- Location
- Caterham, Surrey
- Main postcode district
- CR3
- Nearby (straight line)
- Redhill (5 miles), Reigate (6 miles) and Sutton (7 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.
Where does this fit at a dock in Caterham?
Where strips at a site in Caterham have turned cloudy and scratched, replacing them restores visibility for drivers and pedestrians sharing the opening. Smaller trade units in Caterham 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 Caterham that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust.
A single contact at Loading Bay Doors handles your project in Caterham 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.
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.
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.
What do we check at the survey?
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Working hours, shift patterns and windows for out-of-hours work
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
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.
Which rules apply 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 Caterham. 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 Caterham
Do you cover Caterham for PVC strip curtains?
Yes. We take on PVC strip curtains for businesses in Caterham and across Surrey. 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.
What details do you need from us to quote for PVC strip curtains?
To get started, send the site address in Caterham, 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.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Caterham?
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.
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.
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.
PVC strip curtains near Caterham
Looking beyond Caterham? Our pages for Redhill (5 miles), Reigate (6 miles) and Sutton (7 miles) describe the same loading bay services and how to get in touch.
Other loading bay services in Caterham
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Caterham
Request a quote for your loading bay in Caterham, attaching photos of the dock, the equipment and any damage.