- Location
- Exmouth, Devon
- Main postcode district
- EX8
- Nearby (straight line)
- Exeter (9 miles), Newton Abbot (11 miles) and Torquay (12 miles)
- Visit pricing
- Agreed in writing before we attend
Dock shelter and seal repair covers restoring the weather seal around a docked trailer. Typical work includes replacing torn side and head curtains, worn foam seal pads and their covers, top pads and guide strips, repairing or replacing airbags and blowers on inflatable shelters, and straightening or replacing bent shelter frames, so the bay closes the gap between building and trailer again.
What should sites in Exmouth consider?
Repairs to shelters and seals in Exmouth follow the same process as anywhere else in the UK, with the visit price agreed in writing first. Multi-bay sites near Exmouth often find several shelters in similar condition, so measuring and replacing curtains across the dock in one programme can reduce costs.
Exposed yards in Exmouth that catch strong winds can tear shelter curtains or strain frames, letting weather into the dock until parts are replaced.
Before a repair visit in Exmouth, we ask three things: what the equipment is, what it is doing wrong and whether you can send photos. With that, we price the visit and confirm it in writing, and nobody attends until you agree. If the engineer finds further faults, they are quoted first and only fixed with your approval. Each visit ends with a written report of findings and work done.
What happens on site during a shelter or seal repair?
During a shelter or seal repair the bay is closed to trailers while the engineer works from the yard, often using access equipment for the head curtain and top pad. Neighbouring bays can usually keep working, although access equipment may need space in front of them.
- Measure: where parts are made to measure, the shelter or seal is measured first and the parts ordered.
- Close the bay: no trailer on the dock and the yard area coned off.
- Isolate: on inflatable shelters, the blower supply is isolated and locked off.
- Replace parts: old curtains, pads or airbags are removed and new ones fitted, with frames straightened or replaced as agreed.
- Check the seal: overlap and compression are checked, with a trailer docked if one is available.
It helps if you can provide photos with a trailer docked, yard space for access equipment, a contact who can arrange electrical isolation and an agreed time when the bay can be released.
How can I make shelter curtains and seal pads last longer?
Shelter curtains and seal pads last longest when trailers arrive straight, stop at the right distance and the parts are checked regularly. Most premature damage comes from how trailers are parked rather than from the material itself.
- Wheel guides: keep trailers centred so they do not drag one side curtain or crush one pad.
- Bumpers: worn bumpers let trailers reverse too far in and over-compress seals.
- Guide markings: clear centre lines on curtains and the dock help drivers line up.
- Early repairs: a small tear repaired early is cheaper than a full curtain later.
- Wear-resistant facings: seal pads can be specified with tougher covers where trailers rub most.
- Blower care: keeping blower intakes clear helps inflatable shelters inflate fully.
Our loading bay servicing includes shelters and seals, so wear is picked up alongside doors and levellers.
The visit price is agreed before anyone attends. Parts and any extra work are quoted before they are fitted.
What we look at around the bay
- Inflatable shelter fans, airbags and control function
- Shelter curtains, frames and side pads for tears
- Hydraulic oil level, hoses and cylinders for leaks
- Track alignment, rollers and wall fixings
- Previous service and inspection records, where available
- Lip hinge, lip extension and lip support operation
Options to discuss
Seal pad refurbishment
Replacing worn foam pads, or just their covers where the foam is still sound, including tougher facings on the areas where trailers rub most.
Curtain replacement
New side and head curtains for retractable shelters, made to measure in hard-wearing coated fabric, with slits and overlaps set to suit the trailers you receive.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Exmouth. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies before any work starts, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about dock shelter and seal repairs in Exmouth
What information helps before a repair visit?
Photos or a short video of the fault are the most useful thing you can send, along with the make and model from the data plate, a description of what happens when the equipment is operated and any error codes. For a site in Exmouth, also tell us about access, parking and site rules. With that, we can price the visit and bring the likely parts.
How often should equipment at our Exmouth site be serviced?
It depends on how hard the equipment works and on the manufacturer's recommendations. A multi-shift dock with frequent trailer movements needs more attention than a door that opens a few times a day. We suggest a schedule after looking at the equipment and how it is used, and we can line visits up with your insurance inspections where that helps.
What is the difference between servicing and a statutory inspection?
Servicing keeps equipment working: cleaning, adjusting, lubricating and replacing worn parts. A statutory inspection or thorough examination is a separate check by a competent person, often arranged through your engineering insurer. Dock levellers are commonly inspected under PUWER at 12-month intervals, and lift tables may need LOLER thorough examination, depending on the equipment and how it is used. Your insurer or competent person will confirm what applies.
Why do shelter curtains keep tearing?
Shelter curtains usually keep tearing because trailers arrive off-centre, the curtains are too short or tight for the trailers now in use, or worn bumpers let trailers reverse too far in. Fixing the cause, for example with wheel guides or resized curtains, stops repeat damage.
Can you replace just the curtains on a dock shelter?
Yes. If the frame is still sound, the side and head curtains can be replaced on their own, which is the most common shelter repair. Curtains are usually made to measure, so the shelter is measured first and the new curtains fitted on a second visit, with both visits priced in advance.
Dock shelter and seal repairs near Exmouth
We also cover towns near Exmouth, including Exeter (9 miles), Newton Abbot (11 miles) and Torquay (12 miles). Each has its own page with the same services and process.
Other loading bay services in Exmouth
Full guide to dock shelter and seal repairs · Everything we do in Exmouth
If a loading bay in Exmouth needs attention, call us or send photos and details online.