by A door curtain, sometimes called a portière, is one of the simplest ways to cut draughts from an external or poorly insulated internal door, without any building work. This guide covers whether one is worth fitting, what fabric and hardware to choose, and how to install it so it doesn’t get in the way of actually using the door.
Why Fit a Door Curtain?
A significant amount of heat loss in older UK homes happens around doors, particularly external ones with a gap at the base or a single-glazed panel. Draught-proofing measures around a door are estimated by the Energy Saving Trust to save UK households around £125 a year on heating bills, and a door curtain covers the whole door rather than just the bottom gap that a simple draught excluder strip addresses. It works well on external front and back doors, and equally well on internal doors leading to an unheated space, such as a garage or a cold hallway.
The Portière Rod: How Door Curtains Actually Work
A door curtain is hung on a portière rod, a curtain pole designed specifically to swing out of the way when the door opens. The rod is mounted on the door itself, near the hinge side, rather than on the surrounding wall or frame, and pivots up to 180 degrees so the curtain moves with the door instead of blocking it.
Rising Portières: Keeping the Hem Off the Floor
A standard portière rod holds the curtain at a fixed height, which means the hem either drags on the floor or leaves a gap that lets draughts back in. A rising portière solves this with a mechanism that lifts the rod slightly as the door opens, allowing the curtain to hang long enough to seal against the floor when closed, without dragging or catching under the door when it’s opened.
Choosing Fabric for a Door Curtain
A door curtain needs to be heavier than a typical window curtain to genuinely block draughts, so a thick, tightly woven fabric, or one with a thermal or interlined lining, performs best. Our curtain fabrics guide covers weight categories in more detail, though for a door curtain specifically, err on the heavier end of what you’d choose for a window.
Measuring for a Door Curtain
Measure the full height and width of the door, adding enough width so the curtain fully overlaps the door frame on both sides when closed, similar to how a window curtain needs extra width to close without gaps. The drop should reach close to the floor, or be paired with a rising portière mechanism if you want a genuine floor seal without drag.
Where Door Curtains Work Best
- External front and back doors – particularly older, single-glazed, or poorly sealed doors
- Doors to unheated spaces – such as a garage, cellar, or an uninsulated back porch
- Doors in draughty hallways – where cold air moves noticeably between rooms
Simpler Alternatives Worth Considering First
If a full portière setup feels like more than you need, a lighter-weight insulated curtain fitted with adhesive strips, or simple foam draught-excluder strips around the frame, can meaningfully reduce draughts for a much smaller job. A door curtain is the more thorough, longer-term option, but it’s not the only way to address a draughty door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do door curtains actually make a noticeable difference?
Yes, particularly on older or poorly sealed doors, where a heavy curtain adds a genuine second barrier against draughts beyond what strip seals alone achieve.
Can I fit a door curtain without a portière rod?
You can mount a straight pole above the door frame instead, though the curtain will then need to be pulled aside manually rather than swinging automatically with the door.
Is a door curtain suitable for a front door that’s used constantly?
Yes, a portière rod is designed for exactly this, since it moves with the door rather than needing to be opened and closed separately each time.
