How to measure a glass partition
Measure a glass partition after flooring and false-ceiling work is done: take the width at three heights and the height at three points along the run, and use the smallest of each; check walls for plumb and the floor for level; and note switches, skirting, beams and AC units. Record everything in millimetres — the fabricator confirms final panel sizes.
Step-by-step
- Finish the floor and ceiling first. Measure only after flooring, skirting and any false ceiling are complete — each of them changes the opening the glass must fill.
- Measure the width at three heights. With a steel tape, measure the wall-to-wall width near the floor, at mid-height and near the ceiling, in millimetres.
- Measure the height at three points. For a full-height partition, measure floor-to-ceiling at the left end, centre and right end of the run — ceilings are rarely dead level.
- Use the smallest of each. Work from the smallest width and smallest height reading, because toughened glass cannot be trimmed on site.
- Check plumb and level. Hold a spirit level against both end walls and along the floor line, noting any lean or fall in millimetres and its direction.
- Note every obstruction along the run. Record switchboards, sockets, skirting, columns, beams, AC units and curtain tracks, each with its distance from the nearest wall and from the floor.
- Mark the door position and clearance. Decide where the door sits and which way it swings or slides, and check the full swing arc or sliding overlap is free of furniture and switches.
- Record everything in mm. Fill the checklist below, note where panel joints could fall on longer runs, photograph the space, and let your fabricator take the final site measure.
What to write down
| Measurement | Where to take it | Your reading |
|---|---|---|
| Width — floor level | Wall to wall, just above the skirting | ______ mm |
| Width — mid-height | Wall to wall at roughly half height | ______ mm |
| Width — ceiling level | Wall to wall, just below the ceiling | ______ mm |
| Height — left end | Finished floor to ceiling at the left of the run | ______ mm |
| Height — centre | Finished floor to ceiling at the middle of the run | ______ mm |
| Height — right end | Finished floor to ceiling at the right of the run | ______ mm |
| Wall plumb — both ends | Spirit level: lean in mm, and which way each wall leans | ______ mm |
| Floor level | Fall in mm across the full run of the partition | ______ mm |
| Obstructions | Switches, sockets, skirting, beams, AC — distance from wall and floor | ______ mm |
| Door position | Distance of the door opening from the nearest wall | ______ mm |
| Door swing / slide | Opening direction, and free clearance for the swing or overlap | ______ |