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Setting up a small garage shop. Would like to put up some type of curtain to block prying eyes and winter temps during loading/ unloading. This needs to hang just under the single garage door (when open) on some cross bar or track. Any suggestions? Have considered those vertical plastic strips or curtains used in commercial settings but thought I’d see if anyone else has good solution. Thanks for the help
Rockler has their 'ceiling track' system which might work for what you want. If you need something more heavy duty... search for 'unistrut rollers' or 'unistrut trolley'... basically a much beefier version that uses (relatively) cheap commercial UniStrut (Home Depot sells it as 'Super Strut') for the tracks. It'd be pretty simple to hang a tarp or something from hooks on that track.
The unistrut idea would work. I would try to find material that's translucent to let light in without being transparent.
Those commercial plastic strip curtains are pricey. I'd love to have one, but the cost is just too much. Anyone know of a "cheap" source for those kind of curtains? Other than that, likely most inexpensive solution is one or more shower curtains.
Maybe the translucent UV welding curtain stock would work? It's pretty tough stuff, translucent but not transparent. The stuff I ordered last week for something similar could be had in red, orange, blue or yellow, so you'd have to be ok with bright colors.
https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/ima...6200609-21.jpg
If it's an 8' or so wide door, having a track to hang something might be practical, but the span of a double wide door is going to mean a very long unsupported span so the curtain material would necessarily need to be quite lightweight. Any of the plasticy materials don't tend to fit that profile.
You could also consider A movable screen on casters to provide you with the privacy you seek. One or two of those could work, depending on door width and be kept up close to the doors normally so they don't take up much space.
I am researching components for my shop for a similar function.
Here is what I have found. The Rockler celling track is somewhat compatible with unistrut/superstrut 1 5/8 square strut. The Unistrut branded trolley pieces will also work on the Rockler ceiling track (and vise versa from what I read).
You can support long runs of Unistrust strut by using Unistrut part numbers P1834A and P1834. For hanging heavy tarps or other items from the strut, you can use item P2949. If you have light weight curtains to hang from the strut, you can use Unistrut curtain slider P5349. I purchase all my Unistrut fittings through Unistrut Service Company in Ohio (they have free shipping over $35).
Hope this helps!
ETA: BTW, A 10 foot length of 1 5/8 square unistrut at my local big box store is 25 dollars. A 4 foot length of the Rockler ceiling track is 30 dollars. I chose unistrut for price. The Rockler option is much better looking and they sell curved pieces (you can find companies to form curved unistrut strut for you per your specs, but from what I find - it is super expensive).
Try clean room curtains
https://www.coversandall.com/clean-r...kaAtASEALw_wcB
The thread title had me concerned about those cold, prying eyes.
For folks recommending spanning a rail like unistrut, etc., keep in mind the application which is masking the shop while the garage door is up. Unless the track/strut is physically attached to the inside of the garage door, there's no way to support it mid-point from above.
Haha. Sorry- that makes my neighbors sound more sketchy than they are. Thanks for the input everyone. Will be checking out those rails and curtains.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Jenness
You haven't said how wide and tall your doorway is.
In my photo/video studio, I have several 4' wide panels that I made from 1/2" foam board insulation. They are foil covered, but I painted the surfaces white. They are hanging from sliding closet door tracks that are available up to 8' long, so I have two sets of these side by side and end to end, so 4 tracks 16' long total length. Each panel is attached to a separate track so I can stack them against the end wall or slide them out to slightly overlap their widths, achieving a dividing wall between the room windows and printing equipment, and the shooting stage In photos, the room appears to have a flat blank wall there since I overlap them to conceal the edge of each behind the next. The bottoms of these were trimmed to leave a 2" gap to the floor, so they will slide over small items like extension cords and they would likely swing quite a bit if out in the wind with no bottom track or attachment, but the cost and labor involved was quite reasonable. They slide easily, so can be moved when access or pass through is needed, but both Sunlight and view of the printing equipment is blocked when they are positioned correctly. So minimum width when fully open is 4'. When moved to block the Sunlight or prying eyes I get about 14', because I want to overlap their edges. In your case, you likely don't need this much overlap. Unistrut and Unistrut trolleys is an alternative and you can get Unistrut longer than 8', so that might work better for you. A curtain of some kind, tarps trimmed to fit, or these lightweight foam panels would be good choices to block the view. The panels would offer some insulation qualities, except for the gaps in the overlaps, and none would be very wind proof.
Charley
How about a folding shoji screen. Any type of cloth would work and ripping a few 2x4s would provide the frames.
The clean room curtains can be purchased with a heavy chain sewn in. This will help with the wind.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Lent
Horrible fright sells fiberglass welding blankets/curtains. I remember as a kid we got fiberglass curtains for the living room and everyone got itchy until Mom returned them. My wife has the same story.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Jenness
Bill D
On edit: I checked ebaby and 10% of the listing for fiberglass curtains are used. I guess they still have problems?