Strip Doors & Strip Curtains
When your walk-in needs to stay open for a period of time, a strip door can help keep internal temperatures low and keep pests from getting inside. Strip curtains are economical and made of several vertically-hanging strips of thick plastic that are easy to walk through. Swing-type cooler doors are mounted on hinges and consist of two durable rubber panes that open in the center. Many of the latter include transparent windows to help avoid collisions between staff members coming and going.
The most important thing to get right when you buy strip doors is the size. Walk-in door widths range from 26-inches wide up to 40 inches. Measure yours to ensure the strip door you choose will accommodate those dimensions. Strips that include universal mounting brackets can be installed either on the wall above the door or in the door jamb.
A strip door that's too small will be next to useless, letting cold air and pests in around the door space that's left uncovered. Height is important, too. A strip door that's too tall will be hard to walk through and will cause a trip hazard. They'll also buckle near the bottom and allow air to pass through.
Strip Thickness, Width, and Temperature Rating
Standard-grade strips are rated for temperatures between 0 and 150 degrees F, making them the ideal choice for walk-in cooler doors. Polar-grade doors are able to withstand colder temperatures, down to -20 degrees F, making polar-grade doors the best choice for walk-in freezers.
It may be counterintuitive, but smaller cooler door strips actually provide better insulation and protection than larger ones. That's because they provide more overlap between strips. Six-inch wide strips provide a 67 percent overlap, while 8-inch wide strips provide just 50 percent. For coolers that are opened and closed frequently or left open for extended periods, consider narrower strips. They'll be easier to pass through and offer a better seal.
Hinged Doors
An alternative to strip doors is hinged doors, which consist of two rubber panes mounted on hinges. They come at a higher cost than strip doors, but many people find them easier to pass through than strip curtains. They're opaque, so they'll generally include a window so staff can see through. These find frequent application in heavily-trafficked doorways in busy commercial and industrial settings, but they also make good heavy-duty cooler doors.
Replacement Pieces
If you're currently using an older strip door that may be missing a few strips, you may not need to replace the whole door. Replacement strips are available in the most common widths and lengths to mend your existing strip curtains.
Uses Beyond Freezers
Beyond their usefulness as cooler doors, strip doors can also be used at personnel entrances between other climate-controlled areas. They're commonly used to separate hot kitchens from cooler parts of the building, helping ease the burden on your HVAC system. They can also help keep dust and debris contained in dry storage areas and help keep those areas cool, as well.