How to create doors and openings in shrink-wrap enclosures
SHRINK-WRAP ENCLOSURES
Our access doors are incredibly useful and versatile when used with shrink-wrap covers and containments.
Zipper doors or roll-up doors as they are sometimes referred to are used commonly used to create resealable access points in shrink-wrap.
By installing a zipped access door the shrink-wrap cover does not have to be removed and re-secured to gain access to the site or product it is protecting.
Using a zipped access door also means that complicated doorways and ugly duct tape seal-ups are a thing of the past.
There are two main types of zipper door on the market.
Complete Polyethylene Zipper Doors
Polyethylene zipper doors are considered to be an important element in the design and installation of environmental containment systems and are intended for accessing a variety of shrink-wrap enclosures. This type of zipper door is constructed of a heavy-duty clear polyethylene sheet (standard sizes below). The zipper is a ‘U’ shape and has pulls on each side to allow the zip to be opened from either side of the door.
This polyethylene zipper door is simply taped onto the shrink-wrap. The zipper door is applied after the shrink wrap has been shrunk and is fixed with Tufcoat adhesive tape, not heat. Normally the zipper door is applied so that after it has been opened, the door hangs in the opening and can be rolled up and taped. However, a zipper door could also be installed the other way up so that the rolled-up portion of the door was stepped over during entrance and exit. After the zipper door has been applied to the plastic cover, the zipper is opened and the flap rolls up. The cover underneath is then cut away to leave a hole which is the same size as the door. It is a good idea to use a safety knife for this so that the product underneath is not damaged.
Tufcoat Zipped access doors are stocked in 3 sizes.
BC31 – Hatch Door or Window, 76cm x 91cm
Ideal for creating smaller access points where limited or only occasional access is required. Also useful for scaffolding projects as a ventilation point or to allow extraction ducting.
BC32 – Large Hatch Door, 76cm x 122cm
These make getting under a shrink wrap cover really easy. Traditionally applied to shrink-wrapped boats but also used on other wrapped items such as vehicles and modules and pods used in the offsite construction industry.
BC33 HD – Large Door, 76cm x 180cm
This is the polyethylene zipper door that is most often used on shrink-wrapped scaffolding and other large projects where easy access for personnel and equipment through a polyethylene plastic wall is required.s
Self Adhesive Zipper Only
The ‘complete’ polyethylene zipper doors are quick and easy to use. However, they do create a lip or step at the bottom of the zip-up door that must be stepped over on the entrance and exit. Also, they are supplied in a number of standard sizes. Where wider zipped access is required, or where a step is undesirable then a self-adhesive zipper is the answer.
The self-adhesive zippers are sold in packs of two and create a single opening approximately 2 metres long.
After removing a paper backing, the zipper is applied to the desired area. The zip is opened and then a sharp knife is used to cut down between the teeth of the zip to create access. A single self adhesive zipper forming a slot of flap is the simplest application.
Alternatively, both self-adhesive zips can be installed side by side, at any distance apart side to create a custom sized flap door that can be rolled up to allow even large equipment and machinery through.
We are happy to discuss your project requirements and answer any other questions you may have.
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