How to hang curtains over vertical blinds

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A vertical blind headrail projects further from the wall than most people register — the track, the carriers and the slats themselves all need room, and the slats swing as they rotate. A curtain rod mounted too close will foul the slats, and the blind will stop working or the curtain will hang against it and look bunched.

Measure the projection from the wall to the front face of the slats, add an inch or two, and that is the minimum clearance your rod needs. This is why a standard shallow-projection bracket usually will not do and why the floor-to-ceiling route is popular — it can sit wherever you like.

1. 1

   Floor-to-ceiling tension pole, in front of the track

   Set the vertical poles on the floor just inside the blind track and run the curtain rod between them. It needs no wall fixing, carries heavy panels, and clears the headrail completely because you choose where it sits. The best answer for a sliding door.

2. 2

   Tension rod above the track

   If the opening has a recess deep enough to take a tension rod above the blind headrail, this is the cheapest route. Check the depth first — many sliding-door openings have no recess at all, which rules it out.

3. 3

   Tap-in brackets with a deep projection rod

   If there is wooden trim beside or above the opening, tap-in brackets with a 3-inch projection carry a rod clear of the track. This carries the most weight of the no-drill options and leaves only pinholes.

• Leave the wand accessible. If the curtain covers the control wand you will stop adjusting the blinds entirely, which throws away the light control you already have. Position the curtain so the wand is reachable at one end.
• Pull the blinds fully open before closing the curtain if you want the softest look — a stack of slats behind a curtain creates a visible lump.
• Or use the blinds as your blackout layer. Vertical blinds closed behind a curtain do a reasonable job on light, which means the curtain can be lighter and prettier than it would otherwise need to be.
• Watch for door clearance. On a sliding door, make sure the curtain and its rod do not foul the handle or the door's travel.

Rod too close to the track. The most common mistake. The curtain hangs against the slats, the slats cannot rotate, and both look wrong. Measure the projection properly before buying brackets.

Curtain too short. A sliding-door opening is usually taller than a window, and standard 84-inch panels will float above the floor. Measure the drop from where the rod will actually sit — see the curtain length guide.

Not enough panel width. A sliding door is wide, and covering it needs serious fullness — two standard panels stretched across a 72-inch opening look thin and let light down every gather. Budget for three or four.

Hardware for all three routes is in best no-drill curtain rods, and the sliding-door case is covered in full in window treatments for sliding glass doors.