Wave curtains

A wave curtain hangs from a track in even, S-shaped folds.

The top is flat, with no gathers above the track.

Each fold hangs from its own glider in the track.

One fold comes forward and the next goes back.

From one fold to the next is about 12 to 16 cm.

Drawn back, the curtain stacks into a narrow column that takes up much less room than a traditional heading.

The open curtains take up about a fifth of the track, pulled tight.

The stack is at most 16 cm deep, front to back.

Wave is a common heading for lounges and sliding doors.

It reads as modern and clean.

It shows plain cloth and sheers off well.

It suits soft cloth. Heavy or stiff cloth does not form wave folds well.

A blockout wave curtain stops nearly all light when drawn.

A thin edge of light can show at the sides and the centre. Returns, an overlap at the centre and a track wider than the frame cut it.

A sheer wave curtain lets soft light through.

Wave takes 2.0 to 2.8 times the track width in cloth.

For sheer and blockout, each layer has its own track or its own channel on a double track.

The two layers sit about 4 to 10 cm apart at the heading.

A pair meets in the middle, and an overlap arm closes the gap.

Sheer and blockout curtains

Wave needs its own wave track, not a pole.

Fixing to the ceiling is recommended, and fixing to the wall is possible.

Makers run the track 15 to 50 cm past the window on each side.

Tell the installer if the window is a bay or a corner.