When it comes to PVC, you want to make sure that you are always investing in high quality material. The better PVC quality you get, the longer it will last, and the better it will do the jobs that you need it for.
We are experts in what makes PVC great and have spent a lot of time and effort sourcing the best possible materials for your orders. Here are our tips on how to know when the PVC you are using is top quality – and when it isn’t.
Durability
This is one of the biggest tests of PVC quality out there. If it’s high quality, it will be more durable. It’s really essential that PVC is durable when used in strip curtains and doors, simply because it has a tough job to do. It is called upon to regulate temperatures and keep an area safe, and will often serve as a main entry point for a lot of traffic. If it’s not going to last, then you won’t want it – you would have to replace it over and over again. A good quality PVC curtain will last for a good long time.
Visibility
One thing you need to know about PVC is that low-quality curtains will be almost opaque. High quality strips, on the other hand, will be nigh-on translucent, meaning that you can see through them with the minimum amount of distortion. This is really important as a safety feature: if your PVC hangs in an entranceway, everyone coming through needs to be able to see the other side. This is even more essential when you are hanging PVC in an entranceway which is used by forklifts. Light will also pass through high-quality PVC, meaning that you can cut back on expenses during the day with natural light filtering through the curtains from an outside area.
Origin
So where does good PVC come from? Actually, the best grades are sourced from Europe, normally the UK or France. Finding out whether your PVC is high quality starts with discovering where it comes from. Non-European sources could be lower quality and won’t be held to the same kind of industry standards, so you need to watch out for that. European-grade is also important because of the fact that it contains UV stabilisers. Without these elements included in the production of the material, it can blister and become cloudy over time with exposure to UV rays. This damage will cause you to replace them far more often, while the stabilisers leave the PVC looking as new as the day it was installed.
Safety
Without UV stabilisers, another thing can happen: the PVC becomes distressed, and bacteria or fungal spores gather in the cracks and marks, growing and infecting the whole strip. This is very unhygienic and certainly should not be acceptable in the food industry. It becomes a health and safety hazard which requires immediate replacement. PVC curtains should also be fire safe, as otherwise they could melt and leave toxic gasses behind. Make sure that your PVC is fire retardant and self-extinguishing, particularly if you have it installed in an area which could be prone to high temperatures or electrical fires.
Price
Finally, it’s clear that some suppliers of PVC just don’t care about their customers. If you see a PVC strip curtain which is very over-priced, you should be wary: it’s likely that the supplier is overcharging for a lower quality material in order to make as much profit as possible. You can find out the best prices in the industry very easily by shopping around, and if you do so, you will see that we offer the lowest deals on our high quality PVC. This ensures that you get the opportunity to have the quality of PVC that you deserve along with a price that doesn’t leave you feeling cheated.
If you’re not sure about the quality of the PVC on sale, don’t buy it. Come to a company that knows their PVC inside and out – and isn’t afraid to stand up to scrutiny. Our high quality PVC cannot be beaten, so if you want an example of the best, make an order today!