Curtain installation checklist: site readiness, scope and handover

SEAMATER carries out the on-site survey and the installation of curtains and blinds itself, including motor set-up. The design and build (D&B) team does not need to hang curtains; it prepares the site, sequences the trades and accepts the result. For overseas projects, confirm the survey and installation scope at project stage.

Many installation disputes trace back to an unclear scope split. The table shows a common division of responsibility, which each project should confirm in writing.

A room is ready for curtains when dusty and wet trades have finished, surfaces around the window are complete and the crew can work without interruption. Hanging sheers in a room that still has gypsum dust or wet paint is a frequent cause of soiled fabric at handover.

• Ceiling and pocket painted to final coat, with no further sanding.
• Walls around the window on final paint or wallcovering complete.
• Finished floor installed, since floor level sets the hem clearance.
• Aluminium sliding doors, handles and locks fitted, so clashes with curtains can be checked.
• Motor power points live and tested.
• Air conditioning commissioned or rooms sealed from dust; no spray painting nearby.
• Delivery route and lift bookings confirmed for high-rise and hotel projects.

On repetitive projects such as hotels, approve one mock-up room before rolling out installation across floors.

Curtains are one of the last trades in, typically after final paint and floor finishes and before the final clean. Many projects split the work into two visits: hardware first, fabric last.

1. Before ceiling close-up: freeze pocket dimensions, install blocking, run cables to motor positions.
2. After ceiling paint: install tracks and test motors unloaded where used.
3. After final wall paint and floors: hang curtains, dress them and set motor limits.
4. Before handover: inspect, hand over controls and care instructions.

Build this sequence into the master programme at the time of ordering, because made-to-measure curtains carry their own production time. See procurement lead time planning to align the order date with the finishing milestone.

Surveying and installing correctly needs a document set that matches what was manufactured: approved drawings, a window schedule and the survey record. When every curtain is labelled with a window ID that matches the drawings, wrong-room and wrong-hand installations become much less likely.

• Floor plans with window IDs (for example W-201-01) matching the label on each package.
• Survey record taken using the on-site curtain measuring method, stating the finished floor level used for drops.
• Hardware details: track type, ceiling or wall fix, opening direction, motor end.
• Heading type and fullness, so hooks or carriers are distributed correctly.
• Control details: groups, scenes and any smart-home integration protocol.
• Site rules: working hours, laydown area, PPE and surface protection requirements.

When a project is set up, using the same window IDs from quote request to package labels keeps every stage traceable.

A standard installation runs through site check, hardware, hanging, dressing and testing. The D&B team does not perform these steps but should understand them in order to supervise and accept correctly.

1. Site check: compare actual dimensions with the survey; confirm blocking and power.
2. Set out and fix brackets: spacing per the track manufacturer, usually closer near the motor and on heavily loaded runs.
3. Fit track or pole: check it is straight and runs smoothly unloaded.
4. Hang by heading type: pleated curtains use one hook per glider; on eyelet poles the outermost eyelet sits between the end bracket and the finial; wave curtains clip to a corded carrier system.
5. Connect and programme motors: set open and close limits, pair controls, test groups and scenes.
6. Dress and train the folds: arrange folds evenly top to bottom, tie loosely with fabric ties and leave for roughly one to two days.
7. Finish: remove ties, check hems, clean the area and remove packaging.

Hook, glider and spacing details for each heading are covered in tracks, poles and ceiling pockets.

Acceptance should be based on measurable criteria rather than impressions alone. Use the table below for each window.

Record fabric codes in the handover file so the owner can reorder matching panels later.

Looped cords and chains are a strangulation hazard for young children, so cord safety belongs in every acceptance inspection, especially in family apartments, children's rooms and family hotel rooms.

• Prefer cordless operation: motors, spring mechanisms or wands.
• Fix looped chains with a tensioner secured to the wall or frame.
• Keep free cords on a cleat mounted out of children's reach, typically at least about 150 cm above the floor.
• Do not place beds, cots or chairs next to corded windows.

International standards such as EN 13120 with EN 16433 and EN 16434 (Europe) and ANSI/WCMA A100.1 (US) are useful references when an owner or hotel brand asks for a defined safety level.

The majority of defects originate before installation: pockets that are too small, missing blocking or missing power. These are hard to correct once the ceiling is closed and painted.

• Shallow or narrow pockets that cannot take two tracks plus a motor head.
• No blocking in gypsum ceilings, so brackets loosen over time.
• Wrong hem heights from drops measured before floors or rugs were laid.
• Dust-stained sheers hung before sanding and painting ended.
• Missing power, or power at the wrong end of the track.
• Air-conditioning diffusers in or beside the pocket, causing movement and soiling.
• Length changes with humidity: some fabrics grow or shrink in very humid conditions, including northern Vietnam's damp season, so allow fabric to settle before final hem adjustment.

When booking a survey and installation, project teams should confirm these conditions at project stage, so pocket and power details are fixed before ceilings close.