Strong & long & narrow tension rod

July 30, 2020 11:08 AM

I want to hang heavy blackout curtains inside a 48" window frame using a tension rod. But I only have 1" of surface area on the sides of the window frame to mount the rod on, and the rods with that small of a diameter seem to not be able to handle the weight. Can you help me find a tension rod that would work?

I've tried two tension rods so far. This one was long enough to support the weight and strong enough to not bow, but the end caps are 1 3/4", and it slipped out of the window as soon as I opened the drapes. The second was a cheap/thin one with a max length of 50" that fit well in the frame but couldn't support the weight of the curtain.

Bonus points if I can get it today in Seattle!

posted by quiet coyote to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

Are you definitely opposed to using a regular rod with brackets? Also, if you know the weight of your curtains, I think the rod should say on the package how much weight it can support. As an alternative, something like this will supposedly stay up by itself.
posted by pinochiette at 11:16 AM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'd be tempted to try to add some additional support under the thick rod. For example, using some 3-M Command brand picture hanging strips to stick some small pieces of wood molding in the window frame. It will be less good than screws, but still pretty strong in the directions parallel to the surface.

(Puttying and painting over holes after removing a traditional curtain rod holder when you leave is another option.)
posted by eotvos at 11:21 AM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

What about a basic shower curtain tension rod - like this.
posted by XtineHutch at 11:23 AM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I'm fine using any rod--tension or otherwise--that is secured into the window frame at the end of the rod, rather than needing a bracket that comes out from the wall to hang it on. The only way that my blackout curtains effectively block the light from my window (which is floor-to-ceiling) is if they're nested inside the window frame.
posted by quiet coyote at 11:49 AM on July 30, 2020

Best answer: Check if you can remove the rubber end-stops from your heavier duty tension rod. If you can, you'll probably find that the tension rod has hollow ends. If it does, install a pair of nails or screws inside the window frame on both sides the same height from the top of the window opening. Reduce the size of the tension rod without the end-stops until it will fit between the pair of fasteners. Hold the tension rod between the fasteners and expand it until both fasteners are inside the hollow ends of the tension rod, stopping when the rod is about width of the window opening.
posted by RichardP at 12:40 PM on July 30, 2020 [6 favorites]

When you say the thin rod can't support the weight, do you mean the rod is bowing? Or is the whole thing slipping out of the window? If it's the latter, hammer three small nails under each end of the rod, at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock. If it's the former, well, I guess you could find any rod-shaped item that is less than 1" in diameter but sturdy enough not to bend (dowel, broomstick, conduit, pipes...) and do the same thing.

Also, are you able to add a hanger in the middle (that attaches to the top inside of the window frame) to help support the rod?
posted by yeahlikethat at 12:44 PM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Could you install a flange to support a rod, instead of tension? You could buy a closet rod that fits in these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/U-S-Futaba-Polished-Chrome-Steel-Screw-On-Flange-Hardware-for-Oval-Closet-Rod-2-Pack-UF-5411346013x2/306337352

(They're just over half an inch wide and just over an inch tall.)

Bonus: this would be SUPER cheap.
posted by nosila at 1:16 PM on July 30, 2020

Inelegant suggestion: can you cut the curtain in half (parallel to the floor), rehem as needed, and then use two of the thin/cheap rods, one for the top half and one for the bottom?
posted by miles per flower at 3:32 PM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I'd suggest trying a basic shower rod instead of the one that you purchased. The end cap on a basic rod will still be a bit larger than 1" but not nearly as big as the one you bought. If you want to stick with Target this would be one that you can buy. Disclosure: I work for the company that makes that particular shower rod.

If you want a recommendation that I am not invested in, you can try the Amazon basics rod but they are narrower diameter and don't tend to hold as much weight. That being said it should still be a lot better than the cheap one that you purchased.

I've worked in tension rods for over a decade so feel free to ask for other recommendations if those don't work for you.
posted by nolnacs at 3:55 PM on July 30, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: The heavier-duty rod was not hollow so it wouldn't work for RichardP's ingenious solution. Home Depot didn't have small enough flanges, but they did have more basic shower rods that were narrower than the one I had. The new rod I got still slipped when I installed it, but it turned out to be hollow, so I was able to use RichardP's solution after all. Thanks all!
posted by quiet coyote at 9:51 AM on July 31, 2020