- Location
- Hove, East Sussex
- Main postcode district
- BN3
- Nearby (straight line)
- Brighton (1 mile), Portslade (2 miles) and Shoreham-by-Sea (5 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 matters for PVC strip curtains in Hove?
Measuring an opening in Hove for a strip curtain takes only a short visit, and we note traffic, temperature and fixings at the same time. 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 Hove.
Food and packaging businesses in Hove can choose strip grades suited to regular cleaning, helping to separate dispatch areas from production.
A single contact at Loading Bay Doors handles your project in Hove 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.
Are strip curtains safe where forklifts and pedestrians share an opening?
Strip curtains can be used where forklifts and pedestrians share an opening, but only if the strips stay clear enough for both to see through and the route is managed. Visibility is the main risk.
- Clear strips scratch and cloud with use, so a driver may not see a person on the other side.
- Ribbed strips and regular replacement keep visibility better for longer.
- A separate pedestrian door beside the vehicle opening is the safer arrangement.
- Floor markings and mirrors help where a separate door is not possible.
At very busy openings, a high-speed dock door with vision panels and safety sensors may be the better long-term answer, because it opens fully for each vehicle and closes again behind it. We can price both so you can compare the cost and the practical difference for your traffic.
How often do PVC strips need replacing?
PVC strips need replacing when they become scratched, cloudy, split or shortened, and how often that happens depends almost entirely on traffic. A curtain at a busy forklift opening wears far faster than one at a quiet pedestrian door.
Signs that strips are due for replacement:
- You can no longer see clearly through them.
- Strips have torn at the top fixing or split along their length.
- Gaps have opened because strips have shrunk or been cut short.
- Low-temperature strips have stiffened and no longer fall back into place.
Individual strips can be swapped without replacing the whole curtain, which keeps costs down. Cleaning with a mild detergent helps visibility, while solvents can damage the PVC. Moving strips from the busy centre to the edges, and back, spreads the wear more evenly.
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
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
Options to discuss
Ribbed strips
Strips with raised ribs that take the abrasion from forklifts and pallets, helping them stay clearer for longer at busy openings.
Sliding or swing-away rail
A rail that lets the whole curtain be moved clear of the opening for wide loads, cleaning or seasonal removal without taking the strips down.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Hove, 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 about PVC strip curtains in Hove
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Hove, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Hove?
Yes, by arrangement. Evening, night and weekend working can be planned so the installation causes as little disruption as possible to your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work can affect the price, so mention it at the survey and we will include it in the written quote. The agreed times are confirmed in the programme before the job starts.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Hove?
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 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.
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.
PVC strip curtains near Hove
If your site is not in Hove itself, it may be near one of these: Brighton (1 mile), Portslade (2 miles) and Shoreham-by-Sea (5 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Hove
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Hove
If a loading bay in Hove needs attention, call us or send photos and details online.