OVERVIEW
Should you purchase a full strip wall or soft wall for your industrial facility? Either one of them has its own benefits. While a full strip wall will allow for easy movement, it is not cost effective. A normal soft wall is cheaper but will need an opening somewhere so people and equipment can pass through. Finding an efficient solution is of vital importance. What should you go with? Which of the two options is better? The answer is simple – you should use soft walls with a combination of strip entrances. Here is why.
Reasons Why You Should Use Soft Walls
It would be much cheaper
Using a long, soft curtain wall will cost three times less money than using a full strip curtain wall. The only things you need to think about are the access points. It would be wise if they are strips. That way, people and equipment will easily pass through. A full strip wall can cost as much as $15,000 while a soft wall with a strip entrance will be worth around $6,000. You can check the image above as an example of a cost-efficient curtain.
Take sizes into consideration
Strip curtains should ideally only be as large as the largest product or equipment you want to move through them. Nothing more than that. Remember that strips allow for easy movement, but also cost more. Go through your facility and measure how tall or wide the equipment is. Once you have a good idea of how large the entrance should be, make a custom order for it. Use soft walls for the rest of the curtain wall.
Flexibility is key
Soft curtain walls can be retractable, but strip curtains are statically mounted. It is worth noting this because if you want to pack and move the dividers somewhere else or repurpose them, it would be much easier. Soft walls also weight less and are therefore easier to hang. This is true, especially for large warehouse dividers. Their flexibility is incredible. Considering they also cost less, you would be wise to choose them over a full strip wall.
They can be both clear and opaque
If you want a complete line of sight, choose clear soft curtain walls. They are transparent and provide a complete line of sight. If you prefer to have a strict visual control, you can go for the opaque option. By doing that, you will be able to hide unsightly materials on the other side. Another thing worth mentioning is soft curtain walls are easier and cheaper to replace should they suffer damage.