How Can I Fit a Curtain Track When the Bay Ceiling Is Lower Than the Rest of the Room?
Many bay windows have a ceiling that is lower than the ceiling in the main room.
This often leaves people wondering how a ceiling-fixed curtain track can return out of the bay and continue onto the walls at each side.
The good news is that this is a common bay window design and it does not prevent you from having a curtain track with useful returns.
The track does not have to be fixed in the same way from one end to the other. It can be ceiling fixed inside the bay and wall fixed on the return sections.
Why Does a Lower Bay Ceiling Cause Confusion?
People often assume that a curtain track must use the same type of bracket along its complete length.
If the track is described as ceiling fixed, it is natural to imagine that every part of the track must be attached to a ceiling. This creates an obvious question when the ceiling inside the bay is lower than the ceiling in the main room.
How can the track be ceiling fixed inside the bay and then continue out of the bay onto the side walls?
The Track Does Not Need One Fixing Method Throughout
A made-to-measure bay window curtain track can use different brackets in different parts of the installation.
It can be ceiling fixed inside the bay and wall fixed on the return sections at each side.
The Simple Solution: Ceiling Fix in the Bay and Wall Fix the Returns
When the ceiling inside the bay is lower than the ceiling in the main room, the most practical arrangement is normally straightforward.
The shaped section of the curtain track is ceiling fixed inside the bay. The track then returns out of the bay on each side and is supported using wall brackets.
The difference in ceiling height does not cause a problem because the return sections do not need to reach the higher room ceiling.
Instead, they are attached securely to the adjoining walls at the correct height.
One Track Can Use Both Wall and Ceiling Brackets
The fixing method can change along the same curtain track. This is often the neatest way to deal with a lower bay ceiling while still allowing the curtains to return out into the room.
We Supply the Correct Brackets for Every Part of the Track
Every one of our bay window curtain tracks is made to order.
This does not only mean that we bend the track to fit the shape of your bay window. We also work out which brackets are needed and where each type of bracket should be used.
For a bay with a lower ceiling, the track would normally be supplied with ceiling brackets fitted along the section inside the bay.
The correct wall brackets would then be supplied for the track returns at each side.
We also make sure the wall brackets have the correct projection so that the track remains properly aligned as it leaves the bay.
You Do Not Need to Work Out Which Brackets to Order
You do not need to choose between wall or ceiling fixing for the complete track.
We assess your bay measurements and supply the correct combination of brackets for the layout.
How Is the Curtain Track Supported?
Supplying the correct type of bracket is only part of the job. The curtain track also needs enough brackets to support it properly.
Our ceiling brackets are normally pre-fitted to the track at an average spacing of approximately 30 cm.
Additional support is provided close to the bends and wherever the track layout places greater strain on the fixings.
The wall-fixed returns are then supplied with suitable wall brackets so that the complete track is supported from one end to the other.
Why Bracket Quantity Matters
A long bay track supported by too few brackets can flex, move or place unnecessary strain on individual fixings.
Using plenty of correctly positioned brackets spreads the curtain weight across the complete track and fixing surface.
Why Is This Not Explained Clearly When Buying Other Bay Tracks?
Much of the confusion comes from the way DIY and made-to-measure bay window tracks are commonly sold.
DIY Bay Window Tracks
DIY bay tracks often use universal brackets that can be attached to either a wall or a ceiling.
This can make the product appear simple, but universal brackets are a compromise. They may also look bulkier when used as ceiling brackets because they are designed to perform more than one job.
The customer is still left to decide where the brackets should go, how many are needed and how the track should change between wall and ceiling fixing.
Other Made-to-Measure Bay Tracks
Some made-to-measure track websites ask customers to choose either wall fixing or ceiling fixing when placing the order.
This makes it sound as though the complete track must use one fixing method.
In reality, many bay windows need a combination of both. A lower bay ceiling is one of the most common examples.
Real Bay Windows Are Not Always Wall Fix or Ceiling Fix
Many successful bay track installations use ceiling brackets inside the bay and wall brackets on the returns.
Treating the complete track as either wall fixed or ceiling fixed can make a straightforward installation seem much more complicated than it really is.
What Do I Need to Measure?
You do not need to calculate bracket positions or decide which parts of the track should be wall or ceiling fixed.
Simply measure your bay window using the printable measuring template that matches your bay shape.
The measurements allow us to create the correct track shape and work out the best position for the track to follow.
We consider where the curtains need to hang, the shape of the bay, the position of the window sill and the available fixing surfaces.
The curtain track and bracket combination can then be prepared around your particular bay window.
Measure the Bay—We Work Out the Brackets
Your job is to provide the bay measurements. Our job is to turn those measurements into a correctly shaped and properly supported curtain track.
What If the Complete Bay Track Needs to Be Wall Fixed?
The same made-to-measure approach applies when the complete curtain track needs to be wall fixed.
We assess the track layout and supply wall brackets with the appropriate projection for your bay.
The correct bracket projection helps position the curtains where they need to hang, particularly when the bay has projecting window sills, window handles or other features that must be cleared.
Again, you do not need to select every bracket individually. The brackets are supplied as part of the made-to-measure track design.
Can a Curtain Track Return Out of a Bay with a Lower Ceiling?
Yes. A lower ceiling inside the bay does not prevent the curtain track from returning out onto the room walls.
The track is normally ceiling fixed inside the bay and wall fixed on the return sections.
Because every track is made to order, we supply the correct combination, size and quantity of brackets for your bay window.
You only need to measure the bay accurately. You do not need to work out the bracket arrangement yourself.
Lower Bay Ceiling Curtain Track FAQs
No. The same curtain track can use ceiling brackets inside the bay and wall brackets on the return sections.
No. We supply the correct combination of wall and ceiling brackets as part of your made-to-measure bay curtain track.
The ceiling brackets are normally pre-fitted at an average spacing of approximately 30 cm, with additional consideration given to bends and other areas needing support.
Yes, where suitable wall space is available. We can supply the correct wall brackets and bracket projection for the complete bay track.