When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?

Thanks,
Anita

Seymour Bigby-Heinz wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:13:30 GMT, Irrational Number
wrote:

When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?


It is certainly more secure than relying upon the strength of the
wallboard or plaster to hold up your curtains and rods. Remember that
their weight may not be the only thing that is being supported.
Someone tripping and accidentally rubbing against a curtain might pull
the brackets and screws out of the wallboard. They'd be more likely to
just rip the curtains, if the brackets are secured in studs.

I guess it comes down to whether you want to pay to repair the damaged
walboard, or pay to replace the ripped curtains, or both. I personally
prefer to support most things that I hang on walls by using the studs,
unless they are less than a couple of pounds in weight.

Okay, thanks for the information! I will look
for the studs.

-- Anita --

"Irrational Number" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Seymour Bigby-Heinz wrote:

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 18:13:30 GMT, Irrational Number
wrote:

When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?


It is certainly more secure than relying upon the strength of the
wallboard or plaster to hold up your curtains and rods. Remember that
their weight may not be the only thing that is being supported.
Someone tripping and accidentally rubbing against a curtain might pull
the brackets and screws out of the wallboard. They'd be more likely to
just rip the curtains, if the brackets are secured in studs.

I guess it comes down to whether you want to pay to repair the damaged
walboard, or pay to replace the ripped curtains, or both. I personally
prefer to support most things that I hang on walls by using the studs,
unless they are less than a couple of pounds in weight.

Okay, thanks for the information! I will look
for the studs.

In any house built in the last 50 years or so, there is almost always a
header above the window. So, there is usually solid wood above the window
trim, and slightly past the top corners of the casing or interior trim. If
the interior opening isn't trimmed, but has flush drywall, the solid part
usually goes a inch or two past the corner bead. Do not screw the brackets
right onto the trim, or right on the edges of the drywall, as neither will
be very solid. The screws that come with most home center curtain rods are
too short, in my experience. You want screws at least 1-1.5 inches long.
Pilot holes and slightly soaping the screws helps a lot, especially in an
older house. If the wall is already chewed up, a little spackle will cover
the holes, but you want to mount the rod a little higher to use fresh spots.

aem sends....

Irrational Number writes:
When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?

When installing shelves, I always go for studs, but for curtain
rods--unless we're dealing with very heavy floor length drapes,
that's not necessary, and is often infeasible.

I've seen lots of things up just with a screw into the wallboard and
it works but the right way to go would be to use a screw into an
appropriate drywall anchor. There are a bazillion types of these for
handling a variety of load, but plastic mollies are the ones most
commonly included with curtain rod kits, and they work nicely. When
the screw is tightened in them, they expand against the back of the
drywall and form a secure surface.

Googling drywall anchor will give you some things to see including
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...infanchor.shtm

which has pictures of various anchors a little down the page.



--
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Todd H. wrote:

Irrational Number writes:

When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?

Googling drywall anchor will give you some things to see including
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...infanchor.shtm

Thank you, all! It seems I have some learning
to do before I hang this curtain rod. Maybe
I'll just ask DH to do it, but I kind of want
to work the cordless drill myself for kicks.

-- Anita --

Irrational Number writes:

Todd H. wrote:

Irrational Number writes:

When installing the brackets for the curtain
rod, do I need to mail them into studs? Is
this true in general, that anything I want to
nail into the walls must be nailed onto a
stud?
Googling drywall anchor will give you some things to see including
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...infanchor.shtm

Thank you, all! It seems I have some learning
to do before I hang this curtain rod. Maybe
I'll just ask DH to do it, but I kind of want
to work the cordless drill myself for kicks.

Don't get scared off of hanging a curtain! :-)

Really, it's quite simple. Didn't your curtain rod come with screws
and plastic drywall anchors? You just select a drillbit that's just
large enough to make a hole to stick the little plastic drywall anchor
in to it's flange (i.e. not too big so it just drops into the wall
never to be seen again), put the bracket on top, stick the screw in
and tighten.

But, if there's already wood at the point you want to put your
bracket, you don't need the anchor, just drill a small pilot hole (a
hole smaller than the screw you're using) and screw it in.

An electronic stud finder is a handy addition to the tool box--they
measure wall density and tell you whether wood studs or headers are
behind your drywall. They're cheap too.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/