Install guide · Custom drapery

How to install drapery

Hanging custom drapery panels (what many people still call curtains) takes about 20 to 30 minutes per window. Find the ceiling joists or wall studs, mark a bracket near each end of the track and one in the middle, pre-drill, screw the brackets in, click the track into place and tighten the locking screws. Then click in each carrier or hook and dress the panels into even folds.

Floor-length sheer drapery panels on a ceiling-mounted track, falling in soft, even ripple folds beside a tall window.

Before you start

Check the delivery against your order

Unpack on a clean surface and compare the track length and panel sizes with your order confirmation before you drill anything. If something does not match, tell us right away and hold off on installing.

Count every part

Lay out the track, brackets, screws, carriers or hooks and any wand or joiner. Spares are included on purpose. If a part is missing, call us before you start.

Get a second pair of hands

A long track is awkward to hold level while you fasten it. For tracks over about 8 feet, or for heavy lined panels, plan on two people.

Look up before you drill

Check the ceiling and wall for recessed lights, vents, alarm sensors, crown molding and wiring. Clear furniture out of the way and set your ladder on a flat, stable floor.

Your kit

Everything below should be in the box. Tick it off before you climb the ladder.

  • Drapery panelsRipple fold (S-fold) or pleated, as ordered
  • TrackOne piece, or two pieces with a joiner for wide windows
  • Ceiling brackets or wall bracketsMatched to the mount you ordered
  • ScrewsFor wood. Drywall and masonry need anchors (see below)
  • Carriers or hooksCarriers for ripple fold, hooks for pleated, plus spares
  • Track joinerOnly if your track came in two pieces
  • WandIf you ordered one
  • Your toolsDrill, 1/8″ bit, stud finder, level, pencil, tape, safety glasses, ladder

What you are drilling into

Drapery tracks carry real weight, and that weight swings every time the panels are drawn. The brackets need to be anchored to structure, not just to the surface. Identify your surface first.

Wood

Joists, studs, headers and trim

The simplest case. Pre-drill with the 1/8″ bit and drive the supplied screws straight in. Wood shavings on the bit confirm you have hit framing.

Drywall

Find the framing behind it

Use a stud finder to locate ceiling joists or wall studs and screw the brackets into them. Where a bracket cannot land on framing, use toggle bolts or self-drilling drywall anchors rated well above the weight of the track and panels. Do not rely on the small plastic plugs that come with picture hooks.

Concrete, brick, stone or tile

Masonry bit and masonry anchors

Switch to a hammer drill with a masonry bit sized to your anchors. Use sleeve anchors or plastic masonry anchors rated for the load. On tile, start the hole with a tile bit and light pressure so the glaze does not crack.

Not sure?

Call before you drill

Older homes, plaster-and-lath ceilings, steel framing and drop ceilings all need a different approach. Call a Rolli specialist at 833-447-6554 and describe what you have. We will tell you what fasteners to use.

Install the track

Choose the mount you ordered. Both follow the same six steps. Only where the brackets go, and how far they sit from the wall, changes.

Ceiling mount

Floor-to-ceiling lookTall windowsHides the track

  1. Get organized

    Lay the track on the floor under the window to confirm its length. If it came in two pieces, slide the joiner in so the track ends meet at the joiner's center. Put the join in the middle for a center-open pair, or on the less visible side for a one-way draw. Plan a bracket within a few inches of each end, one near the middle, and the rest about every 24″ to match typical joist spacing. Place a bracket on each side of a joiner, at least 3 3/8″ apart.

  2. Mark the joists

    Run a stud finder across the ceiling along the line of the track. If the joists run parallel to the wall, mark the joist that sits closest to your bracket line. If they run across it, mark every joist you can use. Measure 1 3/8″ out from the wall, or from the face of any trim or roller shade behind the drapery, and mark the bracket center at each spot. For a double track, mark a second row at 5 3/4″. If you cannot find joists, use rated anchors or call us.

  3. Screw in the brackets

    Line each bracket up on its mark and pencil the screw holes. Put on safety glasses and pre-drill with the 1/8″ bit. Drive the screws most of the way in, leaving each bracket just loose enough to nudge. Leave the two brackets that sit beside a joiner off for now.

  4. Click in the track

    Start at the middle bracket. Press the track up until it clicks, then tighten that bracket's screws. Work outward, clicking and tightening as you go, and finish by tightening each locking screw. On a joined track, click the whole length in first, slide the two joiner brackets into place on either side of the join, mark them, unclip the track, screw them in, then re-clip and tighten. For a double track, hang the rear track first.

  5. Click in the panels

    Check that every snap or pleat on the heading has a carrier or hook. Replace any missing ones from the spares. Ripple fold: starting at one end, click each carrier into the track so the folds alternate toward the room and toward the glass. Pleated: hook each pleat into a carrier in turn. On a double track, hang the rear panel first.

  6. Dress and test

    Draw the panels open and closed once to seat the carriers, then dress the folds as described below. Fit the wand if you ordered one.

The 1 3/8″ offset keeps the fabric clear of the wall, baseboard heat registers and most trim. If you have deep trim or a shade behind the drapery, measure from the face of that instead.

Wall Joiner 1 3/8″ about 24″ 3 3/8″ min Looking up at the ceiling Front track 1 3/8″ Rear track 5 3/4″ from wall (double) Double track: two rows of brackets
Brackets near both ends and the middle, every 24″ between, 1 3/8″ out from the wall.

Wall mount

Concrete or vaulted ceilingsMounts above the trimClears a shade behind

  1. Get organized

    Lay the track on the floor under the window to confirm its length and assemble any joiner so the track ends meet at its center. Plan a bracket within a few inches of each end, one near the middle, and the rest on studs, which usually sit every 16″. Put a bracket on each side of a joiner, at least 3 3/8″ apart.

  2. Mark a level line

    Decide the track height: 4″ to 6″ above the top of the trim is typical, or higher if you want the window to read taller. Measure up from the trim at both ends, connect the marks with a level and draw a light pencil line the full length of the track.

  3. Mark the studs

    Run a stud finder along your line and mark each stud center. Confirm that the bracket projection clears the trim and any roller or Roman shade mounted behind the drapery. If a bracket cannot land on a stud, use toggle bolts or self-drilling drywall anchors rated for the load. On masonry, switch to a masonry bit and masonry anchors.

  4. Screw in the brackets

    Hold each bracket on the line, pencil the screw holes, put on safety glasses and pre-drill with the 1/8″ bit. Wood shavings on the bit mean you have found the stud. Drive the screws most of the way in and leave the brackets slightly loose. Leave the two brackets beside a joiner off for now.

  5. Click in the track

    Start at the middle bracket. Click the track in, tighten that bracket, then work outward, clicking and tightening as you go, and finish with each locking screw. On a joined track, click the whole length in first, position the two joiner brackets, mark them, unclip, screw them in, then re-clip and tighten.

  6. Click in the panels

    Check that every snap or pleat has a carrier or hook and replace any missing ones from the spares. Ripple fold: click each carrier in from one end so the folds alternate forward and back. Pleated: hook each pleat into a carrier. Draw the panels once to seat everything, then dress the folds as described below.

Mounting the track higher than the trim and wider than the window makes the window look larger and lets the panels stack clear of the glass when open.

stud stud stud stud stud 16″ 4″–6″ extends past Brackets on a level line above the trim, screwed into studs
A level line 4″ to 6″ above the trim, brackets into studs, track wider than the window.

Dress your panels

Dressing is what turns a hung panel into a finished one. It takes five minutes and you only need to do it properly once.

Ripple fold (S-fold). Start at the heading. With the panel drawn open, shape the top of each fold into a smooth S, one toward the room, the next toward the glass. Then work down the body of the panel, running your hands from the heading to the hem so every fold follows the one above it. Leave the panels drawn open for a day or two so the fabric learns the shape.

Pleated. With the panel open, push each pleat forward and smooth the fabric between pleats back toward the track. A loose tie of soft fabric strip around the stacked panel for a day or two sets the folds without creasing them.

After that, the structured heading does most of the work. If the folds drift after a few months, run your fingers through them from top to bottom and leave the panels open overnight.

Dressed sheer drapery panels in a living room, each fold running straight from the track to the floor.
Dressed ripple-fold panels: every fold runs straight from the track to the floor.

Install like a pro

  • Middle bracket firstClicking the track into the center bracket first lets you balance a long track while you work out to the ends.
  • Leave screws loose until the track is inBrackets that can still shift by a hair let the track click in cleanly. Tighten everything once the whole length is seated.
  • Pre-drill, alwaysA 1/8″ pilot hole stops the screw from wandering and keeps trim and joists from splitting.
  • Read the drillWood shavings mean framing. White dust means drywall only, so move to a stud or switch to a rated anchor.
  • Hang the rear track firstOn a double track, install and dress the sheer at the back before the front track goes up. It is much harder the other way around.
  • Keep the sparesPut the extra carriers or hooks in a labeled bag in a drawer. You will want one the day a panel comes off for cleaning.

Troubleshooting

My panels arrived with creases.

Hang them and give them a few days. The weight of the fabric pulls most packing creases out on its own, and warm weather helps. Before you reach for a steamer, check the care tag on the panel. Some fabrics should not be steamed or ironed.

The panels do not slide smoothly.

First check that the track is level and that no bracket is pinching it. Then apply a small amount of silicone spray to the inside of the track, never to the fabric, and draw the panels back and forth a few times. If a carrier is damaged, swap it for a spare.

The ripple fold has lost its shape.

Draw the panels fully open, run your fingers down each fold from the track to the hem so they alternate evenly, and leave the panels open for two or three days. The heading will take the shape again.

A bracket will not grip. The screw just spins.

You have missed the framing. Back the screw out, move the bracket to the nearest joist or stud, or fit a toggle bolt or self-drilling drywall anchor rated for the load. Fill the first hole with spackle.

How do I clean the panels?

Follow the care instructions that came with your drapery. Most sheers and many lined panels can be vacuumed in place with an upholstery brush. For anything more than that, read the care tag or call us.

I measured, but the track is too long or too short.

Stop before you drill and call us at 833-447-6554. Have your order number and the measurements from our drapery measuring guide ready and we will sort it out.

Can Rolli install for me?

Call a Rolli specialist at 833-447-6554. We can talk through your project and professional installation options in your area.

Still choosing fabric? Start here.

Every Rolli drapery panel is made to your window, your mount and your fold style. Measure first, then choose your sheer and heading.

Shop drapery Measuring guide Measure & Install

Questions? We're here.

Call 833-447-6554

Showroom: 2307 Thornton Rd, Suite 108-1, Austin, TX 78704

Sunlight, Solved.

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