- Location
- Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire
- Main postcode district
- WD3
- Nearby (straight line)
- Watford (4 miles), Chalfont St Peter (4 miles) and Gerrards Cross (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.
Why do sites in Rickmansworth choose this?
Smaller trade units in Rickmansworth with a single goods door may find a strip curtain the most economical way to keep the working area warmer in winter. Food and packaging businesses in Rickmansworth can choose strip grades suited to regular cleaning, helping to separate dispatch areas from production.
Chilled rooms off a dock in Rickmansworth can lose temperature through internal doorways, and a low-temperature strip curtain is a quick, inexpensive fix.
The survey is free, the quote is written and the price is fixed: that is how every installation in Rickmansworth begins. We then manage the work from start to finish. Fitting is carried out by specialist installers under our management, phased so the operation keeps moving, and nights or weekends can be booked by arrangement. On the final day we test the equipment with you and hand over the operating and maintenance information.
How are strip curtains fitted to a loading bay opening?
Strip curtains are fitted by fixing a rail across the head of the opening and hanging the strips from it, a job that usually takes an hour or two per opening and needs no power supply.
- Fixed rails: bolted to the lintel or wall above the opening, with strips hooked or clamped on.
- Sliding rails: let the whole curtain be pushed to one side for wide loads or warmer months.
- Swing-away rails: hinge back against the wall, useful where a door track runs close to the head of the opening.
At a dock the curtain usually sits just inside the main door, so we check it will not snag the door's bottom edge, the leveller lip or any tracks. From you we need the opening clear for the visit and agreement on whether strips should reach the floor or stop just above it. Strips that drag on the floor wear quickly and can catch on pallet trucks.
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
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
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.
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.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Rickmansworth, 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 Rickmansworth
Is VAT included in your guide prices for PVC strip curtains?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Hertfordshire as everywhere else: for PVC strip curtains, it is £180 to £1,100 per opening, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Rickmansworth?
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.
How long does installation take at a site in Rickmansworth?
It depends on the equipment, the number of bays, the condition of the dock and whether any building or electrical work is needed. We agree a programme with you after the survey, setting out which bays are out of use and when. Larger jobs are usually phased so that part of the dock stays open, and out-of-hours working can be arranged.
Do strip curtains work at an external dock opening?
Yes, strip curtains are often hung just inside an external dock door to reduce draughts while the door is open for loading. They are not a substitute for the door itself, which still closes the opening for security and weather whenever the bay is not in use.
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.
PVC strip curtains near Rickmansworth
Close neighbours of Rickmansworth with their own pages here: Watford (4 miles), Chalfont St Peter (4 miles) and Gerrards Cross (5 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.
Other loading bay services in Rickmansworth
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Rickmansworth
Send a few photos of the dock and a short description of the problem, and we will come back to you about your Rickmansworth site.