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Aluminum Rod Detail [Item RA] Placing a weight rod in the bottom of your shade immediately improves both the appearance and operation of your Roman shade. This clean finish solid aluminum rod is 3/8" in diameter and comes in lengths up to 5-ft. It will never rust or warp. Note that this item earns Terrell's flawless use Award. You can request that this item be cut to size. Just purchase a long enough rod and then in the Comment section of the Shopping Cart note the size you want the rod cut. For example, if you need a rod that is 32-7/8" long, purchase a 3-ft rod (36") and in the Custom Cutting Directions box specify: Cut rod to 32-7/8". There is no charge for this service. If you are making your shade using our online directions, your rod should be cut 1-1/4" SHORTER than your Finished Shade Width. This way it will fit into the hem of your lining correctly. If you need to splice two rods together using our rod splice (RSP), then please specify the Finished Shade Width. We will join your two (or three) rods using the rod splice, but the end of one rod, take the pieces apart and ship to you. You may request a sample of this item.
3-ft length weight: 4.5 ounces 4-ft length weight: 6 ounces 5-ft length weight: 7.5 ounces Five feet (60") is the longest length that I can ship. If your shade is wider than 60", you can splice two (or three) rods together using our Rod Splice [Item No. RSP]. Note that the shorter lengths should ONLY be used to splice to make a wide weight rod. If you only needed a 2-ft or 3-ft rod, use steel. You may be tempted to use a wooden dowel in the bottom of your shade. Don't. They warp and are quite lightweight. So why bother? You may be able to find aluminum rods at your local home repair store, such as Home Depot or Lowes, or a local hardware store such as TrueValue or Ace Hardware. Just be sure that you get a "clean finish" rod, rather than one that will oxidized. Rub it with your fingers. If you get a black smudge on your hand, try something else. Even if you wipe it off, it will re-oxidize and discolor your shade. I normally use a steel weight rod in the bottom of my smaller shades. It is about three times heavier than aluminum for an equal length rod. You will want to use an aluminum rod if your shade is a lot wider than it is long. Four-feet in width is the point where I start to consider using aluminum rather than steel. Anything over five-feet calls for aluminum, UNLESS I am using a Cord Lock (the lock requires downward weight to work properly) or my shade is very long. You do have to play around sometimes. Remember that you can always return any unaltered product. If you cut the rod, you will be credited with the next smaller length. The Hardware Calculator will give you the correct choice based upon the width of your shade and whether or not you are using a Cord Lock. As of June 14, 2007, we can no longer ship 4-ft and 5-ft items to Canada due to the new postal service international shipping regulations. The maximum package length is 42". Since we need an inch on each end for the metal tube end-stops, that means that the longest rod or batten we can ship is 40". Please E-Mail us for help in converting the quantities generated by the Hardware Calculator into shippable items. Back to Shopping
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2-ft
length weight: 3 ounces