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 Devon consider?
Wind-driven rain and leaves blowing into an open dock are a familiar nuisance, and a heavy-duty strip curtain is one simple response for sites in Devon. Food and packaging businesses in Devon can choose strip grades suited to regular cleaning, helping to separate dispatch areas from production.
Goods-in areas in Devon that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust.
Keeping the dock running is usually the first concern, so we plan around it. After a free survey of your Devon site and a written quote at a fixed price, we agree when each bay can be released and whether any work should happen out of hours. Specialist installation engineers working under our management then fit the equipment, and we test it and hand over the documentation before the bay goes back into use.
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.
How much do PVC strip curtains cost?
PVC strip curtains typically cost £180 to £1,100 per opening, excluding VAT, supply and fit. Small pedestrian doorways sit at the bottom of the range, and large dock openings with heavy-duty strips and sliding rails at the top.
The price depends on:
- Opening size: the width sets the number of strips and the height sets their length.
- Strip width and thickness: wider, thicker strips cost more but last longer under forklift traffic.
- Overlap: a greater overlap seals better and uses more material.
- Grade: standard, low-temperature, ribbed, anti-static, tinted or welding grades.
- Rail type: a fixed rail, or a sliding or swing-away rail that clears the opening for large loads.
- Fixing: whether the rail fixes straight to the lintel or needs brackets or a steel header.
Because strips wear, we can also price spare strips so your team can replace damaged ones. The written quote after a free site survey is the fixed price, and you can start the process through our quote form.
Towns we cover in Devon
We cover PVC strip curtains throughout Devon, and the towns below each have their own page. If yours is not listed, get in touch anyway.
Budget range for supply and fit. The written quote after a free survey is the fixed price. All guide prices.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Devon, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Devon?
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.
What details do you need from us to quote for PVC strip curtains?
To get started, send the site address in Devon, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.
Are strip curtains a good alternative to a high-speed door?
Strip curtains are a good low-cost option for moderate traffic, but at very busy openings a high-speed door often performs better because it clears fully for each vehicle and closes behind it. The right choice depends on traffic volume, visibility needs and budget.
Should the strips touch the floor?
Strips usually stop just above the floor so they do not drag, wear or catch on pallet trucks. Where draughts or pests are a concern they can be set closer to the floor, and we agree the finished height with you before fitting so it suits the traffic through the opening.
Other services in Devon
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · All loading bay services in Devon