How do double curtain tracks work?
Updated
A double curtain track holds two curtains at one window, one behind the other, each on its own runners (gliders) so it opens and closes on its own. The usual pair is a sheer for daytime privacy and a blockout (blackout) curtain for night. It needs more room off the wall and more wall beside the window.
On a single track, one curtain hangs from one row of runners (gliders). A double track gives the window two rows, one behind the other. Two curtains hang at the same window, and either one can be drawn without moving the other.
What is a double curtain track for?
The usual job is layering a sheer and a blockout curtain. A sheer softens glare and gives privacy by day. At night, with the lights on inside, people outside can see in through a sheer. A blockout curtain stops light passing through the fabric and gives privacy at any hour. By day the blockout stacks back and the sheer stays closed. At night the blockout closes too. Which curtain sits on the room side is a style choice, and it is done both ways.
| Feature | Single track | Double track |
|---|---|---|
| Curtains at the window | One | Two, one behind the other |
| How they move | The one curtain | Each curtain on its own |
| Room off the wall | Less | More, with space between the curtains so the folds do not rub |
| Wall beside the window | Less | More, because two curtains stack at the sides |
| Light and privacy | One fabric does one job | A sheer by day and a blockout at night |
Layers can help with comfort too. The Australian Government's YourHome guide says heavy fabrics and multiple layers of fabric increase the insulation curtains give. A double curtain rod is the same idea on a pole: two poles, one behind the other, with rings on each pole in place of runners.
How are curtains hung on a double track?
Your installer does this, because the track and both curtains have to be right together. The installer fixes the track straight and level, with brackets and fixings that suit the surface and the weight of both curtains. Each curtain is then hung from its own row of runners, and the installer checks that the two curtains clear each other and anything in the way, such as window handles.
How each curtain is worked, by hand, wand, cord or motor, is chosen with the track, so ask your retailer what is possible. If a cord is used, the child safety rules for cords are mandatory.
Do you need a double track, or is there a simpler way?
A double track suits a window with room for it. If depth or wall space is tight, a sheer curtain over a blockout roller blind does a similar job in less depth. A double roller blind, with a sunscreen or light filtering blind and a blockout blind at one window, is another option. No double track or double rod is best for every window. The right one depends on the room off the wall, the weight of the curtains and how you want to work them.
Ask your retailer how far a double track must sit from the wall and the window handles, how much wall you need each side, which curtain will sit nearest the glass, how each curtain is worked, and how the track will be fixed to carry both curtains.
Other ways people ask this
What are double curtains and how do they work?
Double curtains are two curtains on a double track, one behind the other, usually a sheer and a blockout. Each opens and closes on its own, so the sheer can stay closed by day and the blockout can be drawn at night.
Are double curtains in style?
Style is a matter of taste. Layering is practical, because a sheer and a blockout together give daytime privacy and a dark room at night.
What is a double curtain rod?
Two poles fixed one behind the other, so two curtains hang at one window. It is the pole version of a double track.
How do rings work on a double curtain rod?
Each curtain hangs from its own rings, and the rings slide on that curtain's pole. On a track, runners (gliders) do the same job as the rings.
Which double curtain track is best?
None is best for every window. Compare how much room each needs off the wall, how it carries the weight of two curtains and how each curtain is worked.
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.