- Location
- South Shields, Tyne and Wear
- Main postcode district
- NE33
- Nearby (straight line)
- Tynemouth (1 mile), North Shields (1 mile) and Jarrow (2 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 South Shields?
Smaller trade units in South Shields with a single goods door may find a strip curtain the most economical way to keep the working area warmer in winter. In a warehouse in South Shields where doors stay open for much of the shift, strip curtains offer a practical first step before considering a high-speed door.
Goods-in areas in South Shields that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust.
It starts with a free site survey in South Shields, where we measure the openings, check the dock and talk through how the bay is used. You then receive a fixed written quote. Once you accept, we manage the job: specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, planned around your deliveries, and out-of-hours working can be arranged. At handover we test everything with you and leave the documentation.
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.
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
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
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.
Standard clear strips
Clear flexible PVC for ambient warehouses and goods-in areas, giving good visibility and draught control at pedestrian and forklift openings.
Which rules apply in England?
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in South Shields, 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 South Shields
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 South Shields, 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.
Which building and safety rules apply to a site in South Shields?
It depends on which UK nation the site is in. England and Wales use Building Regulations approval, Scotland uses building warrants and Northern Ireland uses building control approval from the council. Workplace safety is regulated by HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland, and energy rules differ between nations. For your site in South Shields, we check what applies at survey and design to it.
Do you cover South Shields for PVC strip curtains?
Yes. We take on PVC strip curtains for businesses in South Shields and across Tyne and Wear. 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.
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.
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 South Shields
We also cover towns near South Shields, including Tynemouth (1 mile), North Shields (1 mile) and Jarrow (2 miles). Each has its own page with the same services and process.
Other loading bay services in South Shields
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in South Shields
Tell us what is happening at your South Shields dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.