PVC strip curtains. Seven types for seven different problems.
New and used PVC strip curtains and industrial curtain systems, project managed from design and specification through installation, inspection and maintenance. An opening stays open for people and trucks while heat, dust, noise, sparks or weather stay on the right side of it.
- Curtain types
- 7
- Supply
- New or used
- Strips
- Replaced singly
- Service
- Design to maintenance
Start with the problem, not the curtain.
Each curtain type solves a different problem. Name the problem at the opening and the type follows.
| Problem | Curtain type | Typical location |
|---|---|---|
| Heat loss, draughts and dust at a doorway that is open all day | PVC strip curtains | Internal doorways, goods in, chiller entrances, dispatch |
| One large space that needs separate zones | Warehouse partition curtains | Large single span warehouses, production halls |
| Sparks, spatter, UV light and glare reaching people nearby | Welding curtains | Fabrication shops, maintenance workshops, welding bays |
| Holding a temperature zone inside a bigger building | Thermal insulated curtains | Cold stores, chilled zones, temperature controlled warehouses |
| Noise from machinery spreading across the floor | Soundproof curtains | Factories, compressor rooms, production lines |
| Dust and contamination crossing between areas | Dust control curtains | Cutting and grinding areas, food and packaging, clean zones |
| Wind, rain and cold at loading bays and entrances | External heavy duty curtains | Loading bays, yard entrances, open sided canopies |
The problem at the opening, and the curtain type that solves it.
- Heat loss, draughts and dust at a doorway that is open all day
- PVC strip curtains
- One large space that needs separate zones
- Warehouse partition curtains
- Sparks, spatter, UV light and glare reaching people nearby
- Welding curtains
- Holding a temperature zone inside a bigger building
- Thermal insulated curtains
- Noise from machinery spreading across the floor
- Soundproof curtains
- Dust and contamination crossing between areas
- Dust control curtains
- Wind, rain and cold at loading bays and entrances
- External heavy duty curtains
The seven curtain types.
What each one does, and where it goes.
Type 1
PVC strip curtains
Overlapping flexible PVC strips hung across an opening. People, pallet trucks and forklifts pass straight through, and the strips fall back into place behind them, so the opening stays usable while the air on each side stays put. The workhorse of the range, often called PVC strip doors.
Internal doorways, goods in, chiller entrances, dispatch
Type 2
Warehouse partition curtains
Curtain walls that divide a large building into zones without building walls. Separate a picking area from bulk storage, a packing line from a dusty process, or a heated office corner from an unheated warehouse, and move the line when the layout changes.
Large single span warehouses, production halls
Type 3
Welding curtains
Tinted welding curtains and screens that contain sparks and spatter and filter the UV light and glare from welding, protecting people working or walking nearby while keeping the welder visible to supervisors.
Fabrication shops, maintenance workshops, welding bays
Type 4
Thermal insulated curtains
Insulated curtain systems that maintain temperature zones in warehouses and cold stores, for example a chilled area within an ambient building, or an ambient marshalling area in front of a freezer.
Cold stores, chilled zones, temperature controlled warehouses
Type 5
Soundproof curtains
Acoustic curtains that enclose or screen noisy plant and processes, reducing the noise reaching the rest of the factory. Part of a noise control plan, not a substitute for one.
Factories, compressor rooms, production lines
Type 6
Dust control curtains
Curtains that contain dust at the source and prevent cross-contamination between processes, improving air quality in neighbouring areas and keeping finished goods clean.
Cutting and grinding areas, food and packaging, clean zones
Type 7
External heavy duty curtains
Heavy duty curtains for loading bays and industrial entrances that face the weather. They reduce wind, rain and heat loss through openings that cannot be closed by a door every time a vehicle moves.
Loading bays, yard entrances, open sided canopies
Curtains in cold stores and chilled zones.
Every time a cold store door opens, cold air spills out and warm air rolls in. Strip curtains and thermal insulated curtains slow that exchange while trucks keep moving, which protects the temperature and reduces the frost and ice that form around busy openings.
Standard PVC stiffens as it gets colder, so the strip grade is chosen for the temperature on each side of the opening. Pair the curtains with the right racking for the space: the cold storage and food page covers freezer rated pallet shuttles and the racking systems that suit cold stores.
Project managed, opening by opening.
A curtain that is the wrong type, the wrong grade or the wrong size for the opening fails quickly. These steps prevent that.
- Step 1
Survey the openings
Each opening measured, with the traffic through it, the temperature each side and the problem it needs to solve.
- Step 2
Design and specification
Curtain type, strip grade, width, thickness, overlap and hanging system specified per opening.
- Step 3
New or used
New supply, or used curtains where condition and fit allow, priced side by side.
- Step 4
Installation
Hanging systems fixed and curtains fitted, phased around the working day where openings are busy.
- Step 5
Inspection
Strips checked for wear, splits, discolouration and lost visibility, and hanging hardware checked for security.
- Step 6
Maintenance
Worn strips replaced individually and curtains adjusted as traffic or layout changes.
New and used PVC curtains.
New curtains are specified for the exact opening, temperature and traffic, and are the right choice for cold stores, food areas and any opening that people need to see through clearly. Used curtains are a practical option for temporary zoning, budget-limited projects and openings where appearance matters less, provided the strips are in good condition and the hanging system fits.
Either way, the curtain is only one part of the opening. Where trucks pass close to racking or doorframes, add rack protection and barriers, and where a zone needs to be secure rather than just separate, use mesh partitions.
When a curtain is the wrong answer.
- A secure boundary. Curtains separate air, not people; use a mesh partition or a door.
- A fire separation. Curtains are not a substitute for a fire door or fire rated wall.
- An opening used rarely, where a closed door holds temperature better than any curtain.
- Severe weather exposure on a large opening with no door behind it, which needs a door, with a curtain as a second line.
PVC curtain questions, answered.
They are the same product under two names. Overlapping flexible PVC strips are hung across an opening so people and vehicles pass through while the strips fall back into place behind them. Strip door is the usual term for a single doorway; strip curtain is used for wider openings and for partition curtains across a building.
Start with the problem. Heat loss or dust at a busy doorway needs PVC strip curtains. Zoning a large space needs partition curtains. Welding hazards need welding curtains. Holding a chilled or frozen zone needs thermal insulated curtains. Machinery noise needs soundproof curtains. Cross-contamination needs dust control curtains. Weather at a loading bay needs external heavy duty curtains.
Yes. Strip curtains and thermal insulated curtains are widely used on cold store and freezer openings to reduce cold air loss while doors are open. The strip grade must be suited to the temperature, because standard PVC stiffens in the cold, so tell us the operating temperature on both sides of the opening at survey.
Strips wear over time where vehicles pass through, which is normal. The strip width, thickness and overlap are specified for the traffic through the opening, and worn or damaged strips are replaced individually rather than replacing the whole curtain. Regular inspection catches wear before it affects performance or visibility.
Yes, new and used PVC curtains are both available. Used curtains suit temporary zoning, budget-limited projects and openings where appearance matters less. We confirm the condition and the fit to your opening before supply.
Yes. Curtain projects are managed from design and specification through installation, inspection and maintenance. That includes measuring openings, choosing the curtain type and strip grade, installing the hanging system and replacing worn strips over the life of the curtain.
Yes, on standard strip curtain systems each strip hangs independently, so one damaged strip is swapped without taking the curtain down. Keeping a few spare strips on site for busy openings is sensible.
Send us the opening sizes and the problem at each one.
Width, height, what passes through and the temperature on each side are enough to specify the curtain type and grade. The survey confirms it and prices new and used options side by side.