised tracking systems to ensure safety and warranty compliance.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Specialisms: Ensure they have experience with your specific window type, especially for curved bays or bifold doors.
• Insurance: Verify they hold Public Liability Insurance to cover any accidental damage to your walls or expensive fabrics.
• Portfolio: Look for photos of their previous "dressing" work—how the curtains hang is as important as how the pole is fixed.
• Questions to Ask:
  • Do you provide the fixings, or do I need to buy them?
  • Can you work with heavy blackout or thermal linings?
  • Do you offer a "steaming" service to remove transit creases?
  • How do you handle drilling into tough lintels or fragile plaster?

UK Regulations

• Child Safety (BS EN 13120): All corded internal blinds and curtain tracks must comply with safety standards to prevent strangulation. Fitters must install safety cleats or tensioning devices.
• Fire Safety: For rental properties or commercial spaces, fabrics may need to meet specific fire retardancy standards (BS 5867).
• Building Regs (Part P): If you are installing motorised curtains that require new electrical spurs, the work must be performed by a qualified electrician.

Common Problems

• Incorrect Fixings: Using standard rawlplugs in plasterboard can cause the pole to pull out of the wall under the weight of heavy curtains.
• Uneven Hems: Floors and ceilings in older UK homes are rarely level; curtains must be measured and pinned in situ to ensure they hang straight.
• "Dog-Eared" Corners: Poorly executed alterations often result in corners that kick out or droop, ruining the silhouette.
• Obstructions: Failing to account for protruding radiators or window handles, which can prevent curtains from closing properly or cause unsightly bulges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you shorten curtains that are already lined?

Yes, but it is a more complex process than shortening unlined fabric. The lining and the main fabric must be unpicked, shortened independently, and then re-stitched to ensure they don't "pucker" or pull against each other.

Why is fitting curtains in a bay window more expensive?

Bay windows require either bespoke bent tracks or specialized poles with corner joints. Measuring and installing these requires high precision to ensure the gliders move smoothly around the corners without catching.

Do I need to provide the poles and tracks myself?

Most fitters can work with hardware you have purchased, but many prefer to supply professional-grade tracks which are often more durable and smoother than "off-the-shelf" retail options.

What is "dressing" a curtain?

Dressing involves training the fabric to fall in neat, uniform folds. This often involves "stacking" the curtains open, tying them loosely for 48 hours, and using a professional steamer to remove creases and set the pleats.

Can you fix a curtain track that has pulled out of the wall?

Usually, yes. A fitter will typically fill the damaged area with high-strength filler or use specialized "grip" fixings or a wooden "batten" to provide a secure new mounting surface.