Warehouse curtains are a great addition to facilities for a multitude of reasons. They can pose as barriers and can move in sections of your warehouse to shield dust, chemicals, heat, cold, and other airy irregularities so that your staff and inventory remain unaffected! However, warehouse curtains require a decent amount of work and modification done in order to work in your space as intended. If you’ve ever wondered how to install curtain tracks on the ceiling, you’ve come to the right place. We will show you the steps you need to take in order to install your warehouse and industrial curtains effectively.

Choose a type of mount

You can choose from a number of types of warehouse curtains. All types of curtain installations are hung on a track or rail that is mounted along a wall or around a certain space.

Chain Mounts

Chain mounts, or Beam to Chain Mounts, involve having the tracks being hung from s-hooks on the mounting chain to another s-hook or a beam clamp. This mount can be suspended to connect to the most different types of ceilings in a facility. The chain can also be slightly angled so that mounts don’t have to be perfectly in-line vertically like a threaded rod mount has to.

Suspended Threaded Rod Mount

Threaded Rod Mounts use a ⅜” threaded rod which is inserted through the mount with a nut to tighten and adjust the track mount. The upper or top end of the threaded rod is put through a beam flange mount that can grip to a girder or I-beam. This is the sturdiest mount and is sometimes required in areas where earthquakes are prone.

Beam Flange Mount

A beam mount is a simple, versatile mount type. These beam mounts can be clamped onto a lip of a horizontal beam or truss where the track gains support and stability. These are one of the easiest types of mounts to deal with.

Wall Mount

Wall mounts involve mounting hardware placed along the wall so that a curtain can hang over a doorway, port, or another opening inside your industrial space. These are popular on the edges of work areas, in-between rooms, or commonly on plenums in Paint Booth and Finishing Stations.

Ceiling Mount

Ceiling mounts come with special hardware that is screwed into your ceiling. You will typically have the hardware to accommodate every straight path.

Floor Mounts

Floor mounts are also available for industrial warehouse curtains. They must be bolted in your warehouse floor per OSHA requirements so that the curtains don’t fall over causing accidents. Floor mounts are ideal for simple installation when complex piping and obstructions are present in a warehouse's ceiling.

Map Out the Track System

The track mounting will help you determine where your industrial curtain installation can move and be displayed. Tracks generally have a beginning and an end where curtains can be hung, so curtains should not be able to move beyond these boundaries unless a custom run is added in another direction. Generally, curtains will fold to about 10% of the width.

How to Install Curtain Tracks on the Ceiling

Tracks are mounted on walls, beams for ceilings with bolts and screws. If you are looking to hang curtains to protect multiple areas along the same wall, you can make one long track in a straight line so that you can hang multiple sets of curtains on the same track. If you are installing a curtain where there is no wall to mount from, or you prefer to not use a wall mount, you can hang your tracks from the ceiling instead. With a facility that is already full of resources, you probably have possible points on the ceiling where your track can be hung, such as horizontal beams. If not, a beam to a chain suspended mount can be altered to fit in vertical directions that are not completely straight up.

Connect it all together

While each type of curtain mount is fastened in different ways, they all basically involve working a steel roller wheel with a ball bearing inside that should move freely in the track slot. When properly inserted, the roller wheel should be able to move smoothly along the track, with the set of curtains following. To make sure that the bearings don’t fall off, there are usually locks or caps that are fastened on both ends of the track so that the roller wheels stay put. These roller wheels won’t fall or move out unless you remove the end stops.

Why are Warehouse Curtains Worth It?

If you don’t have warehouse curtains for your facility, there might be a few scenarios in which they are a good idea to have. If you recently experienced any unexpected events such as dust explosions, pest infestation, a bunch of tampered products, or a group of sick employees, all of these things can be prevented with warehouse or industrial curtains. If you are noticing that you need to use your air conditioner or heater more than you would like to, it may be because of a port or entry point from outside where vehicles come in and get out. With warehouse curtains, you can also keep this port open without letting cold or hot air in. This can save you money every season for heating and cooling.

Warehouse curtain installations are great assets for any warehouse, facility, factory, or industrial setting. By setting aside the time and money to purchase and learning how to install curtain tracks, you will solve and prevent multiple problems with your space, leading to fewer expenses and more money saved. There’s no reason to not take advantage of warehouse curtains in your space. If you’re looking for the best kind of industrial curtains, Singer Safety is the way to go. We offer a full range of industrial curtains on our website. Our GlideWall Track and Roller Industrial Curtains are great to install in your facilities. They can prevent any accidents that may happen.