Are Plastic Curtains Made From PVC?

PVC is the Arnie of the Plastic World

When most people think about PVC usually an image of barmy Halloween costumes made from a flimsy plastic material that will be worn once on the 31st of October then be of no use to man nor beast after that. Not many people would instinctively link PVC with heavy duty Industrial PVC curtains or versatile pop up advertising displays, but the truth of it is that most people have

a very skewed view of what PVC actually is.

PVC is a heavy duty plastic compound that is as strong as it is flexible. Using the right weight of PVC you can pretty much create anything, which is why it is such a common plastic to be found in both industrial and commercial settings. So to the question are plastic curtains made from PVC, the answer is yes…and for good reason.

PVC is among the most durable and hardwearing plastic on the market and it has a few key features which make it so popular with companies and businesses in a variety of forms. Firstly it is a great insulator of both noise and heat, which means it is the perfect material for things like plastic PVC curtains. It can be made scratch and scuff resistant and is waterproof which makes it ideal for advertising displays and banners. It is lightweight and flexible, which is complimented by its strength and durability and makes it great for PVC crash doors. The list could go on. But it is these key features which make it the only material to create plastic curtains.

PVC Curtains are great in an industrial setting.

Because of the strength and hardwearing properties of PVC, plastic curtains are often seen to be used in industrial environments. Often in large warehouses and storehouses, especially those concerned with food processing, the floor space will be split across a number of different areas of the same business. This means the floor space has to be partitioned off to form separate rooms in order to keep the environments different in either part of the warehouse. Partitioning off a warehouse is pretty straightforward, the issues arise once you have erected the partition. In food processing plants especially, food may need storing in a cooler temperature than the staff require in the packing lines, yet small vehicles will need constant access to both areas. In order to maintain the correct temperature on either side of the partition, the access way for the vehicles needs to have some form of blockade in order to stop heat from dispersing from one area to another. Because PVC is such a good insulator of heat, using a plastic PVC curtain in the access way allows you to maintain the temperature on either side of the partition, but also allow easy access for vehicles.

Plastic PVC curtains are individual strips of PVC that are hung together to form a partition wall or curtain. Because of the weight and flexibility of the strips they actually fall together to create a seamless barrier when not in use. As you can imagine, this allows you to insulate the access way through to another area of the business without the need for a door. When a vehicle or pedestrian wishes to access the other area, the PVC curtain is simply pushed through. The individual strips in the object or persons path are lifted out of the way through the force of the object moving forward, and then the strips fall back into place in a matter of seconds once the object or person has passed through.

Plastic PVC Curtains are more effective than doors

This might sound like a little bit of a strange statement to make, but actually PVC plastic curtains are more efficient than doors in a number of ways. If you were to block an access way large enough to fit a forklift through with a door, you are faced with a number of issues, especially in a situation where a different ambient temperature is required on both sides of the partition. To start with you will need a door that is large enough to fit the vehicle through, which means you are going to need a pretty massive door. Then you are left with a choice of manual or automatic operation. Choosing a manual door is going to be the cheapest option and in order for it to insulate the gap, you’re also going to need it insulated, so it will still be pretty pricey. Once you shut off the access way for a day in order to let a company install the door, which is going to be pricey again, then had your door installed, the issues just keep coming. Who opens the door for the forklift driver?

OK so a manual door is a no go, but an automatic door removes the issue of operation and is much quicker to open and close than a manual door. Again the automatic door needs insulating, you’re going to have to let a company spend more time installing it and automatic doors are oh so expensive. After all that, you still have one issue remaining. If the automatic door can fit a forklift through and a member of staff wants to walk through, the door will still need to open to its full extent to let them through. This causes you to lose a lot of heat even after spending a couple of grand on a door. Major issue.

Plastic Curtains can save you a lot of trouble as they are much more efficient both in cost, energy saving and insulation potential. Having a PVC curtain in place of a door removes the need for a lengthy and costly installation, as a curtain takes very little time to install. PVC plastic curtains also provide excellent insulation and allow the least amount of heat transfer between areas. Whether you are driving a small transport vehicle through, or simply walking through as a pedestrian, the curtain will only be parted to fit around the size of the object passing through, so less heat is lost than with both manual and automatic doors and the PVC curtains fall back into place in a matter of seconds.

PVC Curtains prevail whatever the weather

As PVC is completely waterproof, they can be used to cover doorways which lead outside as well as inside. Many industrial plants, warehouses and even shops and offices will have a goods entrance somewhere on the premises. These areas are used for loading and unloading materials and products to ship off to clients, or to receive products from suppliers. Especially in environments such as warehouses you will find these loading doors to be the same size as the Lorries that ship the goods, so often they are pretty big doors. In fair weather this is no problem, but when the typical British weather decides to turn a little more aggressive, you run the risk of damaging perishable goods. Using a PVC plastic curtain over the entrance allows you to protect the goods even

when loading them onto a truck or lorry, as the PVC curtain acts like an umbrella as the goods are pushed through. It also helps to stop rodents and insects from entering through the doorway and building nests in the storerooms.

Plastic Curtains are a takeaways best friend

PVC plastic curtains are not only suited to industrial environments, using the on a much smaller scale they can be very useful in a commercial setting too. Britain’s villages, towns and cities are full of takeaway restaurants offering home delivery, carry out and restaurant food services. These are the kinds of places that are either relished or dreaded by food inspectors, as their level of hygiene varies from takeaway to takeaway. It can be hard in cities and towns where the local wildlife has evolved to live off the scraps from our tables and bins to keep them from invading your takeaway kitchen, but with a PVC curtain you could save yourself a lot of bother. The kitchen is the heart of any restaurant or home, so it should be treated in such a way. Doorways leading to the kitchen should be blocked off from the world outside, which very often they are not. Rear entrances used by delivery drivers are often propped open, and the front entrance disguised by beaded veils, but this is not exactly going to deter a hungry insect or rodent. Using PVC plastic curtains would remove this issue, one on the rear door would allow your delivery driver to come and go as he pleased without worrying about what creature he may be letting in. One on the front access to the kitchen will help to deter insects and rodents, but also increase your general customer experience and it would insulate the noise from the kitchen, which is especially handy if you have a restaurant or seating area for customers to eat their food.

PVC curtains are low maintenance

As mentioned previously PVC plastic curtains are very cost effective to buy and take little time to install, which is why they are very often chosen in place of a door in both industrial and commercial environments. The other great thing about plastic curtains is the lack of maintenance required to keep them in good shape. In an industrial setting where hygiene is not of paramount importance, a simple wash down weekly should be enough to maintain a high level of visibility. In a commercial setting like a takeaway then daily washing would be essential along with the rest of your kitchen. Should one of the PVC strips break, then there is no need to think about replacing the whole curtain. The individual strip can simply be removed and replaced with a new PVC strip without needing to take down the curtain and reinstall. This article should hopefully have given you an insight into the reasons why PVC plastic curtains are one of the most versatile tools for a great variety of businesses. If you would like some more information or a quote on plastic curtains, please visit our website.