Shrink wrap installation is a bit more complex than alternatives like scaffold sheeting and debris netting. A special heating tool and expertise are required to achieve that drum-tight cover and avoid these common problems.
If you’re qualified for the job or simply want to understand how to process work, this guide is for you. Here, we’ll get into detail about everything from preparing the materials to hanging, welding, and shrinking. Ready?
Step 1: Get Your Shrink Wrap Materials Ready
You need to start with good-quality materials and equipment to make your shrink wrap effective as temporary weather protection and containment for your scaffolding. Qualified and trained operatives to install the sheets on scaffold tubes or over openings are, of course, a given.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Scaffold shrink wrap
You can’t do shrink wrapping without this! Each roll can cover between 100 and 300 square metres. It’s a great idea to calculate how many rolls of shrink wrap you’ll need to achieve the desired coverage.
If the construction site insists on flame-retardant materials, go for one with FR additives. An example is our Scafwrap FR Shrink Wrap. It conforms to EN 13501-1:2007 + A1:2010 standards and has Warrington Certifire certification. This guarantees reliable and improved fire protection around your scaffolding and work area.
You can find more answers and information in this guide: Why You Should Use Scaffold Shrink Wrap
Heat gun or torch
A heat gun, also referred to as a shrink gun, is used for welding the shrink wrap sheets and creating a ‘continuously bonded skin’ over scaffolds. A shrink torch is a great alternative, but it requires extra careful handling to avoid the risk of overheating.
Clips
Shrink wrap clips are used to keep the film in place before heat welding. Once the film is welded into position, you can take out these scaffold fixings. Be careful in removing the shrink wrap clips afterwards; they can be reused as long as they’re still in good shape.
Step 2: Start Putting up Your Shrink Wrap
Hang the shrink wrap around the side of the scaffolding, although this can vary depending on the project and coverage demands. The material can also be installed on the handrails. This alternative offers a quick and easy solution without the need to cover each section.
The maximum unsecured drop for shrink wrap is about three (3) lifts. Since you need extra length for overlaps to create the weld, 7.5 metres should be sufficient.
“Lifts” are the vertical sections of scaffolding where the shrink wrap hangs. Each lift indicates a height level in the scaffolding setup. Meanwhile, “unsecured drop” describes how far the shrink wrap can extend downward from the top of the scaffolding without being fastened.
Step 3: Weld and Join the Shrink Wrap
Create welded joints or seals between two sheets of the shrink wrap film using a shrink gun. You can work on either horizontal or vertical joints. Start from the bottom and work your way up in one continuous motion when welding until you achieve a bonded skin, with the material taut enough to prevent flapping in high winds.
Horizontal joints are necessary when the sheets overlap each other, achieved with two parallel tubes. Vertical heat-welded joints are required when the film wraps around a scaffolding structure. In this case, the two sheets usually overlap by 30 cm and are heat-welded together.
Tips: Avoid welding or joining shrink wrap in winds exceeding 20 mph. Strong winds can affect the evenness of the application and cause issues. Also, wear heatproof leather gloves or gauntlets for protection during the heat-shrinking process.
Step 4: Inspect and Make Any Final Repairs
You still need to do a final check and touch up as needed. Make sure all overlaps and joints are fully heat-welded, and that the shrink wrap is properly shrunk. You can test this by tapping the sheet—it should sound tight and taut, like a drum, with no creases or wrinkles.
Note: Even experienced installers may occasionally create a small hole in the sheeting during the process. Luckily, this can be repaired with this Scafwrap Patch Tape.
These steps are general and may vary depending on the project. Overall, they provide a glimpse into shrink wrapping.
If you have more questions about this monarflex alternative, FR debris netting, or other Safegard scaffold protection products, contact us at +44 (028) 9442 8611. SP Group is a scaffold supplier based in the UK and Ireland. The company also offers a specialised course to help contractors upskill their employees and maintain high-quality standards for their business.