No Products in the Cart
Getting cold room curtain sizing wrong costs you twice — once in wasted material, and again in energy loss through gaps that never seal properly. Here's how to measure and choose the first time correctly.
What temperature rating do you need?
Standard PVC strip curtains aren't built for sub-zero use — they crack and lose flexibility below freezing. For cold rooms and freezers, you need a polar grade PVC. Our Polar Grade PVC strip curtains stay flexible down to -55°C and are fully transparent, so staff have a clear line of sight through the entire curtain — no separate viewing panel needed.
If the priority is minimising energy loss rather than just surviving low temperatures — for example, a high-traffic doorway between ambient and chilled zones — Cold Stop insulated curtains add an extra layer of insulation to reduce thermal transfer. Because the insulated panel isn't see-through like clear PVC, Cold Stop curtains come with a built-in viewing window as standard, so you keep visibility without losing the insulation benefit.
Match the grade to your traffic type, not just the temperature
The temperature rating tells you which PVC to use — the traffic type tells you which thickness. Standard Polar Grade (2mm or 3mm) is built for pedestrian access. If the doorway also sees forklift or pallet truck traffic, a heavier-duty double-ribbed Polar Grade is the better spec — built to withstand repeated vehicle contact without the strips tearing or losing their seal early. Specifying a pedestrian-grade curtain on a vehicle route is one of the most common (and expensive) sizing mistakes, since it fails sooner than traffic actually demands.
How to measure your opening
Width — measure the doorway from side to side. If face-fixing (curtain mounted across the front of the frame), allow 50–100mm overlap on each side for a proper seal.
Height — measure from floor to fixing point at multiple points, since floors and frames are rarely perfectly level.
Strip width — 200mm and 300mm are standard for cold storage. Wider strips give better thermal sealing; narrower strips offer better visibility and access in high-foot-traffic areas.
Overlap — for cold rooms, maximum overlap (36%) gives the best thermal barrier. Lower overlap trades some insulation for easier pass-through.
Full details are in our measuring guide — worth a second read-through before ordering, since undersizing is the most common and most expensive mistake.
Why sizing matters for compliance, not just energy costs
A poorly sized or gapped curtain isn't just a heat-loss problem. In food production and cold storage environments, gaps at doorways are a pest and contamination entry point — something EHO inspections and HACCP-related compliance checks specifically assess when evaluating hygiene barriers between zones. A correctly measured, full-overlap Polar Grade curtain does double duty: it holds temperature and closes the gap that pest-control and hygiene audits flag.
If you're operating under BRC or SALSA audit requirements, sense-check curtain specification against your current audit standard — requirements can vary by site and are updated periodically.
Made to measure, not off-the-shelf
Standard widths rarely match real doorways exactly. All our Polar Grade and Cold Stop curtains are made to your measurements, with the hanging system included, so there's no cutting or guesswork on-site.
Not sure which grade, width or traffic spec fits your space? Get in touch with your doorway dimensions and traffic type, and we'll confirm the right spec before you order.
FAQ
What temperature can Polar Grade PVC curtains withstand?
Down to -55°C, suitable for freezers, cold rooms and chillers.
Do Cold Stop curtains have a viewing window?
Yes — as standard, since the insulated panel isn't fully transparent like clear Polar Grade PVC.
Do I need standard or double-ribbed Polar Grade?
Standard for pedestrian-only doorways; double-ribbed if forklifts or pallet trucks also use the opening.
Do I need Polar Grade or Cold Stop for a cold room?
Polar Grade if full visibility through the curtain is most important. Cold Stop if energy loss at a high-traffic opening is the bigger concern, with a built-in viewing window.
