Worldwide Shipping
Trade Prices
Next Day UK Delivery
Excellent Customer Rating
News
Read articles from the shrink wrap experts.
Joining Shrink Wrap? Stop Taping Welds!
In addition, overlaps between sheets of shrink film are heat welded together which creates a ‘continuously bonded skin’ around a scaffolding structure. Sealed joints between sheets makes scaffold shrink wrapping useful for projects that require a high level of environmental containment. Because of the importance of joints when encapsulating a scaffolding with shrink wrap sheeting, I am often askedby scaffolders and shrink wrap installers about whether they should use shrink wrap repair tape, often called ‘patch tape’ to tape along every edge of the shrink wrap sheeting where it has been joined (heat welded) to another sheet. The simple answer is, no! If you are taping along the edge of the sheet then you are probably wasting both time and money. To show how using patch tape can really make a difference to your costs of encapsulating scaffolding consider the following example; A scaffolding project that is 12 metres high by 50 metres long would typically be shrink wrapped using two ‘drops’ of shrink wrap sheeting, (6m drop plus 6m drop), with an additional vertical join at least every every 15 metres. Shrink wrap repair tape / patch tape is normally supplied on a 100mm wide roll with a roll length of 33 metres, (although patch tape roll lengths of up to 55 metres are sometimes available.) To tape every horizontal and vertical weld would require at least 250 metres of patch tape which even on this small area is equivalent to nearly 8 rolls of patch tape or a cost of around £80.00, (and this doesn’t include the cost of labour needed to tape all those welds either!) Why do some shrink wrap installers tape shrink wrap joints? Poor quality shrink wrapping sheeting Low quality shrink wrap sheeting can have a major affect on the strength of heat welded joints. Typically, when first welded the shrink wrap can look as though it has been joined properly. However, after some time, the welded joint begins to separate and is easily peeled apart by hand. By taping the weld, the installer hopes to slow or stop the weld peeling part. My advice is to choose a supplier who can consistently supply a scaffold shrink wrap that when welded / joined – remains bonded with a joint strength greater than the original material. If the shrink wrap remain welded then it will require no additional reinforcement using adhesive tape. In my experience the price of genuine scaffold shrink wrap film is not much more than some of the cheap imitations, and when you factor in that you will not require to buy as much patch tape, using a high quality scaffold wrap might actually work out as costing less than the low quality ‘packaging’ grade shrink wraps. Lack of scaffold wrap training No matter what shrink film you use, it is important to understand how to use the hot air gun properly to create a robust weld. Welding involves heating two pieces of shrink wrap film close to their melt point using a hand held shrink wrapping gun. When this point is reached, normally noticeable by a smooth and glossy appearance, (and possible slight colour change), to the shrink wrap material, the operator presses the two pieces of shrink wrap film together and after a few seconds, the shrink wrap cools and is bonded. A welded joint between two pieces of shrink wrap film should be smooth, with as few wrinkles or air bubbles as possible. However, if the operative does not use sufficient heat or heats the plastic for too short a period, the melt point will not be reached and a proper bond will not be achieved. Trying to weld / join scaffold sheeting that is very wet or dirty may also create a join that is on insufficient strength. If you feel you need some scaffold shrink wrapping training, ask your supplier for help or guidance. They may even be able to send out an experienced scaffold wrap installer to get you on track! Temporary Roofs – The Exception! There is one important exception to the ‘no taping’ rule and that is where shrink wrap sheeting is being used as a temporary roof covering. Because water can often find it’s way through the smallest of gaps we advise that installers tape along the edge of all joints. The technique recommended by our own installation team is to start the roll of tape at one end of the weld. As the heat gun is used to weld the sheets together, the tape is unwound, bit by bit, in one continuous strip along the edge of the welded joint. The advantage of taping the weld as you go is that when the shrink wrap plastic is still warm, the tape will stick to and mould to the shrink wrap sheeting. This is particularly important wen the shrink wrapping on low temperatures. Summary Taping along every join between sheets of scaffold shrink wrap used to be essential for every project. As the quality of shrink wrap materials have improved, this is no longer necessary. You should only need to tape welds if you are using poor quality material or your welding skills need a little improvement. You will still need shrink wrap tape to make small repairs to the sheeting or to seal around locations where a scaffold tube is sticking through the sheet but you could be wasting money by taping along every horizontal and vertical join. Thanks for reading! As always, if you liked this article, please share. If you need any help or advice with any aspect of using shrink wrap sheeting for temporary weather protection or environmental containment get in touch with myself and my team; info@rhinoshrinkwrap.com or +44 (0)1477 532222.
What Materials Are Required To Shrink Wrap a Scaffold?
Scaffold Wrapping Materials Considering buying scaffold shrink wrap materials and equipment for the first time? This article explores the essential materials and equipment you will need to get started providing shrink wrapped temporary weather protection that will not cause problems by blowing off from the scaffolding. This article explores what you should look out for and how to negotiate the best deal from your supplier. Although there are specialist contractors who provide a full ‘supply and fix’ shrink wrapping service, many scaffolders and construction contractors also buy scaffold shrink wrap materials to install using their own teams. Scaffold Shrink Wrapping Materials & Equipment ’Start Up Kit’ The essential start up kit for encapsulating a scaffold with shrink wrap sheeting is; Shrink Wrap – Typically 7m wide x 15m long roll. Divide the square meterage of the area to be covered by 90 to calculate the number of rolls you will need for your project. We supply Rhino Verisafe® 7m x 15m at £186 / roll or £1.77 / m2 for a 300 micron thickness, flame retardant roll. Hot Air Gun – Expect to pay from £395 for a ready to use shrink wrap gun kit including hose, regulator and case. Clips – Box of 100 clips (re-usable) – £95 / box Patch Tape – 100mm wide x 33m long roll in white – £9.95 / roll. Using a good quality shrink wrap will minimise the amount of tape you need. 1 roll of tape per roll of shrink wrap sheeting is a good ‘rule of thumb’. Optional Training – Typically £595 / day. Although as many people For more in depth information on buying your first start up kit of materials and equipment for scaffold shrink wrapping read on….. Shrink Wrap Supplied as a 7m wide x 15m long roll, (105 square metres per roll), weighing around 30Kg. The shrink wrap sheeting is generally folded down on to a roll that is 1.8m long for transport. Shrink wrap for scaffolds is generally supplied in white but your supplier may be able to provide a scaffold shrink wrap in clear if you require. Although a 7 metre wide shrink wrap film has become the most common size for scaffolds, you may see a 12 metre wide scaffold shrink wrap film offered by some suppliers. Whilst a 12 metre wide shrink wrap can be useful for some applications (such as temporary roofs) the extra roll weight (nearly 55Kg) makes it more awkward to handle on site and it may not be as easy to shrink as tightly as a 7 metre wide wrap. Flame retardant shrink wrap has become the standard for scaffold sheeting applications. Your sheeting should be accredited flame retardant to EN13501 as standard but some construction sites will require that any temporary protection materials are certified flame retardant to the more extensive LPS1207 and LPS1215 flame retardant standard. Using a shrink wrap film that is not flame retardant to the requirements laid down by a construction site might lead to the insurance cover being invalid in the event of a fire. The shrink wrap sheeting is the most important element of a shrink wrap encapsulation and containment project and so it is important to get it ‘right’. The challenge when buying shrink wrap film is that different brands look almost identical when they are folded on the roll; you will only notice the difference when you are using it on the job and by that time it is too late to change. Supplier’s only publish the best pictures of shrink wrapped buildings on their website! Even the worst film will be OK if installed on a calm day and may even look pretty good immediately after installation. However, the real test of a scaffold wrap film is what the encapsulation looks like in 1 or 2 months and that is when the quality makes a difference. Unfortunately, the only way to be sure you are buying the right product is to do your homework – read the supplier’s website, ignore the bland sales messages and self promotion and choose a supplier who presents and unbiased view of their products. For an in depth article on shrink wrap quality click here. How To Order Shrink Wrap Rolls Most suppliers will offer a discount on shrink wrap film at the pallet quantity. For a 7 x 15m roll which weighs around 32Kg, the pallet quantity will be around 30 rolls. Try and order sufficient materials to complete the job. Although there is theoretically 105 square metres of shrink wrap sheeting on every roll, you should budget for getting around 90 square metes of sheeting after allowing for overlaps and offcuts. The size and weight of shrink wrap rolls means that they are generally shipped on a wooden pallet. This is great for delivering orders weighing up to 1000Kg but can be expensive for smaller orders. If you require just 1 or 2 rolls ask your supplier if they can deliver them via a courier as this will save you money on your delivery. Clips The metal clips are used to temporarily hold the shrink wrap sheeting in position before it is welded / joined back on to itself. They are re-usable and so long as they are deigned to fit around a standard scaffold pole. In our experience there is not much difference between the clips available from different suppliers so get the best deal you can. Clips are normally supplied as a box of 100 but if you are just getting started, ask your supplier to break a box for your start up kit and just get 50. Shrink Wrap Repair Tape Typically supplied as a 100mm wide x 33m long roll. The shrink wrap repair tape or patch tape as it is sometimes known is usually supplied in white to make any repairs as ‘invisible’ as possible. However, if you are using a clear shrink wrap film, then you should ask for a clear shrink wrap repair tape. Using a good quality scaffold shrink wrap film will minimise the amount of tape you need but some tape is always needed for repairing small holes or sealing the shrink wrap where protrusions pass through the shrink wrap film. The tape that you use should have a high tack adhesive that will stick to the scaffold shrink wrap film in all weathers and temperatures. A ‘pinked’ edge to to the tape can make the tape easier to tear by hand but this is not absolutely essential. Shrink Wrapping Hot Air Gun The essential piece of equipment for scaffold shrink wrapping is the propane gas shrink wrapping heat gun. This tool connects to a cylinder of propane gas via a 8 or 10m hose. A regulator on the gas bottle supplies the gas at the required pressure and also provides a safety cut out should the hose be cut, to prevent the gas escaping. The shrink wrapping heat gun is not a specialist tool just used for the shrink wrapping of scaffolding. It is most commonly used for the shrink wrapping of plastic film around pallets and so can be found in thousands of factories around the UK. Neverthless, if you are looking at purchasing a ‘start up kit’ for scaffold shrink wrapping there are a number of features you should consider. Weight – How heavy is the heat gun? A lighter gun will be more comfortable to hold for extended periods such as required when shrink wrapping. Power – Most propane gas shrink wrapping guns are powerful enough for scaffold shrink wrapping. Although it is tempting to think that more power is better, unless your teams are highly experienced, they may not be able to take advantage of that high power and of course a higher powered gun will use more gas. Some of the most powerful shrink wrapping guns use almost twice the gas of the lowered powered models. Hose length – Try and choose a heat gun with a 10 metre long hose. Case – Choose a heat gun that is supplied with a hard carry case. Spares – Although shrink wrap guns are industrial tools and designed accordingly, they will require maintenance from time to time. Make sure your supplier carries spare parts for the guns they supply and are knowledgeable in basic repairs and maintenance. Can I use an electric heat gun? We are often asked by scaffolders and contractors if they can use an electric heat gun. Well, you can but the low power of the majority of electric heat guns makes them all but impossible to use for large scale shrink wrapping such as the encapsulation and containment of scaffolding. The only electric heat gun of practical use is the Leister Forte S3 but given it requires a 3 phase power supply and is still very slow, (not to mention 4 x the price). Training Everybody knows how to install Monarflex sheeting but using shrink wrap is more of a specialised trade and given that it involves the use of a hot air gun, some training is advisable. The training should of course cover the basic skills such as welding / joining sheets and shrinking the film. However, you might find it more valuable if at least part of the training is on a real life project. One of the great benefits of shrink wrap sheeting is that it is so versatile but that also means it is difficult to provide training for every scenario. Final Thoughts Be wary of any scaffold shrink wrap company who claim to be the manufacturers of the shrink wrap film. The fact is that the machinery required to produce shrink wrap films for scaffold sheeting is huge (and hugely expensive). This means that it is limited to a small number of polythene manufacturers around the world. We are puzzled by this need to pretend they are larger than they are – after all in thousands of industries a middle man is needed to buy in bulk from the manufacturer, hold stock and distribute to customers at their required volume. The distributor also holds the knowledge and expertise regarding the specific application of the product and should be there to provide a level of support that the manufacturer would not be interested in doing. At Rhino we have always been completely transparent about the manufacturer of our film as we have a very long term and well established relationship with them. We think that if a distributor is lying to it’s customers about being the manufacturer, what else are they lying about?
What Are The Disadvantages of Shrink Wrap Scaffold Sheeting?
What are common challenges associated with scaffold shrink wrap? Why is it that when you ask most suppliers what are some disadvantages with their product or service, they seem to put on rose tinted safety glasses – Disadvantages? Our product? Never!Lets be honest, no product can be the perfect ‘fit’ for every situation or every customer, and this is certainly true for scaffold shrink wrap sheeting. This article explores the most common problems we experience with scaffold shrink wrap and includes some suggestions of how you can fix (or even better avoid) the problems we have found over the years. Hopefully, after reading the article you should be able to judge what are the situations when you should / shouldn’t use shrink wrap sheeting for the temporary weather protection or environmental containment of construction projects. Not planning in advance how best to set up the scaffold structure for shrink wrap sheeting. With traditional style scaffold sheeting products, which are generally installed on a ‘lift by lift’ basis around the scaffolding, protruding transoms, ledgers and standards do not cause much of an issue for the installation of sheeting, because the scaffold tubes stick through the sheeting at the point the strips of scaffold sheeting overlap. For shrink wrap sheeting, which is normally supplied as a 7 metre wide sheet, having to cut around protruding tubes, whilst not impossible, can affect both the appearance and performance of the finished job. What is the impact of this problem? Appearance It is still a surprise to me how many scaffolders and contractors appreciate shrink wrap sheeting for its smart and professional appearance alone. Because of the heat welded joints and ‘drum tight’ finish, a shrink wrapped scaffolding can look very neat and different to traditional style scaffold sheeting which can start to sag and look untidy after a week or two.However, protruding scaffold tubes make it very difficult to make the scaffolding sheeting look its best. Although the sheeting can be cut around protruding tubes, sheeting will need to be welded back together and if the smartest possible scaffold sheeting is your goal, then you want to minimize the amount of welds and joints between sheets. Performance Where appearance is not so important as performance, protruding tubes cause a problem for scaffold shrink wrap sheeting in other ways. For projects where the shrink wrap sheeting is creating some kind of environmental containment then the protrusion of tubes makes that very difficult to achieve. The installer will need to go back and use the shrink wrap repair tape to seal around the point where each scaffold tube passes through the sheeting. Whilst this solution might work in the short term, over the weeks these taped seals may start to become less effective. Although shrink wrap sheeting will generally mold very tightly around the scaffolding structure, if there are very sharp tube fittings and scaffold tube end then over time, these can be a problem by wearing through the sheeting and creating holes. It is unlikely to affect the integrity of the entire sheet but it doesn’t look good and will obviously let water in and dust out. There needs to be some kind of support for the sheeting! You might be surprised at the number of times we have turned up to a job to be asked to install some sheeting where there is no scaffolding structure to support and attach the sheeting to. Although shrink wrap is available in much larger widths than normal traditional style scaffold sheets it still needs a support structure underneath / behind it, at least 2 meter centers.You need to think about how the shrink wrap installers are going to access the sheeting. It is not enough to consider that the installers need to be able to reach every part of the sheet during the installation process, either to create welds or heat shrink drum tight. This is a particularly important consideration for the shrink wrap encapsulation of temporary roofs – if safe access cannot be created either to the underside or top of the shrink wrapped roof then it may be best to consider an alternative solution such as the excellent ‘system’ roofing systems provided by Haki and others.Another ‘problem’ is that shrink wrap sheeting is not designed to detach from the scaffolding in high winds. You should also pay attention to how the scaffold structure will contain any wind loadings that will result from the installation of the shrink wrap sheeting.Whilst this is true for all types of scaffold cladding it is particularly important for shrink wrap sheeting because it is a high performance product which is designed not to detach from the scaffolding. How to prevent problems connected with the scaffolding structure The simple answer is to plan the set up of the scaffold structure in advance. Key points to remember are Keep the scaffold structure flush Ensure the scaffold is fully boarded to create safe access to all parts of the scaffold structure that require sheeting For a really great looking job, install a ‘sheeting rail’, mounted on a single, around the scaffolding lift by lift, this will hold the sheeting off scaffold fittings and prevent any sharp bolts sticking through the sheeting. If you are using the sheeting to create a temporary roof or even just a small canopy style roof over the top lift, a tube mounted on the edge of the roof keeps the shrink wrap away from the ends of tubes and helps to prevent snags during installation. You can read a detailed guide to setting up scaffold structure for shrink wrap sheeting here. Not using trained operatives to install scaffold shrink wrap sheeting Whilst traditional style scaffold sheeting products can be installed by most scaffolders without a problem, scaffold shrink wrapping, despite not being ‘rocket science’ is a specialized trade which requires some training and experience to be carried out safely to a high standard. For example, shrink wrap sheeting requires the use of a shrink wrapping hot air tool, which is used to create welded / sealed joints between sheets of scaffold wrap and of course, to heat shrink the cladding and achieve that signature ‘drum tight’ / wrinkle free appearance which is unique to shrink wrap cladding. The shrink wrapping hot air tool or ‘gun’ is a powerful tool, which uses propane gas and so an understanding of it’s safe operation is essential. What is the impact of this problem? There are a number of problems connected with inexperienced operatives installing shrink wrap sheetingOne of the key skills to master when shrink wrapping is how to create a welded joint between two pieces of shrink wrap. Using the hand held shrink wrapping heat gun, the trick is to direct the hot air between the two pieces of shrink wrap film that you wish to join until they reach their melt point. The heat is removed and the two pieces of film are pressed together using a gloved hand so that they stick. Inexperienced users will tend to use insufficient heat so that the shrink wrap is not joined properly. Alternatively, an untrained installer may use too much heat and burn holes in the shrink wrap sheet.Either way, if sheets of scaffold wrap are not joined properly the weld will be weak and may leak or not provide proper containment of dust and debris. Another key skill involved in the encapsulation and containment of construction projects using shrink wrap is to shrink the film ‘drum tight’. Once again, the problem centers on operatives not using enough heat (wrinkles and creases remain in the sheeting and it is not drum tight) or too much heat (holes appear in the shrink wrap sheeting which need patching with more shrink wrap or shrink wrapping tape). What is the impact of this problem? Hopefully, the only impact of not using a trained & experienced installation team is that the sheeting looks a bit ‘rough around the edges’ but still achieves it’s purpose. However, poor quality welds and poor quality shrinking may lead to the scaffold sheeting detaching during windy conditions. How to minimise the effect of this problem? The best way to avoid this problem is to plan ahead and do your homework. If you are looking for a fully installed shrink wrap service, you might want to check out this article; ‘Which scaffold wrap installer is best for my project?’ which explores some of the criteria for choosing an installer and looks at the main companies in the UK providing a shrink wrap contractor service. Alternatively if you are looking to buy the materials and equipment and carry out the work you might want further information on the skills involved you might want to read another article; ‘How do I shrink wrap a scaffolding?’Alternatively, if you are looking to install the scaffold shrink wrap yourself to using your own teams you might want to check out this article; ‘What scaffold shrink wrap materials & equipment do I need?’ Although these articles explore shrink wrap training in more detail, in terms of minimizing the effect of the problem I would advise finding a company who can provide you with training and then provide you with a trainer or experienced operatives to accompany your team on their first job. Trying to install scaffold shrink wrap in wet and windy weather conditions Aside from the problem of trying to handle any kind of sheeting materials in wet and windy conditions, there are a couple of aspects of scaffold shrink wrap that make getting the right weather conditions particularly important. The main problem with attempting to shrink wrap a scaffolding structure in windy conditions is that shrink wrap scaffold cladding needs to be, well, shrunk ‘drum tight’. After all, the way shrink wrap sheeting becomes tightly molded to and around the scaffolding is where much of the unique appearance and performance of shrink wrap sheeting comes from. What is the impact of this problem? To heat shrink the scaffold cladding, first the shrink wrap sheeting must be attached to the scaffolding by wrapping around tubes and heat welding the plastic back onto itself. At this point, the shrink wrap sheeting resembles traditional style scaffold sheeting, i.e. it may be reasonably tight but there will inevitably have wrinkles and creases and will certainly not be as ‘tight as a drum’. To get the shrink wrap sheeting ‘drum tight’, the operator uses the propane gas hot air gun to blow hot air over the surface of the sheet. If you were watching this process you would see the appearance of the shrink wrap change and become quite ‘glossy’. It is also quite soft and flexible and then as it cools, it shrinks and hardens.The problem with shrink wrapping a scaffold in windy conditions is that during the heat shrink process, if the wind can blow on to the shrink wrap as it is in the ‘hot and flexible’ stage, before it has had a chance to cool and harden. When this happens, instead of shrinking tight, the shrink wrap expands into a bubble.The only way to fix this is to heat weld a patch of shrink wrap over this area and try shrinking again but the appearance will not be as good. Secondly, unlike traditional style scaffold sheeting where sections of scaffold sheet are simply overlapped and bungeed to the scaffolding, (leaving gaps between the sheets for water to enter or dust to escape), two sheets of shrink wrap are joined by overlapping them by about 30 cm and then heat welding the two sheets of scaffold wrap together to make a completely sealed joint. (You can see a video of this process by clicking here).Once this join has been made, it should be as strong as the original sheeting and it should be impossible to pull the welded shrink wrap joint apart. However, when shrink wrapping in very wet conditions, if rainwater gets between the overlapped area before the weld has been made, then it can be more difficult to get a strong and robust joint. It should be noted, that this applies to very wet conditions, and is more of a problem where shrink wrap sheeting is being used as a covering for a temporary roof scaffolding. How to minimize the effects of this problem One aspect of the weather is that sometimes it is better to delay starting a job until the weather is right, particularly with roofs. I know this can be a difficult decision to make, particularly if a client is applying pressure on you to complete the work as soon as possible, however, pressing on regardless can often cause more problems in the long run. For example, installing a section of shrink wrap sheeting at the end of a working day when it is too windy to shrink it tight and more windy conditions are expected overnight, may just lead to the section flapping and becoming damaged beyond repair overnight, so that it has to be replaced. In this scenario it would be worth waiting until the sheeting could be hung and heat shrunk drum tight. Using a good quality shrink wrap sheeting (one that has been designed to shrink powerfully in all directions) can reduce the problem of windy conditions, and using a shrink wrap sheeting that welds powerfully can also help, but ultimately this is something you should always bear in mind and if your project has only one ‘window of opportunity’ to apply the cladding sheeting, then shrink wrap may not be the best choice. Poor quality shrink wrap sheeting If you would like to explore the importance of scaffold shrink wrap quality to your jobs then we have written a much more detailed article here; ‘Understanding Shrink Wrap Quality’ What is poor quality sheeting? In terms of scaffold shrink wrap poor quality generally manifests itself in two ways. Very difficult to weld / welds start to come apart after a period of time Shrinkage is weak or not consistent (i.e. sheeting shrinks lots in one direction but not much in the other direction) which makes it difficult to get a ‘drum tight’ wrinkle free appearance. The mechanical strength of the scaffold sheeting is low. We explore this in more detail in this article – ‘Will Scaffold Shrink Wrap Fail in Strong Winds?’ What this means is that wind loadings cause the shrink wrap to stretch beyond the point of no return. What is the impact of this problem? However, bottom line is that poor quality shrink wrap sheeting affects jobs in a very similar way to poor quality installation Sheeting may detach from the scaffolding Joins / welds between sheets may open up Sheeting may look tired, with many wrinkles and creases. How to minimize the effect of this problem? Once again, the main thing is to do your homework. Although it is rather tedious and time consuming, ask your suppliers for the specification and data sheet for the shrink wrap sheeting and compare it between suppliers. Although the can be rather overwhelming, the main issues to focus on are shrink ratio (which will give you an indication of how tight the sheeting is likely to be after shrinking) and yield strength (which will tell you how much wind the sheeting is likely to take before it becomes loose and saggy).Thank you for getting this far! Because scaffold shrink wrapping is such a specialized trade it can be difficult to find straightforward advice that is not just sales ‘blurb’.