Bent & Curved Curtain Tracks – What is the Difference? And How Much Do They Cost?
First things first, what is the difference between a ‘bent’ and a ‘curved’ curtain track? Well, a bend is usually a straight profile that is folded to produce an angled bend or dent, usually followed by a straight track. A curve, however, is normally a very gentle bend that extends across the full width of the profile.
A bent curtain track
A curved curtain track
Bent tracks are perfect for when you want to fit a curtain into a bay window.
Bay windows are a combination of three or more windows that angle out beyond an exterior wall in a square, hexagonal or octagonal shape.
These windows are normally fairly large and are usually the focal point of a room. If you were to fit a straight curtain track to a window like this, it would have to be fitted to the wall above. This can take up a lot of room on the wall and may mean the curtain projects into the room.
Curved curtain tracks are ideal for ‘bow’ windows or windows that wrap around the corner of the building.
A bow window, where a curved track is more commonly used, are made up of typically four or five identical windows, which are fitted at an angle of 10 degrees creating a beautiful curved appearance. A bent curtain track wouldn’t be suitable for this sort of window as there’s no straight section, which is where a continuously curved track is ideal.
What are the benefits of a bent/curved track?
Insulation
Curtains or drapes help to insulate a room. One of the main methods is to reduce the amount of air exchange between a cold window and the rest of the room.
Air in a room is always trying to equalize itself. The cold air at a window mixes with the warm air in the rest of the room. If you trap the cold air behind a poor conductor (such as an airtight curtain) the rest of the room air remains warmer. The effectiveness is largely based on how airtight the cloth is and how tightly it fits the window on all sides – the top and floor as well as the lateral sides.
Fitting is as important as material when it comes to insulation. The curtain fabric should be fitted as close to the glass as possible to reduce the gap for cold air, which is where you benefit from a bent or curved curtain track that perfectly fits your window recess.
Aesthetics
If you’ve decided to buy a home with a feature window, or even install one yourself, the last thing you’ll want to do when you need to close your curtains is hide it away.
The benefit of a bespoke, custom shaped curtain track is that you can retain the design and shape of your window even with the curtains drawn. The curtains won’t take away from the aesthetics of the room, and you can make the most of the design feature 24/7.
How much do they cost?
Let’s take our Flow™ motorised curtain track as an example. A straight track, without any bends or curves, will set you back around £694* for a 1m long track
For every angled bend you add to your curtain track, the cost would increase by around £363*. Each bend you add to the track, which is usually at least two, will need to be budgeted for.
A continuous curve, however, would be an additional £605* on top of the cost of the track. Depending on the shape of your window, this may end up costing less or more than adding bends.
*Maximum RRP Cost
Flow™ Curtain Tracks
Any Flow™ motorised curtain track can be custom shaped to suit curved or angled windows. The minimum radius we can bend the track to is 300mm, and we can bend to any radius above that. This means that extremely shallow curves can be achieved.
We can also do a combination of bends and curves on the same track.
Take this Flow™ track we had in production recently. This was custom shaped to fit a window that had a bend followed immediately by a continuous curve. Nothing is off-limits for us, just let us know your requirements and we’ll always do our best to accommodate them.
Or to speak to a member of staff about your requirements, get in touch.
