Why Should You Be Splitting Curtain Panels?

If you are inside the fabric and drapery industry, this may seem like a common question, but the logic behind splitting curtain panels may not be as obvious to a customer. There are many reasons why commercial curtain companies split panels instead of offering large, oversized, one-piece panels, some being cost, fabrication, and installation.

American Drapery System’s family of brands: Blackout Curtains, American Track Supply, and CustomCube has over 45 years of experience providing curtain systems for commercial use.

We specialize in producing custom-made curtains for laboratory, medical, industrial, hospitality, and photography, as well as many more commercial settings where blackout curtains are needed. All of our drapery products come with custom-made tracks and hardware from our sister company, American Track Supply, to provide the best setup. With us, you can have every piece of your custom drapery project from start to installation.
We’ve found recently that as our capabilities grow, so do the projects. Warehouses and large format projects have recently brought up some new challenges to our standard setups.

The Question: Why should you be splitting curtain panels?

In our industry, it is not a surprise when we receive large or oversized curtain panel orders. For example, we might find a quote for curtains over 240” wide (or 20 feet). In these types of situations, we would split these into multiple panels with velcro overlaps.

HERE’S WHY

1. Fabrication – Oversized curtain panels create additional charges, as it takes more people a long time to fabricate these orders correctly and create the panels at a larger scale. At Blackout Curtains, we work with a wide variety of curtain sizes and industry needs and can accommodate these unique needs, along with having the skill and expertise to create the best solution for your space.
2. Shipping – It’s no secret these days that freight costs and lead times are through the roof. One oversized panel might require a pallet and freight to ship, requiring LTL shipments which are more expensive and take longer to arrive.
3. Installation – The weight of a 240” wide (20 foot) curtain can be up to 40-50 lbs. Splitting the panels up helps distribute the weight evenly and ultimately is safer for you and your team to install.

Our goal is to provide you with the best curtains at the best value. We aim to create a custom-made and custom-sized product that is easy to install and expert solutions for your space. As leady experts in our industry, we want to ensure you’re getting the best product, which includes identifying the best easy to hang and operate your curtain systems.

Case Study: Jimmy Eagle Photography

Jimmy Eagle is a Minneapolis-based photographer and videographer specializing in product, food and lifestyle work.

The Problem: Jimmy Eagle Photography was having a difficult time finding a resource to find a creative solution to their space when they came to Blackout Curtains for a high-quality solution.

The Solution: A reverse wall mounted track system and splitting their panels so that it would be not only easier to move but to stack them on either side of the space.

The Outcome: They now have a fully usable studio which they can flex to their needs with custom curtains from Blackout Curtainsn and hardware from our sister company, American Track Supply.

High-Quality Commercial Blackout Curtains and Room Divider Shades

Our commercial-grade blackout curtains are made with top-quality material that is 100% blackout, including through the seams. Every blackout curtain order is made-to-order with exacting specifications for your commercial application. These curtains will put you in total control of the light in your space.

Our curtains are always,

• 100% effective blackout curtains
• Made with fire-retardant material that passes the NFPA 701 Small Scale Fire Test
• High-quality
• Customized to your specific specs

Every curtain is made-to-order, making it easy to match specs to your specific needs. If you have ideas outside of our standard specifications, we are happy to work with custom orders.