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Bay Window Styles
- Home
- Slimline bay tracks
- Bay window styles
What shape is your bay window?
Knowing what I call each of the "bay window styles" below will help you choose the right shape bay track when ordering a new one for yourself.
All these styles are built into the bay window curtain track calculator. So after selecting your bay shape from the images below. Simply select your bay shape name from the drop down menu.
You will also need to answer few simple questions before you can buy a new custom made bay window curtain track. Such as:
- Where are my curtains going to hang to? (window sill, top of radiator, floor)?
- Where to fit the curtain track? (so your curtains hang in the right place)?
- Do I want my curtains to stay in the bay, or return out on the sides?
- Do I want overlapping tracks inthe middle?
Answering these questions will mean you end up with a perfectly fitting bay window curtain track. That in turn will give you perfectly hanging curtains.
.......and super smooth running curtains on my fabulous bay tracks :-)
Hand draw or cord controled bay tracks. Electric mains or rechargeable curtain tracks coming soon!
Choose from one of the bay window styles here!
Click any image for a lager view
This is one of the simplest bay window styles with just 3 sides. The sides splay out hence the name. Curtains on this window shape would hang to the sides within the bay.
This one is a square bay and again one of the simplest bay shapes. We have 3 sides with 90 degree angles. In this example the curtain track turns out of the bay on each side.
This is like the square bay but only has one side. The curtains hang at 90 degrees to each other when open. If choosing the overlapping tracks option. Then be aware it will be at the true centre of the track
Exactly the same as the left hand bay window style but the opposite way around. Again be aware that if choosing the centre overlapping tracks. then the overlap will be the centre of the track not the main window. This will mean you have a pair of even width curtains.
This is almost like the regular splay but with only one side. This example also has a return on the left hand side out of the bay. Again if choosing the overlapping tracks option. The overlap will be in the true centre of the track. Giving even width curtains
Exactly the same as the left hand splay bay with return but the opposite way around. Again be aware that if choosing the centre overlapping tracks. then the overlap will be the centre of the track not the main window. This will mean you have a pair of even width curtains.
This bay has either a gentle curve or very shallow angles within the bay. We would make the track curved regardless.
5 sided bay windows are usually made up of 3 window sides with a wall on each side of the bay. Sometimes the walls are very narrow. Occasionally wide like these.
Can't see your bay window style. Don't worry just let me know here. Also, let me have a couple of photos of your bay. (or click the image above)
How are your curtains going to hang?
This will detemine whether your track will fix to the ceiling or wall. Or maybe even both!
In an ideal world your curtains when hanging will hang straight down. Not being pushed out by a deep window sill, or maybe a radiator.
Sometimes there needs to be a little bit of conpromise. But not too much or your curtains will start to look odd :-(
Ceiling fixed bay window curtain tracks
Often the way to get the best hanging curtains is to fix the track to the celing. Especially within the bay. This doesn't create anymore problems than fixing to a wall in most cases. Unless you have the worlds biggest, heaviest curtains.
The only good reason not to fix this way is because you have chunky coving running around the edge of the ceiling. This is especially a problem for curtains hanging within the bay only.
If "within" your bay has a lower ceiling than the main room. And you are planning on hanging floor length curtains. Then you will need to have the track return out of the bay on each side usaually. These end bits of tracking will fix to the wall on each side of the bay. Trying to hang long curtains with a wall/frame fixed track within a bay with deep window sills just doesn't work. The curtains at the sides just don't sit right.
Wall fixed bay window curtain tracks
Wall fixed bay window curtain tracks work best with either window sill length curtains. When you have deep window sills. This usually means hanging your curtains within the bay only hanging down to just off the windos sill.
Or hanging long floor length curtains when the window sills are very shallow and don't stick out too much. Usually in older Victorian style bay windows. The window sills don't puch the curtains out too much. Also you won't be left with wide gaps on the bay sides.
You have wall fixed bracket options of 3cm, 4cm and 7cm projectin from the wall to the front of the track.
Compromises?
When I talk about compromises. Often when I measure a bay for a new curtain track. There are many times a radiator in the centre of the bay.
Often the radiator is a modern slimline version. These don't protrude out a massive amount. So I don't usually allow for this when measuring for long curtains. I still measure across the front edges of the window sill.
I know that when the curtains are closed over the radiator. They will be pushed out a little. This is where the compromise "kicks in".
I reach a compromise between the track fixed to the ceiling following the true shape of the bay window sill. Rather than making an allowance for the radiator. I think it is the right thing to do. You will in reality barely be able to see the curtains pushing out a little.
This way of measuring means that when the curtains are hanging open. They don't hang too far in front of the window sill around the rest of the bay.
The image above shows how a ceiling mounted curtain track follows the bay window style. It is far enough away from the wall, so the curtains can hang in front of the window sills.
This track also returns out of the bay on each side. This allows the curtains to completely clear the window for maximum light.
The image above shows how neat this ceiling mounted track looks. The curtains also look better hanging outside of the bay on the returns.
These tracks can be made to fit almost any bay window style. 3 sided, 5 sided, 6 sided, and more sided... So you get the idea.
You should now be able to place an order for your own custom made bay window curtain track. Remeber the only size you need to get started is the total width around all the sides of your bay. Effectively following roughly where the bay track is going to fit.
Bay Window Styles
- Home
- Slimline bay tracks
- Bay window styles
What shape is your bay window?
Knowing what I call each of the "bay window styles" below will help you choose the right shape bay track when ordering a new one for yourself.
All these styles are built into the bay window curtain track calculator. So after selecting your bay shape from the images below. Simply select your bay shape name from the drop down menu.
You will also need to answer few simple questions before you can buy a new custom made bay window curtain track. Such as:
- Where are my curtains going to hang to? (window sill, top of radiator, floor)?
- Where to fit the curtain track? (so your curtains hang in the right place)?
- Do I want my curtains to stay in the bay, or return out on the sides?
- Do I want overlapping tracks inthe middle?
Answering these questions will mean you end up with a perfectly fitting bay window curtain track. That in turn will give you perfectly hanging curtains.
.......and super smooth running curtains on my fabulous bay tracks :-)
Hand draw or cord controled bay tracks. Electric mains or rechargeable curtain tracks coming soon!
Choose from one of the bay window styles here!
Click any image for a lager view
This is one of the simplest bay window styles with just 3 sides. The sides splay out hence the name. Curtains on this window shape would hang to the sides within the bay.
This one is a square bay and again one of the simplest bay shapes. We have 3 sides with 90 degree angles. In this example the curtain track turns out of the bay on each side.
This is like the square bay but only has one side. The curtains hang at 90 degrees to each other when open. If choosing the overlapping tracks option. Then be aware it will be at the true centre of the track
Exactly the same as the left hand bay window style but the opposite way around. Again be aware that if choosing the centre overlapping tracks. then the overlap will be the centre of the track not the main window. This will mean you have a pair of even width curtains.
This is almost like the regular splay but with only one side. This example also has a return on the left hand side out of the bay. Again if choosing the overlapping tracks option. The overlap will be in the true centre of the track. Giving even width curtains
Exactly the same as the left hand splay bay with return but the opposite way around. Again be aware that if choosing the centre overlapping tracks. then the overlap will be the centre of the track not the main window. This will mean you have a pair of even width curtains.
This bay has either a gentle curve or very shallow angles within the bay. We would make the track curved regardless.
5 sided bay windows are usually made up of 3 window sides with a wall on each side of the bay. Sometimes the walls are very narrow. Occasionally wide like these.
Can't see your bay window style. Don't worry just let me know here. Also, let me have a couple of photos of your bay. (or click the image above)
How are your curtains going to hang?
This will detemine whether your track will fix to the ceiling or wall. Or maybe even both!
In an ideal world your curtains when hanging will hang straight down. Not being pushed out by a deep window sill, or maybe a radiator.
Sometimes there needs to be a little bit of conpromise. But not too much or your curtains will start to look odd :-(
Ceiling fixed bay window curtain tracks
Often the way to get the best hanging curtains is to fix the track to the celing. Especially within the bay. This doesn't create anymore problems than fixing to a wall in most cases. Unless you have the worlds biggest, heaviest curtains.
The only good reason not to fix this way is because you have chunky coving running around the edge of the ceiling. This is especially a problem for curtains hanging within the bay only.
If "within" your bay has a lower ceiling than the main room. And you are planning on hanging floor length curtains. Then you will need to have the track return out of the bay on each side usaually. These end bits of tracking will fix to the wall on each side of the bay. Trying to hang long curtains with a wall/frame fixed track within a bay with deep window sills just doesn't work. The curtains at the sides just don't sit right.
Wall fixed bay window curtain tracks
Wall fixed bay window curtain tracks work best with either window sill length curtains. When you have deep window sills. This usually means hanging your curtains within the bay only hanging down to just off the windos sill.
Or hanging long floor length curtains when the window sills are very shallow and don't stick out too much. Usually in older Victorian style bay windows. The window sills don't puch the curtains out too much. Also you won't be left with wide gaps on the bay sides.
You have wall fixed bracket options of 3cm, 4cm and 7cm projectin from the wall to the front of the track.
Compromises?
When I talk about compromises. Often when I measure a bay for a new curtain track. There are many times a radiator in the centre of the bay.
Often the radiator is a modern slimline version. These don't protrude out a massive amount. So I don't usually allow for this when measuring for long curtains. I still measure across the front edges of the window sill.
I know that when the curtains are closed over the radiator. They will be pushed out a little. This is where the compromise "kicks in".
I reach a compromise between the track fixed to the ceiling following the true shape of the bay window sill. Rather than making an allowance for the radiator. I think it is the right thing to do. You will in reality barely be able to see the curtains pushing out a little.
This way of measuring means that when the curtains are hanging open. They don't hang too far in front of the window sill around the rest of the bay.
The image above shows how a ceiling mounted curtain track follows the bay window style. It is far enough away from the wall, so the curtains can hang in front of the window sills.
This track also returns out of the bay on each side. This allows the curtains to completely clear the window for maximum light.
The image above shows how neat this ceiling mounted track looks. The curtains also look better hanging outside of the bay on the returns.
These tracks can be made to fit almost any bay window style. 3 sided, 5 sided, 6 sided, and more sided... So you get the idea.
You should now be able to place an order for your own custom made bay window curtain track. Remeber the only size you need to get started is the total width around all the sides of your bay. Effectively following roughly where the bay track is going to fit.
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bay window curtain rails
Bay window curtain rails also know as bay window curtain tracks. Everyone struggles with either replacing an old worn or broken one. Or fitting a new one to a bay with nothing up there. It's a job most people put off for as long as they can.
photos of your windows
We need photos of your windows to be able to serve you well. That is why we ask everyone who makes an enquiry, or places an order for a bay window curtain track. To send us at least one photo of the window they are interested in us helping them with.
