Strip Curtains UK | PVC Strip Curtains for Every Industry | Free Delivery

Strip curtains are flexible door barriers made from overlapping vertical strips of PVC, used across industrial, commercial, and agricultural settings throughout the UK. Also known as PVC strip curtains or PVC strip doors, they create a continuous barrier across doorways and openings that people, vehicles, and equipment can pass through freely — without the need to open or close a door.

PVC Strip Curtains UK is the UK's specialist supplier of strip curtains for every application. Our strip curtains are made to measure, cut to your exact doorway dimensions, and delivered free to your door across the United Kingdom.

What Are Strip Curtains and How Do They Work?

A strip curtain consists of a series of flexible PVC strips, each typically 100mm to 400mm wide, hung from a rail mounted above a doorway. The strips overlap each other by approximately 50%, creating an effective barrier against draughts, temperature loss, insects, dust, and noise. When someone or a vehicle passes through, the strips part and then return to position under their own weight.

The key advantage of strip curtains over solid doors is that they require no user action — there are no handles to operate, no pneumatic systems to maintain, and no risk of a door being left open. The curtain is always in place, always providing its barrier function, yet always permeable for traffic.

Strip curtains are passive, low-maintenance, and highly cost-effective. A typical made-to-measure PVC strip curtain kit pays for itself in energy savings within the first heating season.

PVC Strip Curtain Types and Grades

Standard Clear PVC Strip

Standard clear PVC strip curtains are the most commonly used type for general warehouse, commercial, and light industrial applications. Available in 2mm and 3mm thickness and a range of widths from 100mm to 300mm. Operating temperature range: -5°C to +40°C. REACH compliant.

Heavy Duty PVC Strip

Heavy duty strip curtains use 4mm thick PVC in 300mm or 400mm widths, engineered to absorb repeated impact from forklifts, pallet trucks, and heavy vehicles without tearing or distorting. The industry standard for busy loading bays and forklift traffic routes.

Polar and Freezer Grade PVC Strip

Freezer strip curtains are manufactured from polar-grade PVC that remains fully flexible and transparent at temperatures down to -30°C or -40°C. Standard PVC becomes brittle below -5°C and would crack and shatter — polar grade is essential for cold room and blast freezer applications.

Food Grade PVC Strip

Food-safe strip curtains comply with UK food contact regulations and HACCP food safety management principles. Used in food processing plants, butcheries, bakeries, cold stores, and commercial catering environments.

Anti-Static PVC Strip

Anti-static strip curtains are used where electrostatic discharge (ESD) poses a risk to equipment or personnel — data centres, electronics assembly, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, and chemical handling areas.

Welding PVC Strip

Amber or orange tinted welding curtains meet EN1598/ISO 25980 standards for protection against UV radiation, arc flash, and welding spatter. Used in metal fabrication, engineering, and maintenance workshops.

Industry Applications for Strip Curtains

Warehouses and Logistics

Strip curtains are found in virtually every UK warehouse. They create temperature zones, reduce heating and cooling costs, control forklift traffic, contain dust and noise, and prevent pests from entering the building. A single PVC strip curtain across a warehouse doorway can reduce heat loss by 25–40%, delivering significant energy savings over a heating season.

Loading Bays

Loading bay strip curtains create a flexible seal around lorry trailers during loading and unloading. They prevent warm internal air from escaping and stop pests, birds, and insects from entering. Heavy-duty 4mm grades are standard in busy loading bays used by forklifts and pallet trucks.

Cold Storage and Refrigeration

Freezer-grade strip curtains are essential in cold rooms, walk-in freezers, blast coolers, and refrigerated storage areas. They maintain temperature integrity, prevent frost build-up on floors, and reduce the energy consumption of refrigeration equipment. Required by most food safety audit standards including BRC and BRCGS.

Food Production and Processing

Food-grade strip curtains separate production zones in food manufacturing, prevent cross-contamination, and exclude insects and pests. Antimicrobial grades provide additional protection in high-hygiene environments. All food-grade strips comply with UK food contact material regulations.

Workshops and Manufacturing

Strip curtains partition manufacturing areas into separate work zones, contain noise, swarf, dust, and fumes, and create safe pedestrian corridors through busy production areas. Welding curtains specifically protect workers from UV and spark hazards.

Agricultural Buildings

Farm strip curtains are used in livestock housing, poultry units, pig buildings, and feed stores to retain heat, exclude birds and pests, manage airflow, and separate animal areas. Heavy-duty grades are recommended for high-traffic farm environments.

Car Wash and Wash Bays

Water-resistant PVC strip curtains are used in vehicle wash bays to contain spray, retain heat, and prevent water from spreading outside the wash zone. UV-stabilised grades are recommended for open-air or partially covered installations.

Benefits of PVC Strip Curtains

• Energy saving: Reduce heat loss by up to 40% across doorways, cutting gas and electricity bills significantly.
• Temperature control: Maintain separate temperature zones without interrupting traffic flow.
• Pest and insect exclusion: Create a physical barrier against flies, insects, rodents, and birds.
• Dust and noise reduction: Contain airborne dust, swarf, and reduce noise transmission between zones.
• Safety: Provide visible, coloured safety zone demarcation and protect workers from welding hazards.
• Hygiene: Food-grade and antimicrobial grades maintain hygiene standards and HACCP compliance.
• Low maintenance: Replacement strips can be fitted individually without removing the whole system.
• Cost-effective: Significantly cheaper than solid doors or roller shutters, with faster installation.

PVC Strip Curtains vs Alternatives

Compared to roller shutter doors, PVC strip curtains are significantly cheaper to purchase and install, require no motorised mechanism, and allow continuous pedestrian access without the need to raise or lower the door. Roller shutters are better suited to securing external openings or very large industrial doorways where a physical seal is required.

Compared to solid PVC doors, strip curtains allow free passage without handles or hinges, and individual strips can be replaced without specialist tools. Solid PVC swing doors are better where a positive seal is required against higher pressure differentials.

Air curtains (also called air doors) use a fan to create an air barrier. They are effective at blocking insects but provide minimal thermal insulation compared to PVC strip curtains and are considerably more expensive to purchase and run.

How to Measure for Strip Curtains

Measuring for PVC strip curtains is straightforward. You need two measurements:

1. Opening width: Measure the width of the doorway opening (not including the door frame), from jamb to jamb.
2. Drop height: Measure from the underside of where the rail will be mounted down to approximately 20–30mm below floor level.

Provide these two dimensions when ordering. We cut every strip to the exact length specified. See our full measuring guide for step-by-step instructions and diagrams.

How to Fit Strip Curtains

All made-to-measure strip curtain kits from PVC Strip Curtains UK include the mounting rail, strip fixings, and all hardware needed for installation. Most installations are completed in under an hour using basic tools. The rail is fixed above the doorway, the strips are attached using hooks, cassette clips, or swivel hinges, and the overlap is adjusted to suit your application.

Frequently Asked Questions About Strip Curtains

What width strips do I need for strip curtains?

100mm and 150mm wide strips are suitable for pedestrian-only doorways. 200mm and 300mm wide strips suit standard commercial and light industrial doorways. 300mm and 400mm wide strips are recommended for forklift and vehicle access doorways, as wider strips provide better coverage and withstand impact better.

What is the standard overlap for strip curtains?

The standard overlap is approximately 50% — so a 200mm wide strip overlaps the adjacent strip by 100mm. For cold rooms and freezer applications, a 66–100% overlap is recommended for better thermal performance.

Can strip curtains be used as a replacement for a solid door?

Yes, in many applications. Strip curtains are used as the primary door barrier in warehouses, loading bays, workshops, and food production areas. For security-critical external openings, solid doors or roller shutters are more appropriate.

How are strip curtains mounted?

Strip curtains are hung from a rail fixed above the doorway opening. The three main rail systems are: hook-on (individual strips attached with metal S-hooks), quick-mount (strips clamped in a cassette plate), and swivel hinge (for bi-parting or side-opening curtain systems). All kits include the chosen rail and fixings.

Are strip curtains easy to replace?

Yes. Individual strips can be replaced without removing the whole curtain system. Replacement strips are available in all grades and sizes, cut to your required length. This makes maintenance simple and cost-effective.

Do strip curtains meet food safety regulations?

Food-grade strip curtains comply with UK food contact material regulations and HACCP food safety management requirements. Standard REACH-compliant strips are not specifically food-grade. Always specify food-grade when ordering for food production environments.

How quickly are strip curtains delivered?

All orders are dispatched within 24 hours of ordering (next day on orders placed before 2pm). Free UK delivery is included on all orders. Made-to-measure kits are cut and packaged immediately, so there is no additional lead time for custom sizes.