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Getting the measurements right before ordering PVC strip curtains is the most important step in ensuring your curtain performs correctly. This guide walks you through the process step by step.
What You'll Need
A steel tape measure, pencil and paper, and a step ladder if the doorway is tall.
Step 1: Measure the Opening Width
Measure the clear opening width — the unobstructed horizontal distance inside the door frame, from one side to the other. Do not measure the frame itself. This gives you the opening width, which determines how many strips you need.
Step 2: Measure the Drop Height
Measure from the underside of your mounting position down to the floor. Your strip length will typically be this measurement plus 100-150mm to create a floor overlap. If the rail is already in place, measure from the underside of the lowest part of the hanging hook to the floor, then add 100-150mm.
Step 3: Choose Your Strip Width
- 100mm strips — light pedestrian use, corridors, internal doorways
- 200mm strips — standard pedestrian and light goods access
- 300mm strips — heavy pedestrian traffic, light forklift, cold rooms, loading bays
- 400mm strips — heavy forklift and vehicle access, maximum width industrial openings
Step 4: Calculate the Number of Strips
For good thermal performance, strips should overlap by approximately 30-50% of their width. Divide your opening width by approximately 67-75% of the strip width for standard overlap. For a 2000mm opening with 200mm strips at 33% overlap: 2000 ÷ 134 ≈ 15 strips. Our product pages calculate this automatically from your opening width and strip choice.
Step 5: Overlap & Coverage
Total strip coverage should be 30-50% greater than the opening width. For cold rooms and areas requiring maximum thermal separation, use 50% overlap — the total strip width ordered should equal 1.5 × the opening width.
Common Measurement Mistakes to Avoid
- Measuring the door frame, not the opening — always measure inside the frame
- Forgetting the floor overlap — strips should reach 100-150mm past the floor, not exactly to it
- Not measuring width at both top and bottom — older buildings may have non-parallel sides; order to the widest dimension
- Not accounting for an existing door — if a door will remain in place, ensure your strip length allows the door to open
Still not sure? Use our full illustrated measuring guide or contact our team with your opening dimensions. Free UK delivery on all orders.