Measuring guide · Student accommodation
Measuring for student accommodation curtains
Hundreds of rooms, a handful of types. Measure the types properly, check the rest against them, and the whole scheme goes through as one order.
What is different in PBSA and halls
The curtains, roman blinds, pelmets and tracks and poles guides cover how to take every measurement. This page adds what is different about measuring in this sector and gives you the schedule we need.
The measuring itself is simple: blackout curtains on a track, floor or desk length, with returns. The work is in the numbers. A 400-bed block might have four room types and thirty exceptions, and the schedule has to tell us which room gets which curtain so the labels are right when they arrive on site.
Room types and master measures
Measure one room per type in full
Take the full measurement in one room of each type: track width, drop in three places, finish point, projection, and what sits under the window. Photograph it. This becomes the master for that type.
Check the rest against the master
In every other room of that type, check the track width and the drop at one end. If they are within 10mm of the master, record the room as that type. If not, measure it in full and give it its own line. On new-build schemes measure at least 10% of each type before ordering; tolerances in fit-out are wider than the drawings suggest.
Desks and beds under the window
Most study bedrooms put the desk under the window. Finish the curtain 20mm above the desk (C) so it clears the desk and the cabling behind it; floor length only where the window is clear. Beds against the window take the same rule.
Blackout with returns
Give us the track projection and specify a track with an overlap arm; we make blackout with returns and the overlap as standard. Where the track is in a bulkhead or the head of the window is at the ceiling, measure from the ceiling and tell us the track.
Kitchens, lounges and study rooms
Measure as separate items
Communal rooms usually take dimout rather than blackout and are often wider windows with more stack-back. Measure them individually rather than by type and allow 15% of the window width each side for the stack.
Replacements and like-for-like
For an existing scheme, send us one curtain from each type and the room list; we measure the curtain, match the fabric where it is still available and make the replacements to the same size. Note the dye lot on the first order and we hold it for future phases.
The schedule we need
One line per window, all figures in millimetres. Send it as a spreadsheet, a PDF or a photo of a marked-up plan.
- Room type
- Type A, B, C… with the master measurement for each.
- Room number
- Every room, with its type, so each curtain is labelled for its room.
- Exceptions
- Rooms that differ from their type, measured in full.
- Width and drop
- Track width and drop (smallest of three), in mm.
- Finish point
- Desk height, floor or sill.
- Fixing
- Track type, overlap arm, projection, wall or ceiling.
Rather we measured?
For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked. Site surveys and installation.
Frequently asked questions
How many rooms do you need measured on a new build?
All of them ideally, but at least one of each type in full and 10% of each type as a check before the order is placed. The remainder can be checked during installation if the tolerance is tight.
Can you label curtains by room?
Yes. Give us the room number per line on the schedule and it is sewn into each curtain and printed on the packing, so the installer takes the right pack to the right door.
What standard do student bedrooms need?
BS 5867-2 Type C: they are sleeping accommodation. Communal rooms are usually Type B. Every fabric in the student accommodation collection is inherently FR and holds Type C.
Send the room list by type
Send the room types with a master measurement each and we quote the scheme; exceptions can follow. For larger projects we can measure on site. Site surveys carry a fee that depends on the location, the number of windows and the stage of the build; we confirm it before anything is booked.