Home curtains - pole or track

[Lala81]

Hi this seems like a silly question. But was just wondering what you guys use in your home. 

Always been using curtain tracks in my parents and current home. Generally OK with them except cleaning them is a pain in the butt. Cos the hooks can be difficult to take out and put back into the pencil pleat. 

My new place has pole system curtains and the curtains look good condition and was intending to reuse them. 

Then today, I realised the 2 sets of curtains can't really be pulled along the pole at all or with great difficulty. They can just be tied up with a tassel.

Are pole curtains really that difficult to move. Is a curtain problem or I have to change back to track? 

As it's something I will do to totally black out the room at night, I can't have it bugging me everyday on the use. 

[Windwaver]

I'm have been tracks for 20 years, it's troublesome to take it down for cleaning but it's easy to close and open.

You consider using blinds?

 

[Ct3833]

14 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Hi this seems like a silly question. But was just wondering what you guys use in your home. 

Always been using curtain tracks in my parents and current home. Generally OK with them except cleaning them is a pain in the butt. Cos the hooks can be difficult to take out and put back into the pencil pleat. 

My new place has pole system curtains and the curtains look good condition and was intending to reuse them. 

Then today, I realised the 2 sets of curtains can't really be pulled along the pole at all or with great difficulty. They can just be tied up with a tassel.

Are pole curtains really that difficult to move. Is a curtain problem or I have to change back to track? 

As it's something I will do to totally black out the room at night, I can't have it bugging me everyday on the use. 

Pole curtains are not as smooth as track curtaind in drawing the curtain open and close. The wooden poles have more friction than then metal ones. But they look nicer than the track ones when you tie the curtain up.

[Jman888]

I have both track and pole, not difficult to take down and put up if you know the way. We wash the curtain every quarter, hang out to dry then put it back even if not fully dry, just leave the window open and let the wind blow them.

recently saw the SwitchBot curtain thing, can use app or voice control to open and close curtain

 

[Lala81]

14 minutes ago, Ct3833 said:

Pole curtains are not as smooth as track curtaind in drawing the curtain open and close. The wooden poles have more friction than then metal ones. But they look nicer than the track ones when you tie the curtain up.

I don't really tie them up much. I have the tassels etc but all hardly used. Too troublesome. Cos I move them at night to block out light. 

[Lala81]

9 minutes ago, Jman888 said:

I have both track and pole, not difficult to take down and put up if you know the way. We wash the curtain every quarter, hang out to dry then put it back even if not fully dry, just leave the window open and let the wind blow them.

recently saw the SwitchBot curtain thing, can use app or voice control to open and close curtain

 

Tracks got aqara also. 

But I don't really need automated ones. 

My curtain maker for my current place, the spaces to put the hooks is very tight. It's so troublesome I washed my curtains maybe 2 times over 7+ years.... Yes gross I know. 

My parents place one is made by my mum, so no such issues. 

[Ash2017]

34 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

Hi this seems like a silly question. But was just wondering what you guys use in your home. 

Always been using curtain tracks in my parents and current home. Generally OK with them except cleaning them is a pain in the butt. Cos the hooks can be difficult to take out and put back into the pencil pleat. 

My new place has pole system curtains and the curtains look good condition and was intending to reuse them. 

Then today, I realised the 2 sets of curtains can't really be pulled along the pole at all or with great difficulty. They can just be tied up with a tassel.

Are pole curtains really that difficult to move. Is a curtain problem or I have to change back to track? 

As it's something I will do to totally black out the room at night, I can't have it bugging me everyday on the use. 

If you are open to suggestion consider blinds rather than curtains. Easier to maintain and cheaper.

 

[Lala81]

25 minutes ago, Windwaver said:

I'm have been tracks for 20 years, it's troublesome to take it down for cleaning but it's easy to close and open.

You consider using blinds?

 

My place will have some blinds, some curtains. 

[Ct3833]

14 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

I don't really tie them up much. I have the tassels etc but all hardly used. Too troublesome. Cos I move them at night to block out light. 

Tie them up in the day, release to close the curtains at night. If you want to draw them like the track equivalent, then you won't like it. 

[mersaylee]

15 minutes ago, Ash2017 said:

If you are open to suggestion consider blinds rather than curtains. Easier to maintain and cheaper.

 

I'm surprised you neber suggest subscribe to hard copy of ST...then can read news and block out sunlight at the same time 😁

[Atrecord]

1 hour ago, Lala81 said:

Hi this seems like a silly question. But was just wondering what you guys use in your home. 

Always been using curtain tracks in my parents and current home. Generally OK with them except cleaning them is a pain in the butt. Cos the hooks can be difficult to take out and put back into the pencil pleat. 

My new place has pole system curtains and the curtains look good condition and was intending to reuse them. 

Then today, I realised the 2 sets of curtains can't really be pulled along the pole at all or with great difficulty. They can just be tied up with a tassel.

Are pole curtains really that difficult to move. Is a curtain problem or I have to change back to track? 

As it's something I will do to totally black out the room at night, I can't have it bugging me everyday on the use. 

my old place had combination of blinds and curtains. We used the pole type then. My current place also has combination of blinds and curtains, but now the curtains are the track type.

Track ones confirmed 100% guaranteed chopped stamped is smoother than pole. Pole is is relying on the big big wooden rings (with the hooks to the curtains) sliding perpendicular to the long wooden (or plastic) poles. Perpendicular means lots of friction, when there is weight of the curtain pulling it down.

For the track ones, they use small rollers inside that that slides along/on the tracks. Much less friction in this case, even when it's weighed down heavily by the curtain.

No fight in terms of the smoothness. At our old place, when we needed to draw the curtains, we would raise our hands to pull the curtain at as high up a position as possible. This way, it's at least easier to move it. Now for the track ones, no issue at all. And they are all full length/height curtains for the living room.

If you want to retain the pole one, then my suggestion is above - pull as high up as possible.

Oh, and i regret using blinds at my current place. The roller blinds just cannot cover the edges completely, and light gets through at the gaps between the blinds, if the windows are wide and require more than one blind to cover the whole width... If i knew beforehand, i would have used all curtains instead.

[Lala81]

Yeah these curtains don't even have wooden rings. Meant to be tied up vs untied only. 

[Stratovarius]

10 hours ago, Lala81 said:

Hi this seems like a silly question. But was just wondering what you guys use in your home. 

Always been using curtain tracks in my parents and current home. Generally OK with them except cleaning them is a pain in the butt. Cos the hooks can be difficult to take out and put back into the pencil pleat. 

My new place has pole system curtains and the curtains look good condition and was intending to reuse them. 

Then today, I realised the 2 sets of curtains can't really be pulled along the pole at all or with great difficulty. They can just be tied up with a tassel.

Are pole curtains really that difficult to move. Is a curtain problem or I have to change back to track? 

As it's something I will do to totally black out the room at night, I can't have it bugging me everyday on the use. 

You have answered ur own question. Yes, pole curtains are harder to move around due to the mechanism or rather, none at all. 

Not sure if yours is the cloth loop or those with nylon rings. The nylon ring ones are easier to move. But still, track curtains are easier than pole types. U can try applying candle wax on the pole or those pe tape to reduce some friction.

[Ash2017]

9 hours ago, mersaylee said:

I'm surprised you neber suggest subscribe to hard copy of ST...then can read news and block out sunlight at the same time 😁

Berry good.

 

You are potential SPH material. Wait for phone call for tea party. 

[BoneStock]

@Lala81   I prefer pole but always ended up with track because only the latter can fully cover the windows up to the ceiling.  When I sleep, i like it to be 伸手不见五指

[Inlinefour]

Lutron wireless built in blind 

👍

[kobayashiGT]

@Lala81I will choose track. For cleaning wise, if really lazy to bring down and wash, you stand by a steamer and steam to kill germ and mite time to time lor.

I have a steamer at home, if you want I can borrow you! 🙂

[Watwheels]

I am using Rolashades(Google this name). They come in many types. You can choose those which can totally blackout or opaque ones. Can install two layers too, blackout and opaque. If you install the motorised ones you can even set the timer for it to roll up/down. I only dust it. No washing needed. 

Now got what smart curtain/shades. LoL... Too many to choose from.