- Location
- Dunstable, Bedfordshire
- Main postcode district
- LU6
- Nearby (straight line)
- Luton (5 miles), Leighton Buzzard (6 miles) and Harpenden (9 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A PVC strip curtain is a row of flexible, overlapping plastic strips hung from a rail across a doorway, so that people and vehicles can pass through while the strips fall back to close the gap behind them. At loading bays they hang behind the main door or across internal openings, reducing draughts, dust and temperature loss for much less than the cost of a powered door.
What should sites in Dunstable consider?
Smaller trade units in Dunstable with a single goods door may find a strip curtain the most economical way to keep the working area warmer in winter. Goods-in areas in Dunstable that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust.
Where strips at a site in Dunstable have turned cloudy and scratched, replacing them restores visibility for drivers and pedestrians sharing the opening.
A single contact at Loading Bay Doors handles your project in Dunstable from start to finish. The free site survey and fixed written quote come first, with no obligation to proceed. We then book the installation for times that suit the operation, including out of hours by arrangement, and manage the specialist engineers on site. At the end we commission and test the equipment, walk your team through it and provide the documentation.
Do strip curtains count towards building energy rules?
A strip curtain does not replace the need for a compliant door: where a new or replacement external loading bay door is fitted, it is the door that has to meet the energy rules.
- England: Approved Document L (2021) Volume 2 sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work.
- Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: each nation has its own energy rules, through Approved Document L for Wales, Section 6 of the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbook, and Technical Booklet F2 in Northern Ireland. We confirm what applies to your nation and project.
What a strip curtain does well is reduce the air moving through an opening while the door is open for loading. That helps a heated or chilled building, even though the curtain is not the door.
Workplace safety still applies around the curtain: strips should stay clear enough for drivers and pedestrians to see each other. HSE is the regulator in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
Which strip width, thickness and grade should I choose?
Choose the strip size by the size of the opening and the traffic through it, and the grade by temperature and use. Wider, thicker strips seal better and resist forklifts, but are heavier to push through on foot.
- Pedestrian doorways: typically 200 mm wide by 2 mm thick strips with a modest overlap.
- Forklift openings: typically 300 mm wide by 3 mm thick, with a larger overlap.
- Large dock openings: typically 400 mm wide by 4 mm thick, which hang well in draughts.
- Low-temperature grade: stays flexible in chillers and freezers, where standard PVC would stiffen and crack.
- Ribbed strips: raised ribs take the wear from forklifts and keep the strips clearer for longer.
- Specialist grades: anti-static, tinted or opaque, or welding grade for screening.
Overlap matters as much as thickness. A full overlap gives a better seal in cold or dusty areas, while a partial overlap is easier to walk through.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
Options to discuss
Low-temperature strips
A grade formulated to stay flexible in chillers and freezers, where standard strips would stiffen, crack and stop falling back into place.
Standard clear strips
Clear flexible PVC for ambient warehouses and goods-in areas, giving good visibility and draught control at pedestrian and forklift openings.
Regulations and approvals 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 Dunstable. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about PVC strip curtains in Dunstable
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Dunstable site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Dunstable?
We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Dunstable?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
How do I clean PVC strip curtains?
Clean strips with warm water and a mild detergent, then wipe them dry. Avoid solvents and abrasive pads, which damage the surface and make strips cloud faster. In food areas, follow your site's hygiene schedule and choose a grade suited to regular cleaning.
Can strips be replaced individually?
Yes, individual strips can be unhooked or unclamped and replaced without taking down the whole curtain. Keeping a few spare strips on site lets your team swap damaged ones as soon as they appear, which keeps visibility and sealing consistent across the opening.
PVC strip curtains near Dunstable
If your site is not in Dunstable itself, it may be near one of these: Luton (5 miles), Leighton Buzzard (6 miles) and Harpenden (9 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Dunstable
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Dunstable
Have photos of the door, leveller or shelter? Send them with your enquiry and we can give a clearer answer for your Dunstable site.