I have hung curtain rods in six different apartments. The first two attempts were disasters — holes in the wrong places, anchors that pulled out of drywall, one rod that fell at 3am and scared me so badly I thought someone was breaking in.

I have it figured out now. Here is the system.

The Golden Rule: Anchors Are Not Optional

Drywall cannot hold weight. A screw driven directly into drywall will hold about 10 pounds before it rips out. Curtains, especially blackout curtains or anything floor-length, can weigh 15-25 pounds plus the force of being pulled open and closed every day.

You need anchors. Period.

• For curtains under 20 pounds: Plastic expansion anchors are fine.
• For curtains over 20 pounds or blackout curtains: Toggle bolts or metal screw-in anchors. These are the ones that look like giant screws with a hole in the middle — they bite into drywall and can hold 50+ pounds each.
• If you hit a stud: Lucky you. Screw directly into it. No anchor needed.

Measuring So You Only Drill Once

1. Mark the bracket height. Standard is 4-6 inches above the window frame. Higher makes the ceiling look taller.
2. Extend 3-6 inches past the window on each side. This lets curtains stack back fully without blocking light.
3. Use a level. Not your eyeball. Your eyeball lies. Every single apartment I have lived in has crooked window frames — if you align to the frame, your rod will be crooked too.
4. Pencil-mark through the bracket holes. Then double-check the level again before drilling.

The Drill Bit Trick

Match your drill bit to the anchor size, not the screw size. The anchor packaging tells you which bit to use. If the bit is too small, the anchor crushes going in. Too big, and it spins uselessly in the hole.