How Much Weight Can A Tension Rod Hold? (Find Out Now!)
Tension rods are one of the most common household items, yet they aren’t thought of very much because our thinking has evolved to a point where we more or less expect them to be there. Tension rods are, for lack of a better term, background noise. But have you thought about how much weight one can hold?
Your average tension rod can hold up to about 20 pounds, which is how much a set of curtains typically weighs. However, if you were to use a heavy-duty tension rod, then these can hold up to about 30 pounds. If you need something that holds even more weight, you will want a steel tension rod instead of aluminum.
Whether you’ve bought a new set of curtains, or perhaps you installed a bay window you need coverage for, it’s essential to know how much weight your tension rod can hold. After all, it would be horrible to put curtains up that are too heavy for your rod and cause it to break or come crashing down. Therefore, this article is here to help you know the weight limit of your tension rod.
What Is A Tension Rod?
A tension rod is a rod that sits between two walls or two structures and is secured by tension. You put one end on the wall and then extend it to the other wall. You want the rod to extend as far as it can between the two to stabilize itself so that you can hang up a shower curtain, window curtains, clothing, and more.
How Much Weight Can A Tension Rod Hold?
Since a tension rod is designed to hold onto objects like curtains, clothing, linen, and other things, it’s crucial that you are familiar with its weight limit so that you don’t end up snapping the rod or causing it to fall and potentially injure you, or your pets. So, how much weight can it hold? Well, that depends on the type of rod that it is.
- Average Aluminum Tension Rod: An average aluminum tension rod is the most common one you’ll find in homes. These hold about 20 pounds without any problem.
- Heavy-Duty Aluminum Tension Rod: If you need something that holds more weight, you will want to look into a heavy-duty, aluminum-based tension rod. These are capable of holding up to 30 pounds and have a non-fall tension system.
- Steel Tension Rod: Steel tension rods are great for holding anything else and can hold up to 45 pounds in some instances. It just depends on what you want it to hold.
What Are The Uses Of A Tension Rod
Tension rods are great to use for so many different things. Of course, you have common uses, such as using it to hang window curtains or shower curtains. But, what are a few other things you can use them for?
Arrange Your Accessories
Instead of just hanging up your curtains or clothing, you can use your tension rod to organize your accessories, such as your scarves, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry. You will want to use a tension rod that’s large enough to reach both sides of your closet. Don’t be afraid to hang other things as well, such as your old purses, ties, or any other smaller items you need organized.
Hold Up A Privacy Screen
If you have children that share a room and you’re unable to upgrade houses as they get older, you will need to ensure that both of them have their privacy. You will want tension rods that measure about 1 foot larger than both beds’ width and length. (If the beds do not have bedposts, you will want to build some that are at least 4 feet taller than the bed as the curtain will hang from the top of them.
Take a dark curtain liner and wrap the end of it around a rod, and sew it into place. Do this for all of the rods for each bed. Then, place the rod between each post of both beds where your child needs privacy. For instance, a bed that’s near the door should have this for all four sides, whereas the bed near the wall will only need it on three sides.
Lastly, cut and hem the curtain about 3 inches past the level of the mattress. While it doesn’t soundproof the beds, it does offer some privacy so that if your child wants to sleep without feeling like they’re being watched, they can.
Hang Your Cleaning Sprays
There is nothing more frustrating than an unorganized cleaning closet with a bunch of half-empty bottles pushed to the back where they get lost. Then, when you need a particular spray, you can’t find it end up buying more. The whole process rinses and repeats. Something you could do is organize your sprays by hanging them.
You can install a tension rod or two in your linen closet to be used to hang your bottles by the spray handle. That way, you can see how much each has left in it, and you don’t have to go digging for a spray that you’re looking for.
Not to mention, this will save you money as you will be able to quickly see whether or not you have a particular cleaning spray on hand, so you don’t rush off to the store to purchase a spray you already have.
Use As An Anchor To Hang Your Herb Garden
Herb gardens are becoming increasingly popular lately, especially hanging ones. But have you ever thought of using a tension rod as your anchor in order to hang the garden? All you have to do is install a tension rod to the sides of your window frame and hang your herb pots; it’s easy!
Hanging your herb garden in this manner helps to keep pets and pests away as they will be off the floor and also indoors. You also won’t have gone too far to take care of them as they’ll be right there in your window.
Store Your Bathroom Items
Bathroom drawers can become a mess when you’re in a hurry. Plus, your guests don’t typically look through your drawers, so you may feel slightly more inclined to shove everything out of sight. However,t his isn’t going to help you in the long run.
Something else you can do with a tension rod is used it to store your bathroom accessories such as brushes, hair scrunchies, and other toiletries that can be stuffed in a bag and hung up. However, remember that you want to make sure they’re small and lightweight, as you don’t want to go over the weight limit of your rod.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Tension Rods?
After reading a bit about the different uses and weight limits to your tension rods, you may be wondering what some of the benefits are to using them. Here are just a few benefits of using tension rods:
- You’ll save money
- They’re practical
- Very easy to install
- Easy to use
Your average tension rod will cost about $10. Instead of buying a $30 bathroom rack, you can install a tension rod for $10 and use it the same as you would the rack.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Using Tension Rods?
Just as something has its advantages, it has its disadvantages too. Here are a few cons of using tension rods:
- The weight limit of the rod isn’t very much
- You can’t find a rod longer than 84 inches
- They aren’t very cute
Tension rods aren’t supposed to be used for decorative purposes. Therefore, they’re not very pleasing to the eye. However, the pros still outweigh the cons by far, especially in the money-saving aspect.
Conclusion
In conclusion, tension rods can hold between 20 and 45 pounds depending on the type and material you choose. Therefore, it’s vital that you’re careful how you use them and what you use them for.
While there are many different things, you can use the tensions rods for, they still have a weight limit. On the other hand, you don’t have to use the rods for hanging curtains, as there are plenty of ways to use them to help maximize and organize your space.
Heather is a passionate writer who loves anything DIY. Growing up, she learned everything from home repairs to design, and wants to share her tips with you. When she's not writing, she's usually hiking or searching for her next DIY project.
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