When searching for curtain rods for my TV room/home office, I wanted something industrial looking and simple to cover the bank of windows pictured above, and one just like it on another wall. Every curtain rod that I priced was several hundred dollars, and out of my range.My husband Tyler came up with the idea that we try making our curtain rods out of plumbing pipe, plumbing flanges and U-bolts, that we purchased at Home Depot.
The cost of making plumbing pipe drapery rods was significantly less than almost every other type of rod. Here are the parts that we used to make them:2 flanges (about $2-$3 each)
2 elbow pieces ( about $2 each)
Plumbing pipe costs anywhere from $1 - $3 a foot. It comes in various thicknesses.....i.e. 1/2" or 3/4" or 1". The flanges and elbows also come in these widths, and you need to be sure that all sizes match. Pipe can be cut and threaded to any length (about 50 cents a cut at Home Depot/Lowe's)
U-bolts to serve as curtain rings (about $1 each)
We really like how the rods turned out, they are very sturdy no matter how hard you yank the drapery back and forth. And the beauty of the pipe is that they will never bow or sag.
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20 comments:
so clever! i love it :)
anne
I think it was a great idea to make curtain rods out of a plumbing pipe, plumbing flanges and U-bolts. You were able to save a lot of money and the curtain rods seemed very sturdy in the picture.
Great mind!! A cost effective idea to used plumbing pipes,plumbing flanges in place of high dollar curtain rods.
Regards
Eric
This is EXACTLY what I was searching for on the net and I found your lovely lovely blog! I have an exposed Elfa shelved wall in our spare room, and I want to use these types of pipes because I need about 2 ft. in the depth (and cannot find any accommodating curtain rod. Love the look of your finished project! Thanks for sharing!
xx Vivian @ http://diamondsandtulle.blogspot.com
It's a good idea that you can use plumbing pipes as a decor. Just imagine if you are really using it on its real purpose, then you would be having a good looking plumbing installation. I'm sure plumbers out there are happy about it. Just remember to contact the experts when it's time for the real plumbing job.
It really is beautiful! May I ask, how are your curtains attached to the U-bolts?
To attach the curtains to the U-bolts, I sewed button holes to slip the U-bolt through. A grommet would work too, and would be a good option for a non-seamstress, as you can buy a grommet punch at most craft stores for less than $20.
Yes, plumbing should have lead. No wonder they should be professional enough to do their work more than just leaks. It's good that expert plumbers are now available on the web for inquiries and quotations.
The baking soda, activated by the hot water, creates a slippery, slightly alkaline liquid that may dissolve and move through the clog.
I wanted to do this in my livingroom, and went to the hardware store to buy supplies, but got a bit confused with the pipe sizes...Trying to figure out what size pipe to use so they are not too heavy for my wall to hold. What size pipe did you use? 1/2" or 3/4"?
The span of our windows is fairly large (about 10 ft), so we used 3/4 inch. The pipe is fairly heavy and needs to well anchored to the wall. Luckily the flange that holds it to the wall gives ample holes for anchoring.
Finding a good plumbing service in your area requires a bit of investigation and proper evaluation on your part. While there may be a lot of plumbing options available, it is the best that you have to choose.
Commonly plumbing pipes are used to make plumbing system functional but this proves that it can also be used as a decorative material. Combining imagination and creativity makes a good result. I can say that this kind of decor is very ideal.
That's a brilliant idea, Christie! It does give your room that industrial atmosphere. :) Where did you buy that pipe, or is it the pipe from your old plumbing system? If it is, what materials did you use to replace it?
Hi Darcy,
The plumbing pipe is new pipe from Home Depot. They will cut it in the store to the size you need.
Christie
I love this and want to recreate it in my home! What is the center piece?
Hi,
The middle piece that you see pictured on the drapery rod is a plumbing flange with a little "T" piece that attaches it to the pipe. All the parts are sold in the plumbing section at home improvement stores. We added the support in the middle because of the long distance that the rod spans.
I found this is an informative and interesting post so i think so it is very useful and knowledgeable.
plumber homebushbay
My husband is a plumber in Toronto so he would be really interested in reading this blog. Thank you for sharing!
I am a plumber in Los Angeles. This is really cost cutting, using plumbing pipes as a curtain rod, seems interesting! And also it is a best example of reusability.
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