Tips 'n Info

By Cathy Spalding
www.gentlespiritllamas.com

Strip Doors

Open window spaces and doorways can cause barns and shelter areas to become very cold during harsh weather. One very effective way to minimize that problem is through the use of “strip doors.” Strip doors consist of long strips of a vinyl compound that hang side-by-side covering the opening of a doorway or window. They are fairly see-through and will move easily when you walk through them. Reminds me of the days when we hung a curtain of beads to gain the illusion of privacy in our studio apartment!

I have seen strip doors in action and they work very well in minimizing drafts and direct exposure to the outside cold. Typing “strip door” into your search engine will provide a number of sources. While I have not had any personal experience with these companies, the recommendations of others include www.goffscurtainwalls.com, www.frommeltstripdoors.com and www.bondorseals.com. Folks have reported they were happy dealing with www.pvcstrip.com when purchasing large bulk roles, creating and putting strip doors together on their own.

Initially, alpacas and llamas seem somewhat annoyed with the whole idea. Amazingly, it doesn’t take long for them to decide that walking through a strip door is no big deal. If possible, it can be helpful to start with only a couple of strips in place adding another and another over a shorter period of time. This will give them the opportunity to adjust to pushing through with their nose and having the strips drag across their body as they move through the door opening.