Measure the clear opening and potential guide positions before deciding whether a balcony privacy screen can suit the site.
Record these dimensions
- Clear width and height of the opening.
- Side surfaces available for guides.
- Ceiling or head-box clearance.
- Door swing, railing and furniture clearance.
- Photos of the overlooking angle.
Before you send measurements
Photograph the full opening as well as each potential guide position. Note any door swing, railing, handrail, drain or fixed furniture that changes the clear usable width. This makes the first project review more useful and helps separate a workable screen direction from an opening that needs a different approach.
Measure privacy at the opening, not only at the wall
A balcony privacy shade has to follow the sightline that causes discomfort while leaving doors, railings and the view usable. Measure the clear opening between obstructions, the height from sill or floor to the intended cassette/guide line, and the places where a rail, handle or neighboring boundary changes the line of sight. The motorized outdoor roller shade is the primary product direction to review for a vertical opening.
Measurement sequence
- Take a wide photo from the seated position and another from standing eye level.
- Record clear width and height at more than one point if the opening is irregular.
- Mark mullions, railings, sills, doors, handles and any guide obstruction.
- Note when privacy is required and which view must remain visible.
- Photograph the exterior fixing surfaces rather than guessing from interior trim.
Do not add trim, recess or mounting assumptions to a final order from a single number. A review can use the measurement set to test cassette and guide positions against the actual opening.
Privacy measurement FAQ
Should I measure the glass or the frame?
Record the clear opening and the frame/trim separately; the hardware direction depends on the available fixing surface.
How do I describe the privacy problem?
State the viewing direction, eye level, time of day and whether the goal is privacy, glare control, or both.
What completes the brief?
Include photos, clear width and height, obstructions, fixing surfaces, operating times and the view that must remain.
Build a privacy measurement worksheet
Use one row for each opening: clear width, clear height, frame/trim, guide obstruction, required privacy time and retained view. Add a photo number to every row. If the opening is irregular, record the narrowest and widest points rather than averaging them into a misleading single figure.
Finish with the exterior surface where a cassette or guide could be reviewed. The worksheet is more useful than a width alone because it connects privacy, glare, operation and hardware clearance.
Finish the measurement with a sightline note
After recording width and height, stand at the seating position and describe the sightline to protect. Then stand at the neighboring or street-facing edge and describe the privacy line to filter. Add the guide, sill, handle and railing obstructions beside those notes.
This connects the numbers to the reason for the shade. It also helps a product review distinguish an opening that needs a vertical screen from one that needs overhead projection.
Add a sightline record to each opening
For every opening, note the eye level, viewing direction, time privacy is needed and the part of the view that should remain visible. Photograph the opening from inside and from the relevant outside approach, then mark rails, handles, mullions and guide surfaces. This connects the measurement to the actual privacy problem and prevents a clear width from becoming a misleading final size.
Product paths for balcony and window shade
When glare or privacy enters through the vertical opening, review the motorized windproof outdoor roller shade with guide positions and retained view checked first. When overhead sun is the primary issue and the facade is suitable, compare a motorized retractable awning. The direction depends on where the light enters.
Turn the opening brief into a product direction
Send a full opening photo, mounting surface, clear width and the time of day glare becomes disruptive. BESITSOL can help distinguish a vertical screen direction from a projecting awning direction before you request a configuration.
Start a window or balcony shade review
Continue this planning path
Review the balcony window shade collection, compare the related system, then start a project review with your dimensions and site photos.
