- Location
- Littlehampton, West Sussex
- Main postcode district
- BN17
- Nearby (straight line)
- Bognor Regis (6 miles), Worthing (7 miles) and Lancing (10 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 Littlehampton choose this?
Goods-in areas in Littlehampton that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust. Where strips at a site in Littlehampton have turned cloudy and scratched, replacing them restores visibility for drivers and pedestrians sharing the opening.
Chilled rooms off a dock in Littlehampton can lose temperature through internal doorways, and a low-temperature strip curtain is a quick, inexpensive fix.
Here is what happens after you contact us about a site in Littlehampton. We arrange a free survey, measure up and send a fixed written quote. If you go ahead, we manage the whole job, including ordering, delivery and coordination with your site team. Specialist installation engineers working under our management do the fitting, at times built around your loading schedule, with out-of-hours work by arrangement. Testing and handover documents close the job.
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.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
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.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Littlehampton, 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 Littlehampton
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Littlehampton?
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.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Littlehampton?
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 Littlehampton 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.
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.
Are strip curtains a good alternative to a high-speed door?
Strip curtains are a good low-cost option for moderate traffic, but at very busy openings a high-speed door often performs better because it clears fully for each vehicle and closes behind it. The right choice depends on traffic volume, visibility needs and budget.
PVC strip curtains near Littlehampton
Businesses outside Littlehampton may find their nearest town in this list: Bognor Regis (6 miles), Worthing (7 miles) and Lancing (10 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Littlehampton
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Littlehampton
Tell us what is happening at your Littlehampton dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.