Overhanging lintel preventing standard returns

by Angela

Hi Lee, as you can see from the attached photographs, we have a five-sided bay window. The top of the window frame butts up against the ceiling and finishes at the window sill a few inches from the floor.

The previous owners have fitted the curtain track directly onto the plastic window frames meaning that the curtains are actually touching the window panes. As a result we have problems in the winter with condensation transferring onto the curtains.

We want to replace the track with one fitted to the (hollow) ceiling in line with the front edge of the window sill, bringing the curtains a few inches away from the windows. The problem is that there is a supporting lintel running side to side across the front of the bay a couple of inches lower than the roof of the bay. The returns therefore can't be fitted to the wall outside the bay, they will have to remain inside the bay and follow the line round the end of the window sill below.

These returns would have to be fitted to the ceiling of the bay behind the lintel, and not the wall, because if we try to fit them to the back wall of the lintel the fitting would be on the front of the track instead of the back. Do you think that this would work? The returns would be quite short, i.e. the depth of the window sill, and I'm not sure how this would look.

Many thanks, Angela.


Hi Angela

Firstly, my apologies for the late reply. I did answer your question a couple of days ago. However, the website host had a blip and did not process my reply. I just noticed and realised you were still waiting.

In answer to your question, the answer is yes. I agree with your plan of moving the track away from the window and ceiling to fix the track.

As to the ends curving bay to close the gaps on the bay sides when the curtains are hanging. I agree again with this plan.

There is no other way of hanging your curtains properly if you want the curtains away from the glass to protect them from condensation.

On the bay track calculator, you would tick option 5.Ceiling (with ceiling fix returns out of bay).

Then select the 5-sided bay track with returns when choosing your bay shape from the drop-down menu.

This will after completing your order get you to the right bay-shape template to achieve what you want.

I hope this helps you get started on this project.

All the best, Lee