Some more Scaffold Wrap FAQs!

Here are some further frequently asked questions that have been arising from recent enquiries about our shrinkable scaffold cladding.

What is the size of the sheet? Does the size of sheet make it difficult to handle? How do you join sheets?

We supply two sizes for wrapping scaffolds – A 12 x 15m, 300 micron flame retardant, and a 12m x 30m. However, the sheets are multi folded on to 1.6m wide rolls for easy transport and handling. The 12 x 15m roll weighs 58Kg and the 12 x 30 roll weighs 116Kg.

To make sheets easier to handle when applying they are centre folded. This means that once the film has been pulled over the scaffold structure and cut from the roll. One of the 6m halves can be left folded whilst the other 6m half is secured with Tufclips and heat welded. For smaller jobs the film is easily cut down the centre of the roll to create a 6m width sheet.

Sheets are easily joined together by heat welding using the hand held hot air gun.

How many square metres can a team install in a day?

This can vary depending on the job and the size of the team / number of heat guns in operation. Recent examples include 300 square metres in four hours for Church at Bradford On Avon with a team of 3 using 2 heat guns and 550 square metres in a day (roof and sides) for a job using a team of 3 and 3 heat guns.

Feedback from scaffolding contractors is that using Tufcoat scaffold wrap is labour saving – 40% labour saving on fit compared to tin roofing and 80% labour saving on strike compared to traditional sheeting. To give an example, we recently worked on a structure around 32m long and 10m high and we covered the roof and sides. This would have taken 3 days using traditional sheeting and tin sheeting but we completed the job in a day.

Do you have to use a propane gas gun? What size of cylinder do you recommend?

Yes! Electric guns are available but they require three phase electricity supply, are cumbersome to use and still only about 1/3 of the power so the job will take much longer.

Generally, best cylinder size is 13Kg. Larger cylinders are available (19, 47 Kg) but they can be difficult to move around.

How do you set up the structure for this type of sheeting?

The shrinkable scaffold sheeting is very flexible and will cover a scaffold structure of any dimension or shape. Generally, the key considerations should be to minimise any protrusions outside the main body of the scaffold structure. For roofs, the scaffold wrap should be supported at least every 1.5 metres. We have a manual, downloadable from the knowledge base at www.tufcoat.co.uk which covers setting up the structure in more detail.