Curtain hanging solution notes and questions about glue

KeyWest · Post by **KeyWest** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 12:57 pm

So one of the few cheap improvements I tried on our boat last year was to hang curtains. This was out of necessity since we were living on the boat at a marina and needed some privacy. I knew drilling holes was out of the question. I also had no sewing machine. I also was living in a place with one Home Depot, a KMart, and Ace hardware and little else in the way of large chain stores with home goods departments. What I finally came up with was the following. Don't laugh.

I bought some of those teeny tiny thin curtain rods, you know the ones that are a quarter inch thick, adjustable and made of some kind of brass like material. They come with hardware consisting of these tiny hooks that go through a hole on the teeny tiny curtain rod, and are fastened with some teeny tiny nails. I bought two for each cabin window. The question was, how to hang them? I picked up some nice wooden paint stirrers, that can be had for free at the Home Depot. Ace hardware had them too, but the Home Depot stirrers were of a higher quality and had a nice grain. These are thin enough that you can cut them into squares with a box cutter or utility knife. I cut them into squares, glued two of them together to create a thicker block, sanded them with fine grit paper. I then mounted the teeny tiny hooks on them with the teeny tiny nails that weren't long enough to go through both blocks. After that I placed them around the windows and affixed them with glue, four to a window for two curtain rods each.

I bought some panels of curtains at Kmart, I forgot what they are called, but they are those short panels, about 14 inches high, and these happened to have sleeves on both top and bottom edges. Valances? Yeah, I think that's it. I know they don't fit perfectly, but we needed a quick temporary solution.

The only problem was, the glue didn't hold. It held up while we were living in the boat, but when we visited the boat after the hot summer 4 months later, most of the glued blocks had fallen off the wall. I used the kind of glue that foamed a little when you first used it, and then dried clear. I can't remember what kind it was. It was supposedly for gluing plastic, wood, etc.

If anyone has suggestions what kind of glue to use to glue a piece of wood to a slickly painted cabin wall, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll try to find some pictures.

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:27 pm

I'm thinking a clear silicone like one of those single use packets you can get at Home Depot for mounting a sink to a counter top. You'd have to hold the glued on part to the wall with blue tape till it dried but I think it would work.

Now I'm not thinking permanent installation here. I'm thinking silicone so you can cut it loose in the future without marking the boats inner liner finish. I figure you will go with something more permanent in the future.

If your after permanent, maybe a 2 part epoxy. Again taped up with blue painters tape till dry to hold it in place. I'm just concerned that the curtain rods you described will corrode on you and you will want to replace them in the near future.

My folks had a camper in the 1960's that had curtain rods just like the ones you describe. They needed to be replace several time, and we never camped in the Ocean, By the Ocean, yes but not in it like we do in our boats.

Thanks
Alan

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:36 pm

I'd go with a double sided foam tape. They use it to hold glass and mirrors on your exterior car mirrors. Clean your inner cabin with acetone before sticking. It often takes a razor blade to get these off after they set.

Traveler · Post by **Traveler** » Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:44 am

3M makes a product (can't remember what they are called) that sticks to
many surfaces and includes a hook, hanger, etc. When you are done with it, you stretch the adhesive part and it comes off without leaving any sticky residue. I have used them in the past and have left them in place for several years. They come in different sizes and can hold some serious weight. Worth a try. Any hardware person will know what they are.

Regards, Jeff

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:07 am

I have the OEM ( an option) curtains and there is a track that seems to be pop riveted into the headliner... with curtains that sanp on to the track... works great but a few of teh alum pop rivets corroded away and the track isloose and I have to fugure out best way to re-secure... nevertheless check here...

http://www.beaconfabric.com/vindex.html?cat97.htm

for all kinds of ideas and also I think westmarine sells the same trrack that I have in the C-26... I laso have that same OEM curtain track installed to curtain off and give prvacy to the stern berth as well...

Capt. Bondo · Post by **Capt. Bondo** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:53 am

The 3M hooks are Command brand.
http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en ... t-Catalog/
I have used the hooks and just the tape for various applications both on the boat and at home, and I'll give them a thumbs up.

FranS · Post by **FranS** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:23 am

Velcro?

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:34 am

this is what I have..

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sNum=10730