Outdoor Curtain Rods for Aluminum Screen Room
I didn't want to use metal screws to attach any kind of curtain rod hardware to my aluminum uprights in my screen room. If you've ever priced "outdoor" tension curtain rods (glorified shower curtain rods) you know they are very expensive starting at @$40 and up. I needed 5 of them.
I was really happy with the way my screen room turned out and was waiting for the fence to be installed, but I really wanted to soften the space with curtains and achieve that nice outdoor room feeling. With ready made tension rods being more than I wanted to spend, I hit on the idea to make my own. I purchased some unfinished wood brackets used to hold wooden closet rods. They were only about 10$. I could have used a closet rod for the rods as well, but I wanted something more organic looking.
I found some 1 in. thick bamboo garden stakes at Lowe's, a pack of them for about $5 dollars and bought some heavy duty outdoor velcro (about $5) to attach the brackets. I stained the brackets with some existing stain I had, as well as the bamboo stakes, giving them several coats. I cut the velcro (white) in circles small enough so the edges wouldn't show after attaching the brackets to the uprights. The curtains were 90" so I measured up from the floor on the uprights to the center mark for the brackets/velcro.
Then I measure each distance between the brackets after they were already in place, because each section of the screen room was a little different. None of them were over 5ft, (the length of the stakes). I used a small hand saw to cut the bamboo stakes to the exact length - plus a 16th of an inch so the stakes fit snugly between the brackets exerting outward pressure to further help them stay in place.
Once I had the fit right, I lifted the bamboo rods out and strung on the curtains. Ta da!! Bamboo outdoor curtains rods for under $5.00 a piece.
I created some tie backs from a nylon cord, braided and knotted and used Command hooks. I opted for "outdoor" sheers, a nice affordable outdoor curtain from Lowe's. They come in many colors and are treated to withstand the elements. When closed, they do provide a little privacy without blocking the view of the pond. Really happy with how my outdoor rods turned out. Starting on the second season and they still look like new.
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2 of 49 comments
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Clever thinking 'outside the box'! Well written step by step tutorial, thanks.
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Brilliant! Thank you!
Frequently asked questions
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Becky, where did you purchase the unfinished wooden brackets?
What material did you use for the actual curtains. Please.
Why didn't you put the rods all the way up?