Beaded Curtains - The Resurrection Of Trends From The Past

All fashions eventually come back. This is Barbra Streisand's firm belief, which led to her practice of never getting rid of any piece of her clothing. She thinks that fashion trends just repeat themselves over time, and hanging on to certain items of clothing will be well worth it when the garments will be all the rage again.

She is probably right in some way. Just take a look at the bell bottom pants, which have been resurrected in the late nineties, several years after its demise in the early 80s. There are also other "retro" items that are fashionable again today.

This repeating cycle in fashion does not only happen to clothes. It can also apply to home decor, such as curtains. Years ago, beaded curtains were all the craze when it came to interior decorating. Almost every homeowner had purchased beaded curtains for their home. Then just as with any other trend, the novelty wore off and beaded curtains were forgotten and replaced by other fads, at least temporarily.

Adul have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for cubicle curtain and great passion and knowledge for hospital curtains and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here cubecare.com

Curtains And Curtain Tracking - Choosing And Installing

Whether you are cordoning off sections of a tattoo parlor, healthcare facility, photography studio, laboratory, class room or a home, curtain tracking has become an easily accessible tool. Selection and installation of curtains and curtain tracking is not rocket science, but here are some pointers to smooth the process.

The first step is choosing a curtain. You need to ask yourself what you want your curtain to do. If it is needed it to block light, then a blackout fabric should be chosen. If it must meet state and federal commercial fire codes, then mesh top curtains are necessary to allow sprinkler systems to adequately protect their environment. Quality cubicle and hospital curtains are made with inherently fire retardant materials that are durable, safe, and last throughout the lifetime of the cubicle curtain. There are many colors and styles of fabrics to choose from; including solid colors, striped, textured, patterned and more.

Once a style is determined, calculate the height and length of the curtain necessary to cover the intended space. The length should generally be 15% wider than the length to be covered. For a more ruffled look, add 30% to the length. For example: you require 220" of length to cover your space. You would then multiply 220" x .15 and come up with 33"; add the 33" to the original 220" and you will need to order a length of 253".

To establish the height of the curtain there are three measurements needed to be determined. Begin by measuring the height from the floor to the ceiling. For this example let's start with a 10 foot ceiling which is 120 inches in height. Next measure the height of the carrier and curtain tracking; this is usually 3"-4" combined. The third measurement to determine is the open space wanted below the bottom of the curtain; 12"-18" is typical. Take the ceiling height of 120" and subtract 12" for bottom clearance and 4" for tracking and carriers and this leaves a final curtain height of 104". Typical curtain sizes range from 72" to 234" wide and 84" to 108" long. Cubicle curtains can be made to order and customized in most cases. Healthcare facilities often have building and fire codes which must be met; check with an administrator before proceeding.

Quality curtain tracking is made of 16 gauge extruded aluminum and is typically sold in eight foot lengths. If shorter lengths are required, tracking may be easily cut down with a hacksaw. Curves pre-bent to 45 deg. and 90 deg. are available for applications requiring the curtain to bend around a room; curves are 2 feet by 2 feet and bent at a 12 inch radius.

Curtain tracking can be attached to solid or false/drop down ceilings using screws or clips. Attaching the tracking to a solid ceiling requires the use of screws; screw directly into ceiling studs whenever possible. Holes will need to be drilled into the tracking at each attaching point. It is not always possible to screw into a stud. When this occurs, the use of an anchor is necessary. An anchor is pressed into a pre-drilled hole. As a screw is inserted into the anchor; the anchor expands and grabs firmly to the ceiling. Drop down/false ceilings require clips which are attached to the ceiling grid. There is a hole tapped into each clip that accepts a screw from the curtain tracking. These clips should be placed every 30".

Suspension tubing may be used with high ceilings or if existing obstructions prevent the curtain tracking from being mounted directly to the ceiling. Suspension tubing is available in 8 foot lengths and made with 7/8" O.D. hollow aluminum tubing. Suspension tubing can be attached directly to solid ceilings with a ceiling flange or via ceiling clips to a drop down/false ceiling. A screw insert is then placed in the bottom of the suspension tubing allowing the curtain tracking to be attached. Suspension tubing should be placed every six feet and the tracking ends can be attached to a wall with a nylon wall bracket.

Anodized aluminum splicing clamps join multiple pieces of tracking to ensure proper alignment of the channels. This will allow the carriers/rollers to move freely from one piece of tracking to the next. Clean and smooth the ends of each piece of track before assembly; burrs may cause the carriers/rollers to hang up.

An end-stop should be placed at both ends of the curtain tracking setup. Curtain tracking end-stops are used to prevent curtain carriers from slipping out. One end should contain a snap out fitting to allow for easy installation and replacement of curtain carriers. Snap out fittings sit inside an end-stop and are easily removed. Removal is necessary to install or replace your curtain carriers without removing the curtain tracking from the ceiling.

Various specialty brackets allow for multiple ceiling track configurations. T-brackets connect a perpendicular section of tracking part way along an existing section of tracking. Cross brackets subdivide a room into 4 or more separate sections depending on the size of your room and the size of your tracking layout.

Once the tracking layout is finalized, then determine the number of carriers or rollers needed. Carriers are just that, they carry the curtain along the tracking. The standard style consists of a nylon block and wheels with a swiveling chain and hook attached. A breakaway version is available which acts contrary to its name; the carrier does not break, it flexes. This allows the curtain to detach from the carrier rather than damage the curtain or carrier. Curtain carriers should be spaced every 6" on the curtain. If your curtain is 242" in length, you will want to have 41 carriers.

Drop chains and PVC drop strips are available for use when ventilation space is required and a mesh top curtain is not an option. A drop chain is 18" long with custom lengths available; it is constructed of nickel-plated steel. A PVC drop strip is 18" long with a hole on top which slips over the curtain carrier; a plated hook at the bottom connects to the cubicle curtain.

Andrea have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for cubicle curtain and great passion and knowledge for hospital curtains and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here cubecare.com

Creating Room Separation With Cubicle Curtains

Cubicle curtains are extensively used for the purpose of creating room separation, particularly in hospitals. They are also utilized by institutions and corporate offices for special occasions or for certain specific purposes. Cubicle curtains is a generic name, with the varieties of blackout curtains, disposable curtains, bio-active curtains, shower curtains, eco-friendly curtains, and cubicle curtain track systems. Normally, a cubicle curtain could be defined as a cloth dividing the room into separate enclosures. In the hospital, the tracking systems are extensively used to provide privacy to the patients in a large room and to facilitate easier medical treatment.

Cubicle Curtain Fabrics

Nearly all the manufacturers use fabrics that possess a long-life flame retardant capacity. The curtain cloth would be suspended from a curtain track, curtain carriers, or other types of supporting structures. However, curtain tracking is the most common support for most of the cubicle curtains. In the case of hospital curtains, the cubicle curtain fabric would consist of different types of woven fabrics that would be stitched together. The top portion of the cubicle curtain would be prepared from a mesh fabric to allow light and air flow into the cubicle. The lower portion would be of opaque cloth to furnish complete privacy.

Majority of the manufacturers use FR nylon mesh fabric for the top portion with a snag-free, woven header, along with a grommet for providing support and ensuring durability. The bottom portion would generally be stitched with polyester yarn that possesses 100% fire retardant capacity for absolute flame resistance. The fabrics are classified as antibacterial materials, antimicrobial materials, botanical materials, bio-active materials, and eco-friendly materials. Such materials are normally used for cubicle curtains supplied to hospitals. Shower curtains would be made of normal polyester yarn fabrics, because the other types of fabrics would be too costly to warrant using them in home.

The curtain fabrics are supplied by nearly all the manufacturers in different colors and patterns so that they match the interior of the rooms where the cubicle curtains are used. The specifications of the fabrics and their compliance to fire retardant standards of the state government should be studied and confirmed before placing orders for cubicle curtains.

Curtain Track and Curtain Carriers

The cubicle curtain tracking is done with a curtain track that had been specially designed and bent to meet the specifications and requirements at the place of installation. The curtain tracking systems are normally powder coated and the most common powder coating color is white, so that the curtain carriers blend with the ceiling. Moreover, the curtain track is generally provided a fair amount of lubrication by the application of a Teflon coating, so that the cubicle curtain fabric could be easily operated, if opening or closing of the enclosure is required. The curtain tracking system is also provided with gliding carriers so that the above work is made much easier.

Tracking could be classified as ceiling mounted cubicle track and suspended cubicle track. The ceiling mounted cubicle tracking systems would be made out of aluminum and could be used effectively for covering the beds of patients, separating shower areas in the bathrooms, or in any other places where personal privacy is needed. In places where the ceilings are very high or other obstructions prevent the mounting of curtain track in the ceiling directly, suspended cubicle tracking system is utilized. In the suspended tracking systems, the curtain track is suspended by an aluminum tube that is fixed to the ceiling and the track with plastic flanges.

The carriers normally contain a nylon axle, two free-rolling nylon wheels, a nylon swivel stern that is designed to be tangle-free and steel hooks that are chrome-plated. Nylon materials are used as curtain carriers since they would not easily break or rust and are highly durable. However, the curtain carrier glide could also be made with a nylon swivel, one-piece nylon spool, and steel hook of chrome plating. Another type of curtain carrier is the breakaway carrier, comprised of nylon wheels, hook, and body. The tracking for curtains would vary from one location to another to suit the type of construction of the room.


Sofia have been writing articles for nearly 2 years. Come visit his blogs more often for tips and advice that helps people with the interest for cubicle curtain and great passion and knowledge for hospital curtains and all the different options & providers available in the market today. Find out for more info also here cubecare.com