- Location
- Shipley, West Yorkshire
- Main postcode district
- BD18
- Nearby (straight line)
- Bradford (3 miles), Guiseley (4 miles) and Yeadon (4 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.
Is this right for your site in Shipley?
Goods-in areas in Shipley that leave the main door open during long unloading sessions can use a strip curtain to hold back draughts and dust. In a warehouse in Shipley where doors stay open for much of the shift, strip curtains offer a practical first step before considering a high-speed door.
Where strips at a site in Shipley have turned cloudy and scratched, replacing them restores visibility for drivers and pedestrians sharing the opening.
A single contact at Loading Bay Doors handles your project in Shipley 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.
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.
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.
What do we check at the survey?
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
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.
Regulations and approvals in England
Sites in Shipley fall under the rules for England. Structural changes such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need Building Regulations approval, and external structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission from the local planning authority. We check what applies at survey and build any approvals into the plan.
Questions about PVC strip curtains in Shipley
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Shipley?
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.
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 Shipley, 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.
Do you cover Shipley for PVC strip curtains?
Yes. We take on PVC strip curtains for businesses in Shipley and across West Yorkshire. 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.
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.
PVC strip curtains near Shipley
Close neighbours of Shipley with their own pages here: Bradford (3 miles), Guiseley (4 miles) and Yeadon (4 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.
Other loading bay services in Shipley
Full guide to PVC strip curtains · Everything we do in Shipley
Send a few photos of the dock and a short description of the problem, and we will come back to you about your Shipley site.