The short answer
PVC strip curtains are the cheapest way to cut draughts in a busy internal opening, but traffic pushes through them and they wear quickly. Impact traffic doors suit pedestrian and pallet-truck routes needing a tidier, more hygienic barrier. High-speed doors cost most but seal most effectively on busy forklift routes. Traffic type, cycle count and temperature difference decide.
Key points
- Start with what the opening must stop, what passes through it and how often.
- Strip curtains are cheapest but seal partially, wear fast and can reduce visibility.
- Impact traffic doors suit pedestrians, trolleys and pallet trucks, and clean easily.
- High-speed doors suit busy forklift routes and temperature or hygiene-critical openings.
- Separate pedestrian routes improve safety and cut unnecessary cycles on powered doors.
What problem are you trying to solve at the opening?
Choosing between a strip curtain, a traffic door and a high-speed door starts with what the opening needs to stop: heat or cold loss, draughts, dust, noise, insects or birds, or people wandering between zones. Each product tackles these to a different degree, and the cheapest solution that reliably fixes the actual problem is usually the right one.
Write down for the opening:
- the temperature on each side, and whether either side is chilled or frozen;
- what passes through: pedestrians, pallet trucks, counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks;
- roughly how many passes per hour at peak;
- hygiene requirements, especially in food areas;
- whether people need to see through the opening before crossing it.
With those answers, the choice usually becomes obvious.
How do the three options compare?
The table compares the three options for a typical internal opening. Prices are guide figures for supply and installation, ex VAT, confirmed in writing after survey.
| Factor | PVC strip curtain | Impact traffic doors | High-speed door |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it opens | Traffic pushes through overlapping strips | Traffic pushes double-acting leaves open; they swing back | Powered; opens on a detector, loop, button or pull cord |
| Sealing when closed | Partial; gaps between strips | Moderate | Good |
| Suits | Low-cost draught and pest control | Pedestrians, trolleys, pallet trucks | Busy forklift routes and temperature-controlled areas |
| Visibility | Clear strips, but scratch and cloud with age | Vision panels in the leaves | Vision panels on most models |
| Hygiene | Strips touch loads and drivers; need regular cleaning | Smooth leaves, easy to clean | Curtain does not touch traffic |
| Power | Not needed | Not needed | Electric, with safety devices |
| Guide price, ex VAT | £175 – £895 per doorway | £895 – £2,495 per pair | £7,495 – £15,995 (fabric) |
When is a PVC strip curtain enough?
A PVC strip curtain is enough when the aim is to reduce draughts, dust, birds or insects at an internal opening where the temperature difference is modest and the budget is small. It installs quickly, needs no power, and individual strips can be replaced when damaged.
Its weaknesses matter on busy or temperature-critical openings:
- strips drape over loads and drivers, which can cause product damage and contamination;
- scratched or dirty strips reduce visibility, increasing collision risk between forklifts and pedestrians;
- gaps open up as strips wear, tear or are removed, so the seal deteriorates;
- in freezer openings, standard strips stiffen, so low-temperature grades are needed.
Choose the right strip width, thickness and overlap for the opening size and traffic, and use low-temperature or anti-insect grades where needed. PVC strip curtains cost a guide £175 to £895 per doorway, ex VAT.
When should you fit impact traffic doors?
Impact traffic doors are a good fit for openings used mainly by pedestrians, trolleys and pallet trucks, where a strip curtain looks untidy or contaminates loads but a powered door is not justified. They are double-acting leaves, usually flexible or semi-rigid, that swing open when pushed and close themselves behind the traffic.
They are common between back-of-house areas in retail, in food preparation and storage, in hospitals and in light industrial units. Smooth leaves wipe clean easily, and vision panels let people see what is coming. Insulated versions help between ambient and chilled areas.
Traffic doors are not suited to heavy forklift traffic or very wide openings, because drivers have to hit the leaves to open them and repeated impacts damage leaves, hinges and frames. Where forklifts are frequent, a high-speed door is usually the better answer. Impact traffic doors are a guide £895 to £2,495 per pair, ex VAT.
When does a high-speed door make sense?
A high-speed door makes sense where forklift traffic is frequent, the temperature difference is significant, or hygiene requires that nothing touches the load. It opens before the vehicle arrives and closes quickly after it has passed, so the opening seals well and drivers do not need to push through anything.
The trade-off is cost and complexity: a fabric high-speed door is a guide £7,495 to £15,995, ex VAT, needs a power supply and safety devices, and must be serviced to suit its cycle count. To decide whether the higher price pays back, our guide on when a high-speed door pays for itself explains how to estimate it from your own cycle counts and temperatures.
Some sites combine options, for example a high-speed door for forklifts with a separate traffic door or personnel door for pedestrians. That keeps people out of the vehicle opening and reduces unnecessary cycles on the powered door.
What about safety at busy internal openings?
Internal openings where pedestrians and vehicles meet are a common location for collisions, so the barrier you choose should not make it harder to see or be seen. Strip curtains that have clouded with age are a particular risk; replace them before visibility suffers.
- Separate pedestrian and vehicle routes where you can, with a dedicated pedestrian door.
- Keep vision panels clean and unobstructed, and replace scratched strips.
- Mark the floor approach and use mirrors at blind corners.
- Protect door frames and guides with bollards or guards where vehicles pass close.
- On high-speed doors, make sure presence detection and safety devices are set correctly and tested at every service.
Powered doors must have suitable and effective features to prevent trapping; strip curtains and traffic doors need no power but still need maintaining in good repair under workplace regulations.
How do running costs compare over time?
Running costs follow the price ranking but not in proportion. Strip curtains have the lowest purchase price but need frequent strip replacement on busy openings, and their partial seal means continuing energy losses. Traffic doors need occasional leaf, hinge or buffer replacement, mostly due to impacts. High-speed doors cost most to buy and need regular servicing, but on the right opening they deliver the tightest seal and the least wear on the loads passing through.
The honest answer is to compare the options over several years for your opening: purchase price, expected replacement parts, servicing, and any energy, product or hygiene costs the barrier affects. On a free survey we can price more than one option so the decision rests on your own figures, and every price is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Two quick examples show how the answer shifts. A dusty goods-in opening between two ambient areas, used by a few pallet trucks an hour, is usually well served by a strip curtain or a pair of traffic doors. A chill-store entrance crossed by forklifts every few minutes all day is a different case: product temperature, fogging and ice at the threshold all point towards a high-speed door, with strip curtains at most as a back-up behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Do PVC strip curtains work in freezers?
Yes, if you specify a low-temperature grade designed to stay flexible in the cold. Standard strips stiffen and crack at freezer temperatures. Even so, strip curtains in freezer openings let through more cold air than a dedicated freezer door, so they work most effectively as a secondary barrier behind a proper cold store or high-speed door.
How often should strip curtain strips be replaced?
Replace strips whenever they are torn, missing, stiff or so scratched or dirty that visibility is reduced. On busy forklift openings that can be often; on quiet pedestrian openings strips may last much longer. Keep spare strips on site and check the curtain during routine safety walks so gaps do not build up.
Can traffic doors take forklift impacts?
They are designed to be pushed open by traffic, including pallet trucks, but repeated hard impacts from counterbalance forklifts shorten their life and damage frames. If forklifts use the opening frequently, a high-speed door or a wider, reinforced traffic door with good protection is usually more economical over time.
Are strip curtains acceptable in food areas?
They can be, if cleaned regularly and replaced when damaged, but strips touch loads and people and can harbour dirt. Many food businesses prefer impact traffic doors or high-speed doors in critical areas because they are easier to keep clean and do not touch the product. Check your food safety management system and auditor's expectations.
Sources
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 18 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 5 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Ensuring powered doors and gates are safe (HSE)
This guide is general information about UK rules and good practice, not legal advice. Check the official sources and your own risk assessment for your site.