- Location
- Whickham, Tyne and Wear
- Main postcode district
- NE16
- Nearby (straight line)
- Blaydon-on-Tyne (2 miles), Newcastle upon Tyne (3 miles) and Gateshead (3 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.
How does this suit sites in Whickham?
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 Whickham. Food and packaging businesses in Whickham can choose strip grades suited to regular cleaning, helping to separate dispatch areas from production.
Goods-in areas in Whickham that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust.
How does an installation in Whickham work? First, a free, no-obligation survey to measure up and understand the operation. Next, a fixed written quote. Then a programme agreed with you, so the work fits around deliveries, with out-of-hours slots if needed. The installation itself is carried out by specialist engineers who answer to us, and it finishes with testing, a walk-through for your staff and a handover pack.
Do strip curtains count towards building energy rules?
A strip curtain does not replace the need for a compliant door: where a new or replacement external loading bay door is fitted, it is the door that has to meet the energy rules.
- England: Approved Document L (2021) Volume 2 sets a limiting U-value of 1.3 W/m²K for vehicle access and similar large doors in new and replacement work.
- Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: each nation has its own energy rules, through Approved Document L for Wales, Section 6 of the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbook, and Technical Booklet F2 in Northern Ireland. We confirm what applies to your nation and project.
What a strip curtain does well is reduce the air moving through an opening while the door is open for loading. That helps a heated or chilled building, even though the curtain is not the door.
Workplace safety still applies around the curtain: strips should stay clear enough for drivers and pedestrians to see each other. HSE is the regulator in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
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 does the free survey cover?
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Drainage on recessed or sloping dock approaches
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
Options to discuss
Standard clear strips
Clear flexible PVC for ambient warehouses and goods-in areas, giving good visibility and draught control at pedestrian and forklift openings.
Ribbed strips
Strips with raised ribs that take the abrasion from forklifts and pallets, helping them stay clearer for longer at busy openings.
Which rules apply in England?
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Whickham, 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 Whickham
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Whickham?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
Is the site survey in Whickham free?
Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
What details do you need from us to quote for PVC strip curtains?
To get started, send the site address in Whickham, 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 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 Whickham
If your site is not in Whickham itself, it may be near one of these: Blaydon-on-Tyne (2 miles), Newcastle upon Tyne (3 miles) and Gateshead (3 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Whickham
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Whickham
Ready to talk about a loading bay in Whickham? Call us, or send the details through the quote form.