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PVC Curtains Explained

These curtains consist of various strips of PVC that hang together between a doorway or entry point. When untouched, the strips hang loosely together and create a screen that covers the doorway but allows people to still see through it. Then, when individuals enter the doorway, they can move the plastic curtains aside and traverse through with ease. 

That’s the basic explanation of what these curtains are, and they are available in different styles. We actually stock a variety of custom PVC curtains that come in many designs and levels of thickness, depending on what they’re used for. 

What Are The Common Uses For Factory Plastic Curtains?

The primary use for these curtains is to offer a convenient method of sealing off a doorway without using a conventional door. There are many reasons you might not want a door in this scenario, but the main one is that it would be highly inconvenient as you experience lots of foot traffic moving to and from a room, meaning it wouldn’t be practical to keep opening and closing a door. In some settings, machines need to pass through the entrance points as well, meaning a door is even less convenient, and these plastic strip curtains are ideal. 

So, where are they commonly found? You see them in warehouses all the time, along with manufacturing factories, industrial kitchens, medical centres, and so on. Below, we have listed a few areas where you may have encountered these curtains before:

• Auto repair shops/car garages
• Hospitals
• Supermarkets
• Restaurant kitchens
• Distribution centres
• Manufacturing plants

In truth, you can see them anywhere as there are no rules on when they should or shouldn’t be used. Many businesses prefer them to conventional doors because of the advantages they bring. 

What Are The Benefits Of PVC Curtains?

You will have a greater understanding of where these curtains can be used when you learn the benefits they provide. So, how can businesses and companies benefit from utilising PVC strip curtains?

For one, they are an excellent device for separating two areas. The see-through nature of the curtains means you can always see through to the different areas without needing to open a door all the time. This also lets natural light into the vicinity, reducing the need for powerful lights to be on all the time, possibly lowering energy costs. 

Furthermore, having these curtains in place instead of leaving a wide gap means you can retain warmth or cool air in a location. Hence, they are often used in freezer rooms within restaurants or supermarkets. The PVC curtains stop the cold air from leaving the room, maintaining the ideal temperature. 

Despite being made of thin strips of PVC, the curtains can actually be great noise insulators. They will certainly help you block out sounds from one area to the next, without needing to install an inconvenient door instead. 

That’s another key benefit that these curtains hold over doors; they do exactly what a door will do, only they’re safer. Opening and closing doors present safety risks as people can jam their fingers in the doorway or even injure themselves by pushing the door open. Here, individuals can simply walk through and brush aside the curtains without presenting any injury risks to themselves. 

As if all of this wasn’t enough, factory plastic curtains are also used to keep unwanted visitors from certain places. Primarily, they do a great job of stopping insects and birds from flying into doorways and causing havoc. Similarly, they will stop other things from entering or leaving an area – such as dust, fumes or any other elements that might be present, depending on the location. 

Summary

In conclusion, plastic doors or curtains can be used in lots of different settings. They have many uses, and the key benefits can be summed up below:

• Extremely convenient
• Excellent at separating two areas
• Great at retaining warmth or cool air
• Fantastic noise insulators
• Effective at reducing accidents and increasing workplace safety
• Brilliant at stopping unwanted things from entering or exiting an area

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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Maintaining your warehouse to maximise its efficiency and organisation is crucial, especially as your business expands and reaches more customers.

Increasing the efficiency of your warehouse is not only essential to increase productivity, but it can also increase workplace safety and makes it much easier for your business to scale up when this becomes necessary.

In the sections below, you can find easy-to-implement tips to enhance your warehouse’s daily operations and premises space. Don’t forget that it is all an ongoing project!

Optimise the Warehouse’s Space

Among the main challenges for warehouse managers and owners is space availability. No matter how spacious your premises are, you will always feel like more space is needed to accommodate your growing customer base. However, before setting off on a hunt for bigger premises, there is a lot you can do to optimise your existing space. 

Inventory management is definitely a big component of efficiently organising your warehouse space. Undoubtedly, a lean approach to inventory can help you limit the goods that need storing. 

However, you should also evaluate the space in your warehouse to ensure that your goods are organised, accessible, and easy to select. To maximise your space, you should look at the vertical space that you can leverage. Instead of expanding your warehouse’s footprint, consider taller storage units, racks, and stackable containers. 

These systems are used in warehouses across the world and allow you to streamline your daily operations. However, it is essential to also invest in the right equipment for your staff to select and pack stacked items in all safety.  

Use Automation and the Latest Technologies

Not all kinds of technologies are suitable for every warehouse. However, understanding which ones are truly helpful for your business is crucial to save precious labour, reduce budget, and easily scale up your business when you need to. For this, a warehouse management system, or WMS, is essential. 

Similarly to an ERP with WMS functionalities, this software allows you to use technology to minimise error and streamline operations. It does so by recommending the most efficient routes, automated pick lists, and labour use. Thanks to barcodes and RFID (radio frequency identification) systems, WMS software ensures that your employees can safely access and monitor information at all times. 

Keep It Organised and Reduce Clutter

If your warehouse is messy or cluttered, your employees will have to spend time looking for items, searching for tools, and waiting for the right information. By keeping the premises organised and free of clutter, you can cut down this unnecessary waste of time and improve productivity. 

Each warehouse has a unique organisational system. If you are yet to find one that works for your business, you should consider applying the 5S rule – Sort, Set, Shine, Standardise, and Sustain. By using this approach, your employees will keep their workstations organised and free of clutter throughout the day. 

Process the Packages Received Immediately

One area that usually requires improvements is the one involving the procedures to receive goods. Without a standardised method in place, it is possible for your deliveries and stock to end up piled up at the entrance. Aside from using up space, poor receiving practices can slow down your employee’s operations and create considerable safety issues. So, you should devise a strategy that ensures that the goods received are immediately processed and stored. 

Reduce Wastage of Resources

As we have seen, a tailored WMS system is your most important ally when trying to organise an efficient warehouse. However, if your software does not have certain functionalities, you should ensure that you are not involuntarily wasting labour, materials, and resources. To do so, start by learning more about your usage stats and waste statistics. 

This will give you all the right indications to make your warehouse more efficient. For example, if your heavier goods are stored at the back of the building, your employee might have to travel further and with heavier loads. This extends timeframes, increases labour waste, and decreases levels of safety. 

Invest in PVC Curtains

Your warehouse design is just as important when refining your business’s efficiency. Luckily, manufacturers have been investing millions of pounds in researching the safest and most efficient ways to store goods, increase warehouse safety, and reduce the need for manual labour.

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Aside from racks and shelving, the most important aspect to consider is PVC curtains. When properly installed, these curtains allow you to:

• Regulate the warehouse’s temperature
• Prevent goods from spoiling
• Safeguard your employee’s health and wellbeing

While low cost, PVC curtains are essential to increase energy efficiency, reduce the price of bills, and maintain high-quality standards. 

Related Articles

• Seven Simple Reasons to Choose PVC Doors
• Increase safety in the workplace with PVC curtains
• How to increase the lifespan of my pvc curtains
• 4 ways PVC strip curtains reduce health and safety hazards

Getting your hands on PVC strip curtains is a question of several parts: first, you need to find out where PVC curtains are sold, and then you need to refine your search to find the best quality for the lowest price. So, where can you order your PVC strip curtains in the UK? Read on to find out!

Getting the quickest delivery

When it comes to picking out your PVC strip curtains, ordering them in the precise measurements that you require, and then getting them delivered to where they are needed, it is always quicker to order online. Sites like ours offer a quicker service, and you can do it from the convenience of any device with an internet connection. 

Ordering online takes a lot of the hassle out of the equation, and allows you to customise your needs without any trouble. You don’t even need to get out of bed to do it, so this method is definitely preferable. 

If you want to make an order but you aren’t very internet-savvy, you can also enjoy the same level of convenience by giving us a call.

The best value for PVC strip curtain orders

Value, as we have already alluded, is not just a question of the lowest price – but also the quality which comes with it. When it comes to making sure that customers can receive the highest possible quality PVC, but also keeping our prices as low as possible, we can’t be beaten.

We spend time sourcing the best PVC on the market, making sure that it is up to our meticulous standards, and we also negotiate closely with suppliers to ensure that we are paying a low price for the PVC. We gain a further advantage by purchasing in bulk, something that an individual consumer cannot manage. 

Rather than keeping this discount for ourselves and reaping the profits at a higher sales value, we pass the savings onto our customers. Our top priority is that you are satisfied with your purchase, as we want you to come back time and time again. We build relationships with our customers to span decades, all with our dedicated service and attention to quality.

Serving UK customers 

When it comes to making sure that you are getting your PVC strip curtains from the best place for UK customers, you can’t go wrong with us. We are based in the UK ourselves and our service is set up to directly benefit UK customers. This includes an installation service as well as delivery, which is organised in the fastest possible timeframe so that you can begin using your curtains immediately. 

You don’t have to take our word for it. Just listen to the referrals from our happy customers, who return to us for repeat orders and are quick to recommend our services.

So, where can you buy PVC strip curtains in the UK for the best quality, value, and quickest delivery? You’re already in the right place!

You may have heard or seen it written that PVC curtains are one of the most hygienic forms of barrier you can opt for. This is why they are used as doorways in food factories, and incorporated into refrigeration units to keep the chill in.

But what is it that makes them so hygienic? Let’s look at the facts here, so you can understand why this material is such a great choice.

Smooth surface

The smooth surface of PVC curtains is great for a number of reasons. The first is that should any dirt get onto the curtains, it is easy enough to wipe them clean. All you need is a bucket of warm, soapy water and a sponge to remove dirt and bacteria. You can also wipe them dry with a towel if you would like to, but because they lay so flat and smooth, the water will drip right off if you leave them wet.

The other great thing is that dirt does not build up so badly in the first place. As your PVC strips age with time, they might get some light surfaces scratches which can attract a build-up of dirt. It will still be easy to clean these out, and because the PVC is so durable, you won’t get to that stage for quite some time. You can also choose to replace one strip of the curtains at a time if you are worried about damage or scratches harbouring bacteria. This will save you money, as you don’t have to replace the whole curtain every single time!

The PVC strip curtain formation is really cost-effective for this reason, and it is very easy to install new strips. This means they are easy to deal with no matter what happens to them over the course of their lifetime – which could be very long.

Heavy yet light

The big benefit of PVC curtains is that the strips are too heavy to be moved aside by insects, small pests, and so on. On the other hand, they are light enough to be easily moved by humans – even children. This gives them the perfect position to deter pests and bacteria to pass through them into a new area.

Anything that meets the curtains will be trapped on the side that it came from – so, for example, a doorway to the outside is well-protected by PVC strips. It would take more than a gentle breeze to sway them, too, so you will have good protection at all times.

It’s not just physical and visible pollution that can be kept out by your PVC curtains. Just as they keep bugs on the other side, so do they prevent some of the flow of air. This means that temperatures can be maintained much more easily on either side – preventing a huge loss of heat in a heated area, for example, and reducing cooling bills on open refrigeration units.

They also reduce the flow of noise and smells from one area to another. This might not be so much of a problem in everyday life, but in a factory setting, this can be crucial. Reducing the need for ear protection and creating a more pleasant environment for your employees is always going to be a huge win.

There are many ways in which PVC curtains are a useful fit for a lot of situations, but their good hygiene rating is a huge one. You can also rely on your curtains at extreme low temperatures, as freezer-grade material are available. Perfect for factory and retail scenarios!

PVC curtains have a lot of surprising uses and applications, and many of these are extremely helpful from a health and safety point of view. Here are just four of the hazards that you can reduce or mitigate through the use of hanging PVC strip curtains, and how it works.

1. Noise pollution

Loud noise levels are a serious issue in manufacturing sites, as well as building sites and other production facilities. When you have loud machinery working on a constant basis, particularly in an enclosed space, the noise can quickly reach a level which is not deemed safe for human ears.

At this stage, it is important to insist on ear protection for all employees. This may include earplugs, ear defenders, or other methods. But what happens when you have a nearby space in which it is equally important for employees to hear clearly, such as when in the path of an oncoming forklift?

In this case, you can use PVC curtains as a divider between the spaces which will also help to deaden the noise pollution. You may be surprised by the degree at which this works, and how much more noise spills through when the curtains are opened.

2. Clear line of sight

In an entranceway, you have three options. The first is to leave it open and clear, which may not be practical for a number of reasons. The second is to install a door, which brings with it potential further problems – the opening and closing on a constant basis is likely to turn into simply leaving it open all the time, making it not much above our first option.

The third option is PVC curtains, and from a healthy and safety perspective, it is the best option. These transparent strips allow a clear line of sight from one side to the other, meaning that anyone on either side can see others approaching and stay out of the way. This allows for the transit of both people and vehicles with no safety issues.

The curtains also move aside quickly and easily when simply pushed by a human body, with very little expenditure of energy. You don’t even need hands free to turn a handle. This makes it much easy for travel through an entranceway in all regards.

3. Temperature control

Freezer rooms are a stable of food manufacture or packaging facilities, and they can often be so cold that employees require special clothing to enter and work inside these rooms. Since a forklift may be needed for regular transport, installing a doorway is, once again, completely impractical.

Installing PVC curtains does more than guarantee easy access. It also helps to control the temperature on either side of the entranceway, keeping cold air on one side and warm air on the other. This means that your employees do not need special equipment or clothing to go by the doorway, and will only require it when entering.

4. Moveable access

Doors are fine for people, and curtains are fine for both people and forklifts. PVC curtains that can be moved back and forth on a rail, however, are the only option that is suitable for people, forklifts, and larger vehicles or access.

Having the ability to move the curtains out of the way when needed creates a flexible health and safety solution which is unparalleled in its suitability for almost all situations.

PVC curtains could help more than you think with health and safety initiatives at your site. If you’re looking to reduce accidents and save money, they are the best way to go.

PVC curtains can be useful in a lot of different ways. While their uses are hugely diverse, we’ve picked out six scenarios in which they would be the perfect solution to your needs. If any of these situations ring true for you, you know what you need to get your hands on!

1. A space split between a warehouse and a processing area

In factory situations, there is often a large space being used for multiple purposes. You may have a processing area with lines where the products are made or packaged, and then a warehousing area where they are taken to be stored before shipping. You may also have a shipping area where lorries are able to pull up and load.

PVC curtains are ideal in this case because they provide a barrier which is easy to move through either on foot or in a forklift, and which allows visibility on both sides. It also reduces noise pollution on either side of the curtains, as well as reducing the chance of pests and pollutants crossing through.

2. An outdoor exit or entrance which is frequently used

If you are frequently going in and out, you may find it tedious to open and close a door. However, this leaves the interior vulnerable to pests, as well as potentially increasing your heating or air conditioning bill.

PVC curtains provide a safe solution which minimises the passage of pests as well as hot or cool air, whilst also making it easier for you to walk in and out whenever you like.

3. An interior door which is frequently used, especially if you are carrying things

Just like the above example, it’s easier to pass through PVC curtains than to frequently open and close a door.

If you are likely to be carrying something during your passage – such as if you are entering a storeroom to find stock for a customer – then you will also appreciate being able to pass through the curtains without needing the use of your hands.

4. An entrance to a refrigeration unit

Refrigerated rooms are essential for many sectors of the food production industry, and they may even go down to freezer-level temperatures. There is a need to pass in and out of these rooms frequently during production and shipping, but you also want to keep your cooling bill as low as possible.

Just as we have explored already, PVC curtains are ideal for both of these uses – and you can also purchase special freezer-coated PVC which is designed to withstand extreme low temperatures.

5. An irregular space, such as a door or window, which needs to be easily accessible

If the space you want to curtain off is a strange size or shape – perhaps several different levels in one place – then PVC curtains are an ideal solution. Each strip of the curtains can be cut to the dimensions you require, so it’s easy to have different lengths along the rail or to fit them to an unusual space.

6. A pathway which sometimes needs to be sealed and sometimes not

If you only want a barrier in place some of the time, PVC curtains form an ideal solution. They can be installed on a sliding rail, allowing them to be pushed back when not needed. The strip formation of the curtains means that they will concertina down into a smaller space, unlike solid sliding barriers, which need enough room to be pushed back.

PVC curtains are versatile enough to fit a number of different situations perfectly, as you can see. If you now know they are right for you, you can order online or speak to us for a consultation today.

PVC is a material widely used for all kinds of projects, but what is it that makes it so useful? Here we’ll give you a simple guide into what makes it work, and why it makes the perfect choice for curtains in a variety of uses.

The basics

To give it its full name, Polyvinyl Chloride is a polymer which is used extremely widely across the globe. Industrial, technical, electrical, medical, and everyday applications are common. This is because of the properties that it holds: it is durable and long-lasting, can be made either rigid or flexible, and can be clear or coloured.

The first patent for the manufacturing process of PVC was registered in 1913 by a German inventor named Friedrich Klatte. Commercial production of the material began in 1933, and now it accounts for around 20% of all plastic which is manufactured. Only polyethlene claims a higher percentage.

Production

How is PVC manufactured? It starts with salt water, which goes through electrolysis to produce cholorine. This is combined with ethylene from oil, which forms a vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). When the VCM molecules are polymerised, this forms PVC resin. Once you incorporate the appropriate additives, it makes a customers PVC compound which can give you the specific characteristics you require.

These are the five steps of manufacture broken down in simple bites:

• Extract salt and hydrocarbon resources from water and oil
• Produce ethylene and chlorine from those resources
• Combine the two in order to create VCM
• Polymerise VCM to make PVC resin
• Blend PVC resin with other materials to produce the properties you want

Sustainability

There are obvious concerns about the use and manufacture of plastics, but the good news about PVC is that it takes less non-renewable fuel to make than any other type of commodity plastics. They are normally made from only oil, where PVC is also manufactured from salt. In some regions, PVC is also made without oil feedstock at all, using bio-derived hydrocardon feedstock instead.

Products of manufacture

When PVC is manufactured, there are a couple of products and by-products that are also created. These are chlorine and caustic soda – both of which are hugely useful in the world at large. Chlorine makes 85% of pharmaceuticals, as well as keeping swimming pools clean! Caustic soda is used in soap, paper, detergents and cleaners, in the food industry, in textiles, and so on.

Additives

The high versatility of PVC comes from the way different additives will produce different results. PVC can be produced in a plasticised form to be flexible, or unplasticised as PVC-U to be rigid. Heat stabilisers, lubricants, pigments, impact modifiers, flame retardants, UV stabilisers and so on can all be added.

These add, respectively: protection against heat or low temperatures, low friction, different colours, resistance to damage, resistance to fire, and protection from damage by the sun. PVC is in fact fire retardant as a base material because of the presence of chlorine, but it can be enhanced further.

Due to the use of additives, you may be surprised to find that the actual PVC content in some applications – such as floorboards – can be as low as 25% by mass. 

Benefits and properties

These are the properties of PVC which result in it being so useful:

• Excellent electrical insulation (perfect for cables)
• High impact strength
• Consumes less primary energy during production than other plastics
• Insulation for windows and curtains
• Relatively small carbon footprint
• Lightweight
• Rated for extensive European food contact and medical use 

 

There you have it – the science behind PVC, and what makes it such a great choice for so many uses!

PVC curtains are extremely low maintenance, and this means it’s easy to look after them. If you have them installed already, or you are looking to have them installed this year, here’s how to make sure that they remain in top shape.

1. Clean with a damp sponge

Cleaning your PVC curtains is extremely easy. Because they don’t absorb dirty and have a nice smooth surface, getting rid of any grime that may build up is as simple as wiping down with a damp sponge. This should be enough to remove anything from the surface. Follow up with a wipe-down from a dry towel to ensure that no residue remains on the surface of the PVC. If it dries in the air, you may be left with a water mark which reduces the visibility through your curtains.

2. Encourage careful use

PVC is a very durable material. It can withstand a lot of hard knocks, and resists scratching where other materials might be damaged. However, this does not mean that it is completely impervious. If it is scratched, which may occur when sharp objects or textures are dragged across it, this can reduce the visibility. It will also make your PVC harder to clean as dirt can gather into the scratches. Therefore, encourage careful use as much as possible.

3. Move them away

If you don’t always need your PVC curtains in place, then you can get them to last a lot longer by moving them out of the way when they aren’t needed. This can be done on a roller fitting attached to your ceiling, allowing you to open and close them regularly. Keeping them out of the way will reduce wear and tear, as well as reducing the amount of cleaning needed. It’s also great for health and safety purposes, as it removes a barrier within your space if there is no need for one.

4. Check them regularly

You don’t need to do a lot of maintenance with PVC strip curtains, but it’s a good idea to give them a check now and then. See if there is any damage of any kind, or if they are in need of another clean. There are several things you want to have from your PVC curtains:

• Good visibility through the clear plastic
• Flexibility and the ability to be moved out of the way
• A cohesive barrier with no gaps when it is left to hang on its own
• If your PVC curtains no longer fulfill these requirements, you might want to think about replacing them.

5. Replace broken strips

It might be hard to damage your PVC curtains, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Some enterprising soul might eventually manage it! If you do end up with heavily scratched strips, or perhaps even a chunk missing, then you can easily replace the individual strip without having to replace the full curtain. This will save you money, so it’s a great way to get more life out of your PVC curtains without having to spend a lot. Should you feel that it’s time for a fresh start, you can always replace the whole unit too.

Looking after your PVC curtains with the first four steps we have outlined above hopefully means that you will have to come to step five less often. And when you do, you may not have to replace the whole kit and caboodle. It’s easy to look after your PVC and cheap, so there’s no excuse for not doing it!

Pest control becomes a real concern in the summer, as the warmer weather brings out all manner of flies and insects who are looking for food. Unfortunately, this also means that they spend a lot of time trying to get into places where we don’t want them to go.

If you’re looking to keep out flies and other insects, there are a number of solutions that might present themselves. Nothing, however, is both as effective and as safe as PVC screens.

Ventilation with pest control

The main advantage of using a PVC curtain as your insect screen is that it allows the best possible ventilation for any door to the outside. A solid door is not always a viable option – for example, in areas where people must pass inside and outside very often. In this case, a solid door would simply be left open almost all of the time. This would allow pests to enter the building at their will.

A PVC door, however, has a very different property. It is light enough for humans to pass easily through the strips of PVC curtains, which fall back into place immediately. This means that insects are kept out, while passage through the entranceway is not at all restricted.

The door also allows for light and air to enter into a space more easily. This is because the material is transparent, allowing light to shine right through the PVC strips and into the interior of your space. You also get more air movement because of the flexible nature of the PVC. However, the air does not flow as easily as it would with an open entranceway – which means that noise and odour pollution won’t spread as much!

Avoiding use of chemicals

One of the other options which you may potentially consider for pest control is the use of chemicals, such as pesticides. These are not as advantageous a method for several reasons.

Firstly, depending on the use of your building, it may not be suitable for the use of potentially toxic chemicals. If you are running a business, for example, or if children are often in the building, you will want to avoid those harmful substances.

Secondly, when you do use a pesticide, there is often a clean-up job involved. You will have to spend time and effort cleaning up dead insects and other pests – which is a lot of work for you to do. It’s also quite unsavoury, and if you don’t do it quickly, it will leave a bad impression for others who visit the property. It may even constitute a health hazard in itself.

Pest prevention is the key

Finally, prevention is always better than cure, particularly when it comes to pests. Insects can easily lay eggs in hidden spaces inside the building, which means that you will end up with a lot more creepy-crawlies hatching inside and complicating matters further. And if you don’t catch those ones in time, the cycle will continue.

All in all, it’s better to use a method like PVC insect screens to prevent the entry of pests in the first place, rather than having to react to them once they are already inside. This will create a more health and safety-friendly environment, as well as costing you less in the long run.

If you are having problems with pest control, or you can envisage this becoming an issue in a newly-built facility, then PVC and fly insect screens are certainly the right solution. Not only do they bring down the number of flies accessing the building, but they also reduce noise and odour pollution while enhancing light.