10 ft Kirsch wooden pole - rings do not slide easily

[BujorHandMades]

Hi there,

I have a 10 foot Kirsch wooden pole (painted white) with rings that move freely on it (or they should). It is mounted at 9 feet tall, and even thought the curtains are pretty light, I can't make the rings slide by simply pulling on the curtain.

My other curtains are on traverse rods, so I removed the dowel and used it to move a few rings at a time by pushing the rings instead of pulling. It works better, but I wonder if there are any other solutions, or maybe the industry already has a tool for this pushing instead of pulling. Any ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

[Rheilly Phoull]

Have you tried some clear silicon spray ( rubbed on with a cloth) ??

Cheers....... Rheilly P

[Norminn]

Try waxing the rod - no reason the rings should not slide easily. We have bamboo (real) rods, which present a small problem but the rods are lower and we are tall. I rigged some sticks, similar to the wand on mini-blinds, to open and close the drapes, but they were a PIA. We just reach up and slide the rings. Ours are 13' long, so bamboo was a terrific bargain at $20 each :o)

Try tying lengths of monofilament (so it doesn't show) to the center ring on each side, run it through the eyelet on each ring, drape it over the bracket and leave a length at the outside end. Tie a weight on outside end and use it to pull the drapes open and closed.. Never tried it, but looks good on paper :o) If you want wands, bamboo stakes at the garden center.

[Colbyt]

Two things to make life better.

Apply a liberal amount of any product like Pledge to a soft cloth and wax the top of the rod. If it is factory paint that should get you sliding. If you painted the rod sand the top lightly with a very fine grit paper before you apply the wax. If you painted both the rods and rings, just learn to live with the problem. -:)

The second tip will cost you about $10. Buy a couple of stiff Batons and attach them to the second ring in on each side from the center of the panels. Batons are those stiff fiberglass sticks you see in motels to move the drapes. The have a simple dog leash type clip on the end to attach them.

The reason you attach them to the second ring is so they will fully hang behind the panel and not be ugly to the room side like in the motels.

And don't buy the cheap quality plastic ones. Fiberglass or steel coated will work fine.

[BujorHandMades]

I have not tried anything, because i just didn't even know where to start - i was just kind so surprised when this issue showed up! We paid so much money for the rods we were hoping they'd work flawlessly.

Can you help me understand why this is happening and how/why the silicone will work?

thank you!

[BujorHandMades]

I GREATLY appreciate all your suggestions, THANK YOU for your time!

these are factory painted rods and rings! pledge and silicone will do the same job?

where would i buy fiberglass or steel coated Batons?

what i was able to figure out is that if i helped push the rings with the end of a broom three at a time then they slide better tan pulling them. corina

[Colbyt]

Pledge and silicone will do the exact same job. I use whichever I have on hand. Repeat about once per year or as needed.

The height of the drapes is what is interfering with the process. The higher the rod, the more gravity works against you.

You can buy the batons at any drapery hardware supply place. You cam email me if you can not find them. Local purchase will save shipping expense. Retail should be in the 5-6$ range.

I suggest you try the pledge before you spend any money. The results will amaze you. I always treat the rod when functional panels are installed.

Note to other reading this thread: Do not use pledge or silicone on a freshly painted rod. Make sure it has been cured for at least 30 days.

Colbyt

[Norminn]

Kirsch makes good products, and it seems odd that a lightweight drape would not slide freely. Any chance there is a shrink wrap on the rod that should be removed? Did they come finished, or did you paint them? If you painted them, and the paint is still tacky, they should get better when the paint cures.

[Laura L Williams-May]

replying to Colbyt, Laura L Williams-May wrote: Excellent advice. and to the point.....plus now I know what Pledge is for.....certainly not for wood furniture....hahaha

[Greenoaks]

replying to Colbyt, Greenoaks wrote: I am having the same problem, I have a 2" wood rod, 16' long with light weight silk curtains installed about 7' high. The two 8' rods are connected at the center support so it's not a problem. I will try both solutions. Thanks! Karen

[micky]

Fortunately you told us what the two solutions are. Had you not done that, the time I spent reading your post would have been wasted.