While you might be able to find PVC strip doors at extremely low prices, usually this means that you are going to end up with something low quality. So how do you know when you’ve found something like our products – the best quality at the lowest price? Use these tips as your checklist.
Origin
Europe is usually the supplier of the highest quality PVC, so this is where you should be looking to buy your strip curtains from. The UK and France in particular are known as the best. The reason for this is partly due to the manufacturing process. In these countries, UV stabilisers are required to be added to the PVC. This means that they won’t see as much damage from the sun’s rays, which can blister them or create cracks in the surface.
Durability
You want to make sure that your PVC strip curtains will last. Durability is important in a material that will be used roughly as a doorway for a long while. It is probably going to be used daily, with many people passing through during working hours. This means it needs to be strong enough to withstand a certain amount of abuse without getting damaged.
Visibility
When you have the PVC strips in your hand, examine them closely. Good quality PVC will be almost translucent, allowing you to see through with only a small amount of distortion. This is very important for health and safety considerations. Low-quality curtains will be closer to opaque, which is a sign that they have not been manufactured to a high enough standard. Light won’t pass through very easily, which means more money spent on your electricity bills every month.
Cleanliness
Can you see dirt on the PVC strips already? If you don’t see it now, then you will certainly see it soon. When it comes time to clean your curtains off, get a wet sponge and simply wipe it along the surface of the PVC. Most dirt should come off right away with this method. However, when low-quality PVC is exposed to sunlight and starts to crack, this opens up opportunities for germs and bacteria to grow. They can live in this environment and multiply, and when you wipe over them with your sponge or cloth, they won’t budge. Looking at the strip, you may see visible dirt in cracks and lines of the PVC. When this happens soon after installing the curtains, you will know you aren’t dealing with the best quality.
Safety
Your curtains will also be rated for safety in certain situations. For example, good quality PVC curtains will be fire retardant and self-extinguishing. If they aren’t, they may catch on fire or melt – which would release toxic gasses into the nearby area. This is the last thing you want, especially if your employees are in the building when a fire starts. No matter what industry you work in or where you are installing your curtains, remember that there is always a risk of fire – so you don’t want to take a chance on this.
Price
If the PVC curtains are priced high, you might think this is a sign of quality. On the other hand, there’s only so much cost involved in manufacturing the PVC, and some companies are clearly charging way over the odds. When this is the case, you should be wary, as they are clearly more concerned with profit than customer satisfaction.