Curtain gliders explained: standard, wave and the magnetic brake
The glider is the small part that runs inside a curtain track and carries the curtain. It is the part that wears, the reason most curtains start to drag, and the part that decides whether a wave heading looks crisp or tired.
What a glider does
A curtain track is a channel. Inside it sit the gliders, one every few centimetres, each with an eye or hook that the curtain heading hangs from. When you draw the curtain, the gliders run along the channel and take the weight of the fabric with them.
That is also why they wear. When a curtain starts to drag, stick or judder halfway across, it is nearly always the gliders rather than the track, and a fresh set costs a fraction of a new system. Replace the whole run at once rather than the worst few, so every glider runs the same.
Standard gliders
Standard gliders carry pencil pleat, pinch pleat, goblet and most other headings. On Cameron Fuller's Square 30, Round 22 and Round 38 tracks they come in white or dark slate only, whatever colour the track is. They are not colour-matched, and they don't need to be: they sit tucked up inside the channel and are barely seen. We sell them in packs of 10 or 50, alongside end stops in the same two colours.
Wave gliders: Surf 60 or Surf 80
A wave heading is made by the gliders, not the fabric. Cameron Fuller's Surf gliders are linked at fixed spacing, so the curtain folds into even S-shaped waves front and back of the track. They are sold by the metre of track, in white or dark slate, in two depths:
- Surf 60 works on standard brackets. The wave is shallower, which suits narrower recesses, but the curtain stacks back slightly wider when open.
- Surf 80 gives a deeper wave with more room front and back. It needs adjustable brackets, at least the 75mm to 110mm size, so the wave clears the wall.
The magnetic glider brake
On Cameron Fuller tracks with Surf gliders, a magnetic glider brake keeps the curtains stacked back when they are open. It is not a standard part in our shop: ask us and we will check it with Cameron Fuller for your track.
Heavy curtains: roller gliders
Interlined velvet and other heavy curtains can drag on plain sliders. Roller gliders run on small wheels instead, for smoother running under weight. We carry Silent Gliss 6283 roller gliders and 3922 roller gliders, the latter supplied linked in a strip and snapped apart as you feed them into the track.
Which glider fits which track
Gliders are made for one track profile, and one that fits another track will not run. Find the make and model of your track first; Silent Gliss stamp a part number on theirs.
- Cameron Fuller Square 30, Round 22, Round 38: Cameron Fuller standard or Surf gliders.
- Speedy Fineline: Fineline gliders only; they will not run in Contour, Streamline or Silverline.
- Speedy Contour: Contour gliders.
- Speedy Streamline and Silverline: glider hooks, a hook and glider in one piece (Streamline, Silverline).
- Silent Gliss 3000, 1080, 1021 and 1025: 3533 gliders.
- Silent Gliss Metropole: 6143 slider gliders.
Send us a photo of the track end and a glider, and we will tell you which gliders to order. Get the end stops at the same time if yours are missing.
Common questions
Why is my curtain dragging or sticking on the track?
Nearly always the gliders, not the track. Gliders wear, crack or lose their shape over the years, and a curtain that drags, sticks or judders halfway across usually needs a fresh set. Replace the whole run at once rather than the worst few.
What is the difference between Surf 60 and Surf 80 gliders?
Both make a wave heading on a Cameron Fuller track. Surf 60 works on standard brackets and has a shallower wave, which suits narrower recesses, but it stacks back slightly wider. Surf 80 gives a deeper wave with more room front and back, and needs adjustable brackets of at least 75mm to 110mm.
Do gliders come in the same colour as the track?
Not on Cameron Fuller tracks. Their gliders and end stops come in white or dark slate only, whatever colour the track is. They sit tucked up inside the channel, so they are barely seen.
Will any glider fit my track?
No. Gliders are made for one track profile. Speedy Fineline gliders only run in Fineline track, Silent Gliss 3533 gliders only suit the Silent Gliss 3000, 1080, 1021 and 1025 systems, and so on. Check the make and model of your track first; a part number is often stamped on it.
What does a magnetic glider brake do?
On Cameron Fuller tracks with Surf wave gliders, the magnetic glider brake keeps the curtains stacked back when they are open. Ask us and we will check it with Cameron Fuller for your track.