Your Guide to Curtains and Window Treatments

What About Installation?

A handyman can hang curtains for you. Expect to pay $55 to $95 an hour, depending on where you live. Figure about 20 minutes per window for a basic rod with brackets, and 45 minutes per window for a track rod. If you would rather do it yourself, hanging ready-made curtains is not that difficult. Rods usually come with mounting hardware and instructions. You may need to buy rings separately. Beyond that, hanging panels involves a stepladder, a tape measure, a pencil, a level, a handheld drill, a screwdriver, and a stud finder. If there are no studs where you’re anchoring brackets, use toggle bolts instead of screws. You can view helpful how-to videos at potterybarn.com and barbarasway.com.