Securing the Bottom |
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There is something a bit counterintuitive about securing the base of your curtain. At first, you might think the best way to secure the bottom is to pull it straight down and perhaps tie it down or weight it, however the key to securing the base is horizontal tension. Weights do not work for outdoor curtains because they aren't heavy enough and weights drive the base of the curtain into the floor wearing it faster. Instead, use Marine snaps to secure the base as the curtain passes a support column. More detail
An outside hang that follows a path around your support columns is very effective for maintaining horizontal tension along the base, but what about an inside hang? If a curtain turns an inside corner, you can marine snap the bottom binding of the curtain to the base of a corner support column. In addition, elastic cord attached from ceiling to floor, pinches the curtain to the support column. The elastic cord gives the curtain something to go around so that the curtain maintains continuous horizontal tension.
New Tether Clips - There are times when you may not want to snap the base of your curtains. Perhaps you have a tile floor or the base of your column is plastic and won't hold a screw. Hmm...what to do?
I got this idea sitting in the dentist chair when they used tether clips that wrapped around my neck to clip my bib. We found more suitable clips that with a 2ft elastic cord can be adjusted to any size less than 3ft. If you need longer tether clips, you can order elastic cord and cut it to size. |
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Outdoor curtains are designed for a relaxed fit. They aren't stretched taut like a drum nor are they sloppy loose. The relaxed fit will animate your curtain allowing it to wave a bit in the breeze, but will maintain just enough horizontal tension to keep the base down. In the PLAN section we will discuss some measurement adjustments.
Very windy with no attachable surface We do come across this situation once in awhile and while this solution may be less than optimal, it is your only solution. Simply marine snap the base of the curtain to a 2" x 2" wood strip. The wood strip need not be attached to anything and can be unsnapped should you need to draw your curtains open with a tracking attachment. The wood strip is more than just a weight, it distributes the load evenly. This is also a common solution for keeping crafty kitties inside.
Don't be concerned about tiny gaps around the edges. A mosquito is D-U-M-B. It smells certain chemicals and vectors right towards you. Insects in search of food vector directly towards the food. Bees, on the other hand, don't see you as food and are geographically oriented. When faced with an obstacle, bees will move laterally. Nonetheless, we want the best seal possible. |
This photo to the right shows tiny gaps in the lapped siding. If a mosquito enters these tiny gaps, it is dumb luck, not intentional, and extremely rare. While it won't be worth your time, a wood strip (like a 1" x 2") can be wedged into place between ceiling and floor and further secured with "L-brackets". To perfectly seal the "lapped siding", you can place weather stripping between the wood strip and the siding as is done for a traditional framed and stapled screen porch.
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