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We’ve distilled years of hands-on experience into clear advice on selecting the best shrink wrap products for your project.
What Is Printed Netting?
Printed debris netting is a fabric that has been specifically designed to be printed onto. It is a little heavier than standard debris netting and has a thicker filament to accept the print. It’s only available in white, but any background colour can be printed onto it. It comes in a variety of lengths and widths and is available as both Flame Retardant and standard material. Printing onto netting does rely heavily on the skill and experience of the printer along with needing the correct specialised equipment. WHO USES PRINTED NETTING? Initially the people buying printed debris netting were scaffolders who wanted to use the space to advertise their businesses, however, once it been seen on scaffold other types of businesses became interested. We have supplied printed debris netting to a variety of clients including; building contractors using the netting for Heras Fencing covers, sports clubs for fencing and practice nets, events management and even as art installations. We have clients who run a youth football team who use the netting around the pitch which is printed with the team name, logo and approved Football Association logos. HOW TO GET PRINTED NETTING The first step is to send us your artwork, either as a high-resolution pdf or a vector graphic file. These can usually be obtained from whoever designed your logos, set up your web site or from your marketing department. Whilst we are not in the business of creating artwork from scratch, we can often produce the required images from other sources. Let us know what dimensions of wrap you require. Some organisations have rules regarding the layout of their images and logos. We will do our best to abide by these requirements. Then, we create mock-ups and proofs of the design for your approval. We are happy to make changes and adjustments until you are happy with the design. On approval of the proofs and payment, the design is forwarded to the printer. The printed netting is usually delivered within ten days. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE PRINTED? We will not print any derogatory images. We can only print designs that are the property of the client, although we can print logos of trade associations or third parties if their express permission has been obtained. Physically we cannot print on the first 2 meters and the last 2 meters of the netting. We can print a background of any colour. Fine lines, high details or photographs are not recommended as images because the detail can be lost due to the spaces in the netting. If high quality images are not available, we will try to recreate the required image as best as possible by design, cleaning images and matching fonts, etc. The final decision on the acceptance of the images via the proof is the responsibility of our client, but we endeavour offer advice and help. If you have any queries, or want to know more about printed debris netting, please do not hesitate to get in touch here or if you would like to purchase some printed debris netting, click here.
Shrink Wrap Scaffolding - How To Choose An Installer
Looking to shrink wrap scaffolding? You have two choices; Do it yourself or find a sub-contractor. Some companies are ‘shrink wrap specialists’, others such as scaffolding companies provide shrink wrapping as part of a range of services. Whichever you choose, here are 6 ways to help you find the right supplier for you. Where are they based? Most ‘specialist’ shrinkwrap companies in particular will claim to offer a ‘UK wide’ shrink wrap service but depending on their ‘base’ location, shrink wrap installation teams may have to travel significant distances. So what? Well, travelling costs in terms of the team’s time and fuel costs. They might also require hotels or overnight accomodation. The closer an installation company is, the fresher the team will be when they arrive and less likely to make mistakes. Location is also important if any issues develop with the shrink wrap sheeting that need a return visit. A company that is centrally located or located locally can return to site much faster. How can they prove their installers are competent? All scaffold shrink wrap installers should hold the general CSCS card that proves they have reached a basic standard of health & safety awareness, and additional cards such as IPAF for the use of MEWPS are also common. However, there is no nationally accredited dedicated ‘card sheme’ for the installation of shrink wrap sheeting. This means you must get proof that the company you are using has a proper induction scheme for new staff and written proof that each team member has been assessed as competent in all the elements of shrink wrap sheeting. Do they have flame retardant certification for their shrink wrap? Scaffolding shrink wrap must be flame retardant. In the UK there are two key ‘standards’ to be aware of – the basic European standard test (EN13501) which is referenced by building regulations and the much more extensive LPS1207 and LPS1215 standards which are managed by the BRE. The main difference between the LPS1207 / LPS1215 and EN13501 is that whilst EN13501 is a one off ‘test’, the LPS is a ‘scheme’ whereby the quality and flame retardant performance of a shrink wrap film is independently tested and verified by a third party company each year. Whichever film you are using, if the film is flame retardant, it should be clearly printed on the shrink film and you should obtain the flame retardant certification for the film and check it’s validity. Do thay have any testimonials? OK, we all know that testimonials can sometimes be a bit slick and ‘salesy’. However, why not do a bit of research on social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? Hopefully you should find mentions by other customers of completed shrink wrap jobs (not just sales messages put out by the company you are considering!) Specialist or generalist? Many companies, mostly scaffolders, may offer shrink wrapping to their clients as part of a range of services. The benefits of using a scaffolding company to provide a shrink wrap service is that they are normally close to their clients and if they know how to shrink wrap, there is a good chance that they will set up the scaffolding in the best way possible (nice and flush structure for example) which should result in a great looking job. Specialist companies exclusively provide shrink wrap installation services. These teams will be carrying out shrink wrap installation work 24/7 which should lead to genuine mastery, however, as mentioned, if they are travelling long distances then costs may be higher. What do they do when something goes wrong? Follow points 1-5 above and you will certainly maximise your chance of a smooth job with no problems. However, as we all know, sometimes things go wrong and unfortunately the reaction of your shrink wrap supplier can be difficult to test in advance. Do they have a telephone that is answered by a human being outside of office hours? Do they have a senior management team who are ‘close to the action’ and understand construction problems? We have found from experience that the best way to deal with a problem is ‘head on’. Very often that means a supervisor or member of the management team getting out on to site to meet everyone involved and working out a resolution. For a more minor problem it certainly means a senior manager always being available on the telephone to talk to a customer. This article is designed to give you just a few pointers to help you choose a shrink wrap installation company. If you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail then why not give us a call on +44 (0)1477 53222 or email info@rhinoshrinkwrap.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Buying Shrink Wrap Film - What Every Contractor Should Know
Much shrink wrap sheeting sold around the world is simply standard plastic shrink wrap sheeting that is being marketed and sold as ‘scaffold shrink wrap’. It is often produced by film manufacturers, who have little idea of the final use and the challenges faced by those that shrink wrap scaffolds day to day. Before you next buy shrink wrap sheeting, read this short guide and find out the 5 essential areas that affect the quality and appearance of your next shrink wrap job. 1. SHRINKAGE It may seem obvious, but an important factor in how well a shrink wrap sheeting will encapsulate a scaffolding is how well it shrinks. If a shrink wrap sheet shrinks well, it will fit tightly and it will not flap or ‘chafe’ in high winds. It will be strong. WHAT AFFECTS THE SHRINK RATIO? If you look at the specification sheet of a shrink wrap film you should see that the shrinkage, sometimes known as the ‘shrink ratio’, is described in two ways; Machine Direction (MD) and Transverse Direction (TD). A shrink wrap film should have balanced shrinkage, which means that the shrinkage in both the MD and TD should be similar. However, while most shrink-wrap films have a good shrink ratio % in the Machine Direction (MD) very few have good shrinkage in the Transverse Direction (TD). As well as making the installation process difficult for the shrink wrap installer / end user, a poor shrink ratio may also cause the shrink wrap film to loosen or become slack in the first few days after installation. So what affects the shrink ratio? It is mostly due to the size of the die from which the shrink wrap film is extruded. To make Rhino shrink wrap film we use a very small die from which the melted plastic polymers are blown into a large bubble of shrink film. This difference between the size of the die and size of bubble, (sometimes called the ‘blow up ratio’), is critical in achieving a powerful shrinkage because when the film is heat shrunk by the end user, around a scaffolding for example, the shrink wrap has a ‘memory’ and will try and return to it’s original size at the point of extrusion. However, to speed up the manufacturing process most shrink wrap manufacturers use a die that is much larger than we do to manufacture their shrink wrap film. (A larger die has a higher production rate / hour). Typically, a die will be 1800mm to 2000mm wide. This larger die, although making a machine more profitable for the manufacturer, will produce a shrink wrap film with a much poorer shrink ratio, particularly in the transverse direction (TD). So, although our film is a little bit slower to manufacture, by using a smaller die we ensure that our customers get a shrink wrap film that has a shrinkage of 45% in the transverse direction (compared with a typical figure of 10-15% for competitor films). The end result of this is that Verisafe® is much easier for our customers to install properly, even in tough weather conditions, and once fixed in place is much more resistant to high winds. 2. LAYERS Looking at the specification sheet should also tell you whether the shrink wrap film you are buying is a mono (1 layer) film or a multi layer film. In a similar way to ‘die size’above, it is generally more convenient for manufacturers (but not better for the end user) to supply a multi layered film as it is faster to manufacture and multi layered machines can produce a wide variety of products. However, it can enable unscrupulous manufacturers to ‘hide’ poor quality but cheaper regenerated plastic material within layers. At Verisafe we only produce a mono layer film. This is slower to manufacture but it means that any additives, such as flame retardancy, are contained throughout the whole film, and not just the outside layers, and it means we can only use premium resins. 3. DART DROP This is a very important measure of the basic mechanical strength of the film. It is a standard test procedure outlined in ISO7765-1/2. Compare between alternative films and try and buy a shrink wrap film with the best performance in this area. 4. SEAL RANGE Seal Range The seal range of Verisafe shrink wrap film is in the range of 95 to 125 Degrees Celsius. This is an important value because the lower temperature a film requires to seal, the easier it will be to heat weld by the end user. Again, the reason why some shrink wrap films are difficult to heat weld properly is that they have a much higher seal range and this is because many shrink wrap manufacturers add HDPE to their LDPE films, to speed up the production process and make each machine more profitable. However, an film with HDPE added will have a higher weld temperature and so be more difficult for the end user to weld, especially when weather conditions are challenging. 5. FLAME RETARDANCY There are many flame retardant standards in different countries. In the United Kingdom we tend to use the European EN13501 standard and the LPS1207/1215 scheme. For the purpose of this article you should ensure that you get a copy of the standards that apply to your country and be aware of the difference between a simple flame retardant ‘test’ (such as EN13501) and a more extensive third party verification ‘scheme’ (such as LPS1207). Once again, manufacturers have a vested interest that is different from the end user. As flame retardant is a highly expensive additive they want to use as little as possible and so it is up to the end user to check that they are meeting their health and safety requirements. 6. UV STABILITY Verisafe is specified as having a UV stability of 12 months in Northern Europe. You should be aware that films that if a flame retardant shrink wrap film claims to have a UV stability beyond this it is unlikely to also have enough flame retardancy added as these two additives ‘compete’ with each other. Some Final Thoughts Using a shrink wrap film for encapsulating scaffolding and large industrial projects is a demanding application which requires high performance shrink wrap sheeting. Most shrink wrap plastic film is made in a way that is most convenient for the manufacturer, even if makes life more difficult for the end user on site. We think it makes more sense to start with the end user and work backwards to make sure the whole manufacturing process is designed to create a film with the desired performance. Always ask your supplier for a specification sheet / data sheet and look closely at the figures for shrink ratio, dart drop and seal range. Ask your supplier to prove to you that the product they supply matches the specification sheet that they have given you. If you are buying a flame retardant film consider using a film that is part of a certification scheme such as LPS1207 and LPS1215 that includes an annual independent / third party audit of the product as this is the only way to prove that a product meets the required standard. In addition, always try and purchase from an ISO accredited supplier, as they will have the necessary quality controls in place to ensure consistency between batches. For further advice on shrink wrapping scaffolding and large industrial products call or email us on +44 (0)1477 532222 or email info@rhinoshrinkwrap.com
How Many Rolls Of Shrink Wrap Tape Will I Need?
We often get asked by a scaffolder or contractor to advise how many rolls of shrink wrapping tape they should be buying for their scaffold wrapping project. The amount of tape you are going to need depends on the size and the type of job you are working on. These are some of the questions we ask; How many rolls of shrink wrap sheeting are you buying? Are you shrink wrapping the side or roof of a scaffolding? How well does the sheeting you are buying heat weld / join together & does it stay joined? Will you be installing zipped access doors in the shrink wrap? Are there lots of scaffold tubes or beams protruding through the shrink wrap sheeting? 1 – How Many Rolls of Shrink Wrap Are You Buying? The most basic ‘rule of thumb’ to work out how many rolls of shrink wrapping tape to order is to order one roll of tape for every roll of shrink wrap you are ordering. So, if you are ordering 6 rolls of shrink wrap, 6 rolls tape should be good. 2 – Are you shrink wrapping the side or roof of a scaffolding? Installing a temporary shrink wrap roof will always require more tape then hanging sides. This is because it is always advisable to tape along the edge of every welded joint between sheets. 3 – How Well Does The Sheeting You Are Buying Heat Weld / Join? The quality of the shrink wrap sheeting has a large affect on the amount of shrink wrapping tape you will use. If you use a poor quality shrink wrap sheeting you may find that a heat welded joint between sheets starts to peel apart and you will have to tape along every weld. If you are using a good quality shrink wrap sheeting then it is absolutely not necessary to tape along each joint which can save a significant amount of time and expense. 4 – Will You Be Installing Zipped Access Doors? Zipped access doors allow workers to get access through a shrink wrapped area. Doors are most commonly used on projects where the sheeting is providing containment of dust and debris. These doors are not heat welded into position (as is often thought) but they are taped into position. So, if you are installing many doors you need to buy extra tape to allow for this. 5 – Are There Lots of Tubes Sticking Through The Sheeting? For best results when shrink wrapping, it is best that the scaffold structure is ‘flush’ with no tubes protruding past the main body of the scaffolding. However, there will be situations when protruding tubes is unavoidable. This is quite typical where roof beams overhang the side of a scaffolding – not many scaffolders are willing to cut an expensive roof beam! Although the sheeting can be cut and re-welded, there will inevitably be small holes or gaps. The shrink wrapping tape can be used to seal around these. It is worth noting that wherever tubes protrude through sheeting, it cannot be guaranteed that the seal will be completely weatherproof. As always, if you need help, contact any member of the friendly Rhino Shrink Wrap team and we will be happy to help.
How Many Rolls Of Scaffold Shrink Wrap Do I Need?
To work out how many rolls of shrink wrap sheeting you will need to shrink wrap a scaffolding you need to follow four steps; Calculate the area of your scaffolding that is to be shrink wrapped Calculate the area for the roll size of shrink wrap you are using Divide the area of scaffolding by the area of your roll of shrink wrap Add an extra 15% for overlaps / joins between sheets and offcuts that cannot be re-used. Step 1 – Calculate The Area Of The Scaffolding That Is To Be Sheeted To work out the area of the scaffolding that you want to shrink wrap, multiply the height by the width of each ‘face’ of the scaffolding that is to be sheeted. If a temporary roof is needed then don’t forget to add the area for that also. Consider that the shrinkwrap sheeting may not be needed to come down to ground level – for example it is quite common for the sheeting to be terminated at the first boarded lift – so the area of sheeting may be less than the total area of scaffolding. Once you have calculated the area of scaffolding that requires sheeting you are ready to move on to step 2. Step 2 – Calculate the Size (Area) For a Roll of Shrink Wrap Sheeting The most common size of shrink wrap sheeting used for outdoor scaffolding encapsulation is a 7m wide x 15m long roll. (This size can cover a large area but is still convenient weight to move around a construction site). However, a 12m wide x 25m long roll can be useful for smaller roofs where it is possible to cover the entire roof with a single sheet. For internal projects such as factory partitions and screens where wind loadings are not an issue it is possible to use rolls of film that are up to 16m wide x 50m long. 7m x 15m = 105 square metres 12m x 25m = 300 square metres 16m x 50m = 800 square metres Step 3 – Divide the Area of Scaffolding by the Area of Your Shrink Wrap Roll For example, a scaffolding facade which is 12m high x 30m long requires shrink wrapping. The sheeting to be used is supplied on a 7m x 15m roll. Scaffolding area divided by the area of 1 roll of sheeting is 360 / 105 = 3.42 rolls of 7m wide shrink wrap required. Step 4 – Allow Extra for Sheeting Overlaps and Off Cuts Once you have divided the area of scaffolding by the area of the shrink wrap roll you want to use, you will have the quantity of rolls required. However, before you place your order, you will need to make an allowance for some extra sheeting. This is for areas where sheets overlap and ‘offcuts’ that cannot be used elsewhere on the job. Rhino’s experience with installing shrink wrap means we always allow an extra 15% for this. Continuing with our previous example, multiplying 3.42 (number of rolls calculated in step 3) x 1.15 = 3.933 or 4 rolls of shrink wrap needed. Another way of looking at this is to use the ‘rule of thumb’ that a 7m x 15m roll (the most common size for scaffold shrink wrapping) does gives you 90 square metres per roll, and not the 105 square metres that is actually on a roll! Summary Once you have calculated the area of the scaffolding that is to be sheeted, divided by the area of an individual shrink wrap roll size that is best suited to your job and allowed for any wastage due to overlaps and offcuts you will have an accurate calculation for the number of rolls you will need for your next scaffold shrink wrap project. As always, if you need help, contact any member of the friendly Rhino Shrink Wrap team and we will be happy to help.
How Cost Effective Is Printed Debris Netting?
Printed Debris Netting. It is a fairly new product to the construction industry, using the foundations of an essential product for a building site, and making it better. The main question surrounding printed debris netting however, is how cost effective is it compared to products like Custom Heras Fence Covers, PVC and Mesh Banners. Sizes A common misconception with printed debris netting is it available in a size suitable to perfectly fit one Heras fence panel. The standard Heras panel is 3.5m x 2m, and although the netting is available in 2m widths, the minimum roll length is 25m. We can however create artwork on request to centre your logo if the roll was placed continuously on Heras fencing, to help improve the final design. When purchasing either a mesh or PVC banner, sometimes you can input the exact size required, and although our most popular roll is the 2m x 50m, we do offer a range of sizes to try to meet your requirements, with widths from 1.75 to 3.1m and lengths from 25m to 100m. Prices Arguably, the most important part of a product, is how cost effective is it in comparison with similar alternatives. In this section, I will compare the price for our printed debris netting in comparison with similar products like Heras fence covers and mesh banners. Heras fence covers. If you would be looking at purchasing 50m (around 12 panels) worth, the average price you would pay for a non-flame retardant 115gsm fabric material would be £60/panel, totalling around £720. With Rhino Printed Debris Netting, a 2m x 50m non-flame retardant is £149, which makes it out to be £12.42/panel, making it much more cost effective to be applied site-wide. The prices reflected however already have a quantity discount applied. For reference, if you were to purchase 2-3 Heras panel covers, it would cost the same as 1x roll of 2m x 50m, as the average price for 2-3 panel covers is £65-£80. Mesh Banners. For a 2m x 50m 115gsm banner, the average price we found for a 115gsm 2m x 50m is £1000. For printed debris netting, £149. PVC Banners. Although the PVC banner is a completely different material, it is often mentioned in comparison to our branded debris netting. For a 2m x 50m PVC banner, it would cost £1500, 10 times more expensive than printed debris netting. Material We manufacture our custom printed debris netting out of a 50gsm polyethylene. Although this is lighter than the other products in this comparison, we found that the wind permeability on a lighter netting is perfect for the harsher weather conditions, and is much easier to move and carry on site when required. It is also available in flame retardant for peace of mind. We did find a 52gsm for comparison, however it is a more specialist product and is £1795 for a 2m x 50m. In this article, if you would like to purchase or learn more about our printed debris netting, please do not hesitate to contact us below.
I'm looking for a Shrink Wrap Materials Supplier
Where Can I Find Suppliers of Shrink Wrap Sheeting? In ‘How Do I Choose a Scaffold Shrink Wrap Installation Company?’ We looked at how scaffolders and contractors can go about choosing a sub contractor / specialist installer who will be both supplying and fitting the shrink wrap for you. We finished by taking a quick look at some other companies in the UK (in addition to ourselves) who provide a scaffold shrink wrap installation service. However, if you want to carry out the installation of the scaffold shrink wrap sheeting yourself, using your own in house labor, then you are going to need to find a reliable supplier for rolls of scaffold shrink wrap material. Buying a good quality scaffold sheeting from a good supplier gives you the best chance of creating encapsulation and containment jobs that work as intended and which you can be proud of. Of course we will be delighted if you choose Rhino as your supplier when you need to buy rolls of shrink wrap sheeting. However, rather than just tell you that we are the best, and expect you to just ‘take our word’ for it, this article takes an unbiased review of the suppliers of scaffold shrink wrap in the UK, and suggests some criteria which might help you decide which one will be the best ‘fit’ for you. How Do I Choose a Supplier? Scaffold Shrink Wrap Manufacturers – Quick Note You may come across information on the websites of a shrink wrap supplier that suggests they are the actual manufacturer of the rolls of shrink wrap. The inference seems to be that buying shrink wrap ‘direct from the manufacturer’ benefits the scaffolder or contractor through lower prices by cutting out the middleman. Perhaps companies also claim to be the manufacturers of shrink wrap sheeting for scaffolding to make their company appear bigger than they really are. Whatever the reason, the truth is that every scaffold wrap supply company you will find by doing a search on the world wide web are not really manufacturers but distributors and wholesalers. This includes us at Rhino Shrink Wrap. There is not one supplier of scaffold shrink wrap in the world who manufactures their own shrink wrap film. There are two reasons for this; 1. The plant and machinery required to extrude industrial sizes of shrink wrap film is very large, very complex and hugely expensive. 2. The companies that own and run shrink wrap extruders must run them almost continuously and supply a huge variety of industrial and agricultural markets to make it economical. Although the use of shrink wrap for scaffolding encapsulation and containment has grown from almost nothing 10 years ago to a world wide activity today, it is still a specialized activity that even taking the entire worldwide demand for shrink wrap scaffold sheeting would probably not keep one shrink wrap extruder operating at full capacity. The reason I mention this is that at Rhino Shrink Wrap we are dedicated to complete transparency with our customers and we feel that claiming to be the manufacturer is deliberately misleading to scaffolders and contractors. How do I choose between suppliers? Price: When faced with choosing between the products of a list of suppliers it is quite normal to immediately look at the price. Which of the suppliers openly discusses pricing and explains what affects the pricing of their products? In this respect, only Wrap It from the list above openly displays their pricing which is helpful when time is at a premium and you just need to find pricing information. Although a ‘fully installed’ price can be affected by many variables, the pricing of materials and equipment should be static and easy to research. Once again, in aid for maximum transparency it is something we always try to be open about at Rhino. You can find our current price list here. I think most of us know that the lowest price scaffold sheeting may not always be the lowest ‘cost’ scaffold sheeting. If the low price is at the cost of quality so that the sheeting will not stay fixed then the time and cost of repairing and replacing damaged sheeting can often far exceed any savings in the first place. Quality: It is very difficult to tell the quality of a shrink wrap film by looking at photographs on a supplier's website (they always look great!) As a minimum you should be looking for a 300 micron thickness film for scaffold shrink wrapping that is flame retardant. We would recommend a roll size that is at least 7m wide but since sheets of shrink wrap are easily joined, other sizing may not be a problem, depending on the size of the scaffold you are covering. What certification is available for the sheeting you are buying? Typically you should expect to see quality certification from the manufacturer (not from the distributor). The reason you want to see the manufacturer's certificate is that one of the major complaints of anyone who buys rolls of shrink wrap is inconsistency between rolls. Quality certification suggests (along with computer controlled production facilities) that they have the processes in place to make sure that every roll is the same as the last. For flame retardant films you should review the flame retardant certification. As a minimum the film should be flame retardant to EN13501. However, some high risk sites may expect that the shrink wrap sheeting has been certified to the LPS1207 and LPS1215 standard. Stock Holding Do they carry decent stock levels? With widespread pallet distribution networks across the UK, next day delivery to the UK mainland should be possible even for large products such as rolls of shrink wrap. Experience How much ‘real world’ knowledge does the supplier have of the installation process? I have to admit one of the things that drives us crazy at Rhino is scaffolders and contractors being ‘sold’ to by people in offices who have never set foot on a scaffolding or construction site. Suppliers who have their own installation teams have an advantage in that they are using their own products day in and day out. They will also understand the importance of working to the tight timescales that we often work to in the construction industry. An additional benefit of working with a shrink wrap roll supplier who is experienced in the application of the product is that they should be able to provide you with training or other support if you need it. Rhino Shrink Wrap supply shrink wrap materials and equipment and provide a fully installation service throughout the UK. Above all we provide the most extensive education resources, which we welcome you to use, whether you decide to buy from us or not.
I Need a Shrink Wrap Installation Company
Which Scaffold Shrink Wrap Company Is Best For My Project? Which is the best scaffold shrink wrap company depends very much on the type of scaffolding project and where the work is to take place. Since Rhino Shrink Wrap is a company which prides itself on a transparent approach to business, and never wishing to shy away from talking about the competition, some of the well established shrink wrap companies in the UK are listed at the bottom of this page. First, here are a few questions you might ask to help get the right ‘fit’ for your next project. Questions to ask Where Are Your Shrink Wrap Installation Teams Based? Most specialist scaffold shrink wrapping companies promote a ‘UK wide’ shrink wrap service which means that, depending on their home location, specialist shrink wrap installation teams often have to travel significant distances to reach a site. So what? Well, traveling costs in terms of the team’s time and fuel costs. They might also require overnight accommodation, which again, will add to the £/m2 rate they charge. The closer an installation company is to the site, the fresher the team will be when they arrive, they will be less likely to make mistakes and less likely to wish to leave early to ‘miss the traffic.’ The location of the scaffold shrink wrap contractor is also important if any issues develop with the shrink wrap sheeting that need a return visit. Shrink wrap companies that are centrally located or located near to the site can return much faster to fix shrink wrap problems. Just a final thought on the location of a shrink wrap company; It has been known for some scaffold shrink wrap installers to list their ‘London office’ or ‘Glasgow office’ on their website which looks great until you discover in all reality they just have a local phone number. If finding a local scaffold shrink wrap company is important to you, it is always worth doing a little ‘digging’ to test the validity of these claims. How Do You Ensure That Your Installers Are Competent? All scaffold shrink wrap installers should hold a general CSCS card that proves they have reached a basic standard of health & safety awareness, and additional cards such as IPAF for the use of MEWPS are also common. However, there is no nationally accredited dedicated ‘card scheme’ for the installation of shrink wrap sheeting. This means you must get proof that the company you are using has a proper induction scheme for new staff and written proof that each team member has been assessed as competent in all the elements of shrink wrap sheeting. Ask for the records. What Flame Retardant Certification Can You Provide? Shrink wrap for scaffolding must be flame retardant. In the UK there are two key ‘standards’ to be aware of – the basic European standard test (EN13501) which is referenced by building regulations and the much more extensive LPS1207 and LPS1215 standards which are managed by the BRE. The main difference between the LPS1207 / LPS1215 and EN13501 is that whilst EN13501 is a one off ‘test’, the LPS is a ‘scheme’ whereby the quality and flame retardant performance of a shrink wrap film is independently tested and verified by a third party company each year. Whichever film you are using, if the film is flame retardant, it should be clearly printed on the shrink film and you should obtain a recent flame retardant certification for the film and check it’s validity. Are You A Specialist Shrink Wrapping Company? Many scaffolders offer shrink wrapping to their clients as part of a range of services. The benefits of using a scaffolding company to provide a shrink wrap service is that they are normally located close to their clients and if they are experienced scaffold shrink wrappers there is a good chance that they will set up the scaffolding in the best way possible (nice and flush structure for example) which should result in a great looking job. Specialist companies exclusively provide shrink wrap installation services. These teams will be carrying out shrink wrap installation work every day which should lead to genuine mastery, however, as mentioned, if they are traveling long distances then costs may be higher. What Will You Do If Something Goes Wrong? Question your shrink wrap company shortlist on points 1-4 above and you will certainly maximize your chance of contracting a professional shrink wrap company to carry out the work. However, as everyone involved in construction knows, sometimes things go wrong and unfortunately the reaction of your shrink wrap company to problems can be difficult to test in advance. Find out if they have a telephone that is answered by a human being outside of office hours? Do they have a senior management team who are ‘close to the action’ and understand construction problems? A problem with the shrink wrap sheeting impacts our reputation, the scaffolders reputation and the contractors reputation. At Rhino Shrink Wrap we have found from experience that the best way to deal with a problem is ‘head on’. Very often that means a supervisor or member of the management team getting out on to the site to meet everyone involved and working out a resolution. For a more minor problem it certainly means a senior manager always being available on the telephone to talk to a customer. What Supporting Information Can You Provide? A scaffold shrink wrap company should be able to provide you with a range of information to start the project. As a minimum this should include a guide to setting up the scaffolding structure and details of how this sheeting will be tied to your scaffolding structure. This will ensure that any wind loading requirements are accommodated in the design of your encapsulation?’ A fundamental question often overlooked. It is surprising how many shrink wrap companies cannot even provide basic information on the wind loadings that their product can support. Here are some of the well established scaffold shrink wrap installation companies in the UK; Envirowrap – located in Tenterden in Kent have been around for years, and were one of the first scaffold shrink wrap companies in the UK. From their base in Southern England they focus on providing a scaffold shrink wrap ‘supply & fix’ service of their Envirowrap sheeting. Envirowrap scaffold sheeting is approved flame retardant to EN13501. EcoWrap – Based on the South Coast of England, EcoWrap offers both a scaffolding and shrink wrap installation service. We hear some good things about their shrink wrap installation team and the quality of their jobs. EcoWrap scaffold sheeting is approved flame retardant to EN13501 AND LPS1207 & LPS1215. Wrap-It – Wrapit, based in Tipton, is part of the Hastings Group and provides a unique Heat Shrink / Shrink Wrap / Weatherproof Encapsulation / Dustproofing / Temporary Boat Protection / Temporary Spray Booths and Scaffolding Shrink Wrapping service to principle contractors, local authorities and private individuals throughout the UK. Uniquely, Wrap-It offers an ‘all in one service’ where they can produce a scaffold design, source a scaffolding contractor, and then supply and install the scaffold shrink wrap sheeting. Tufcoat – Based in Plymouth in the South West of the UK. Tufcoat provides a shrink wrap installation service and they also supply shrink wrap materials for boat shrink wrapping and industrial packaging applications. Their scaffold shrink wrap is approved flame retardant to EN13501. There are an increasing number of scaffold companies who have received scaffold shrink wrap training and set up specialist ‘scaffold shrink wrapping’ divisions. The advantage of this for the client (usually a main contractor) is that they have a ‘one stop shop’. Some scaffolding companies with well established scaffold shrink wrap divisions are; McDonald Scaffolding – Based in Scotland. We’ve heard good stuff from these guys and the quality of the materials they use. They have a specialist shrinkwrap and containment division which provides a high-tech, durable encapsulation solutions for a wide variety of markets. focus shrink wrap containment and weather protection in the oil, gas and marine industry, including offshore and shipyards. They also provide the service to the civils industry, including bridges and public buildings. Alltask Scaffolding – Based in Rochester, Kent. Shrink wrap has several potential uses including. They recommend shrink wrap for temporary roofs & canopies, containment / encapsulation for grit blasting & painting, asbestos works, demolition work and environmental works.
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