What is curtain fullness?
Curtain fullness is how much fabric is in a curtain compared with the width of the track it covers. A curtain made with twice the track width in fabric is often called double fullness. More fullness gives deeper, closer folds and a bigger stack when the curtain is open. Less gives a flatter, lighter look.
A curtain is never made flat to the width of the window. The extra fabric is what forms the folds. Fullness is the ratio between the flat width of the fabric and the width of the track.
How it is described
Makers describe it in different ways: as a ratio, as a percentage of extra fabric, or as a label on an order form. The same curtain can be called double fullness by one maker and 100% fullness by another, so ask what the number means in metres of fabric.
How it is set
On pleated curtains a fullness is chosen and the pleats take up the extra fabric. On Wave Fold and S Fold curtains it is not a free choice: the spacing of the heading tape and the spacing of the runners (gliders) in the track together set the fullness. A wider tape spacing on the same runner spacing puts more fabric into each wave. Our public Curtain Calculator works this way, and the page that explains it shows the figures it uses. Both are linked under this answer.
What more fullness changes
- The look. Deeper folds that sit closer together.
- The stack. More fabric takes more room at the side when the curtain is open.
- Privacy. More layers of a sheer overlap, so it is harder to see through.
- The fabric used. More fullness means more metres of fabric.
More fullness does not make an unsuitable fabric hang well. A stiff fabric can resist the fold however much of it there is.
Ask your curtain retailer what fullness their quote is based on, whether you can see it hung, and how it changes the stack at your window. They measure, quote and order. Speedy Blinds makes for retailers only.
Other ways people ask this
How much fullness do curtains need?
There is no single right figure. It depends on the heading, the fabric and the look you want, and makers offer different options.
What does 100% fullness mean?
It depends who is quoting. On pleated curtains it usually means 100% extra fabric, which is twice the track width. On Wave Fold and S Fold a percentage is often only a name for a tape and runner pairing and not an exact measure, so ask how many metres of fabric it means.
Do sheer curtains need more fullness?
Sheers are often made fuller than heavy fabrics, so they give more privacy and do not look thin.
Useful on this site
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.
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