- Location
- Kirkwall, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
- Main postcode district
- KW15
- Nearby (straight line)
- Remote location, covered by arrangement
- 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 Kirkwall?
Food and packaging businesses in Kirkwall can choose strip grades suited to regular cleaning, helping to separate dispatch areas from production. Where strips at a site in Kirkwall have turned cloudy and scratched, replacing them restores visibility for drivers and pedestrians sharing the opening.
Measuring an opening in Kirkwall for a strip curtain takes only a short visit, and we note traffic, temperature and fixings at the same time.
Keeping the dock running is usually the first concern, so we plan around it. After a free survey of your Kirkwall 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.
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.
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.
The same published guide range applies across Scotland; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What we look at on site
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
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.
Ribbed strips
Strips with raised ribs that take the abrasion from forklifts and pallets, helping them stay clearer for longer at busy openings.
What do the rules in Scotland mean for the work?
Energy standards for buildings in Scotland are set out in Section 6 of the Building Standards Technical Handbook. For new or replacement loading bay doors in Kirkwall, we confirm the figure that applies to your project and check what applies at survey, rather than relying on rules written for elsewhere in the UK.
We cover Kirkwall by arrangement. The survey and written quote stay free: for remote and island sites we often start from your photos, drawings and a video call, then confirm measurements on site. Travel and any accommodation needed for the installation are shown as separate lines in the fixed quote.
Questions about PVC strip curtains in Kirkwall
Do you cover Kirkwall for PVC strip curtains?
Yes. We take on PVC strip curtains for businesses in Kirkwall and across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. We survey the site, provide a fixed written quote and manage the installation, with specialist installation engineers working under our management. Visits are arranged in advance at a time that suits your operation, and the same single contact stays with the job through to handover.
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 Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles 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.
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 Kirkwall 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.
Which grade should we use in a freezer?
Use a low-temperature or polar grade in a freezer. Standard PVC stiffens in the cold, so it cracks and stops falling back into place, leaving gaps. Low-temperature grades are formulated to stay flexible in chilled and frozen conditions, so they keep sealing after each vehicle passes.
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 Kirkwall
Other loading bay services in Kirkwall
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Kirkwall
Call us or request a quote online to talk through loading bay work at your site in Kirkwall.