How to Shrink Wrap a Temporary Roof

Why use shrink wrap for a temporary roof?

SHRINKS ‘DRUM TIGHT’

= less site visits to repair wind damage

HEAT WELDED JOINTS BETWEEN

SHEETS

= better weather proofing

OVERALL IMPROVED APPEARANCE

= happier customers & more repeat work

Shrink wrapping a temporary roof:

Part 1 - Materials & Equipment Required

Propane Gas Hot Air Gun

A propane gas hot air gun is the key piece of equipment for shrink wrapping scaffolding.

The hand held hot air gun is used to create joins or ‘welds’ between separate sheets of

shrink wrap and is used to shrink the film ‘drum tight’.

Our teams use & recommend the ‘Raptor’

heat gun by Express because it is light,

powerful and supplied with everything you

need including a 10 metre hose, regulator

and protective carry case. We find a 13Kg

propane gas cylinder is easiest to handle.

Shrink Wrap Film

For shrink wrapping scaffolding, including

temporary roofs, we recommend a 300 micron

thick shrink wrap film. Always ensure you use a

flame retardant shrink wrap (to EN13501 or

LPS1207 / LPS1215 standard). Supplied as a

7 metre wide x 15 metre long roll or a 12 m

wide x 15m long roll.

Patch Tape

Shrink wrap patch tape is used to reinforce welds/joins between temporary roof

sheets. Patch tape is also used to repair small holes in the shrink wrap sheeting and

tape zipped access doors into position. Typical roll size is 100mm wide x 33 metre

long. It is important to use a tape with a high tack adhesive that will stick to the shrink

wrap at low temperatures. A ‘pinked’ edge (serrated edge) to the patch tape helps

installers tear the tape ‘cleanly’.

Shrink Wrap Clips

Shrink wrap clips are used to temporarily hold the shrink wrap sheeting in position

before heat welding. The clips are then removed and re-used.

Zipped Polythene Access Doors

A zipped access door is not

essential for every shrink wrap

project but is commonly used

where a scaffolding is to be

sheeted to provide full

‘environmental containment’ –

such as during shot blasting

and painting operations.

Much larger access can be

also created to allow machinery

& equipment through the

sheeted area.

Shrink wrapping a temporary roof:

Part 2 – Structure Set up & Safety

Setting up a scaffolding structure for wrapping

Scaffold boards fixed to roof surface provide an anchor point to which the shrink

wrap will be battened. The shrink wrap installation team will also use roof boards to

safely access the roof for welding and shrinking the shrink wrap sheeting.

The minimum requirement for roof boards is a ‘run’ of boards, three boards wide,

every 2 metres with a run three boards wide around the perimeter of the roof.

Safety

Edge Protection – Before shrink wrapping

a roof, always install a hand rail around

the perimeter of the roof.

Safety Lines – These can be tensioned

between hand rails and allow operatives

wearing harnesses and lanyards to move

along the length of the safety line. A

rescue kit such as the ‘Gotcha’ from

Spanset UK is essential in the event of a

fall.

Shrink wrapping a temporary roof:

Part 3 – Shrink Wrapping Temporary Roof Sides

Why shrink wrap scaffold sides first?

Before installing the shrink wrap sheeting

over the temporary roof you should hang,

weld and shrink wrap the sides of the

scaffolding structure first.

The roof sheet can then overlap the side

sheets which helps to prevent any

rainwater ingress. The maximum untied

drop for a single sheet of shrink wrap film

is usually around 3 scaffold lifts (approx. 6

metres).

Hang and clip the shrink wrap sheet (sides)

Although small holes are quickly repaired

using patch tape, take care not to drop

rolls or snag the shrink wrap sheet during

installation.

The sheet is

temporarily clipped to

hold it into position

Heat weld shrink wrap around tube

Overlap shrink wrap around scaffolding

tube by 30-40cm and heat weld to fasten

shrink wrap securely to scaffolding.

The propane gas hot air gun bonds

overlapped areas of shrink wrap together.

If the shrink wrap film is of a good quality

this join should not need to be taped.

……Or batten shrink wrap sheet at toe board

As an alternative to wrapping the shrink

wrap sheeting around a scaffold tube and

heat welding it back on to itself, some

scaffold shrink wrap installers like to

batten the shrink wrap film to the toe

board. This can look better as there is no

weld visible from the outside and can be

quicker than welding.

Batten side sheet around roof perimeter

The top edge of the shrink wrap side

sheet is battened to the roof edge

perimeter board. When the roof sheet is

installed it will then be battened and heat

welded to this sheet to prevent rainwater

ingress.

Heat shrink side sheeting

The heat gun is used to shrink the

scaffold wrap film ‘drum tight’.

Hold the gun 30-40cm from the shrink

wrap and work the heat over the shrink

wrap – like spray painting. To see the

technique search YouTube for ‘Rhino

Shrink Wrap’ and watch a video of the

heat gun in action.

Protrusions through the shrink wrap film

For best results, scaffold structure should be flush. Shrink wrap can be cut and resealed

around protrusions such as beams but it can be difficult to create a 100% perfect

weatherproof seal where there are protrusions.

Shrink wrapping a temporary roof:

Part 4 – Roof Sheeting

Unroll shrink wrap film

The shrink wrap sheeting is unrolled to 15

metres (or shorter) and the core is

discarded. Joints in the shrink wrap are

minimised and where necessary are

overlapped like roof tiles to minimise the

chance of water ingress.

Unfold shrink wrap sheet

The shrink wrap

sheeting is cut from the

roll and then unfolded to

7 metres or 12 metres

width according to the

shrink wrap roll size

being used.

Avoid installing shrink wrap sheeting in

winds over 20 mph or wet conditions.

Fix battens

Battens are used to make a shrink

wrapped temporary roof stronger as

they provide intermediate fixing points

for the shrink wrap film and spread

wind loading force. Battening the film

also makes covering a temporary roof

more manageable (especially in breezy

conditions) as the installer can work

(welding and heat shrinking) a section

of the temporary roof at a time if

necessary.

Cut exit hatch (if needed)

When shrink wrap sheeting a temporary roof you may need to plan where you will

safely exit the roof area after the shrink wrap cover is completed. This hatch area will

be taped and / or heat welded shut from underneath and so should be weather proof

but you should try and cut the exit in an area of the roof where some slight water

ingress would not cause a problem (or plan an alternative method of exit.)

Weld joints in the roof sheets

Creating strong joins & overlaps

between sections of shrink wrap

sheeting is a vital part of the shrink

wrap process. The shrink film should be

overlapped by 30-40cm and heated

sufficiently to ensure a good bond. The

welded area should be as smooth as

possible with as few creases and air

bubbles as possible.

It is important that the joint between the

sheets is dry and clean before heat

welding.

Weld the roof sheets – (view from underneath)

This is the view from underneath the temporary roof showing two sections of shrink

wrap that are being heat welded together. The sheets have been overlapped by 30-

40cm (like roof tiles) and the installer will try and get the hot air between the two

sheets of shrink wrap film to get a strong bond / join as possible.

Tape the edge of the welded joints

A good quality shrink

wrap will not need to be

taped after heat welding

but we do recommend

taping along the edge of

all joins / welds in roofs.

Heat shrink roof sheet

The shrink wrap sheeting

over the roof is heat

shrunk in the same way as

the sides - hold the gun

30-40cm from the shrink

wrap and work the heat

over the shrink wrap – like

spray painting.

The roof sheet can be heat

shrunk from above or

underneath depending on

access.

Final things….

Shrinking the film ‘drum tight’ may cause an occasional small hole where the batten is

screwed through the shrink wrap into the scaffold board underneath. To stop any

rainwater ingress there are two ‘tried and tested’ techniques.

Option 1 – ‘Skirt’ the batten

with a strip of shrink wrap film

and tape around perimeter

Option 2 – Install a strip of

5-7mm thick self adhesive

film beneath the batten. This

acts like a gasket.

Shrink wrapping a temporary roof:

Part 5 – Further Information & Training

Where? We can provide training on a temporary structure at your yard / premises or on a ‘live’

job. No classroom is required as the course is based mainly on assessment of practical skills.

How many? We find a ratio of 4 trainees to one trainer is ideal but up to 6 is possible.

What equipment will I need? We can provide a ‘start up kit’ consisting of heat gun(s), shrink

wrap film, patch tape and clips which can then be used going forward on your first shrink wrap

project.

How long? An initial training session on a small scaffolding structure at your site for a team of

4 will typically last 4-6 hours. ‘Live job’ training generally lasts longer and may be 2-3 days

depending on your requirements.

Is a certificate issued? Certification is based on a practical assessment of shrink wrapping

skills by our trainer and a short multiple choice test. This practical assessment and scoring is

the same system we use for training our own installation teams. We provide copies of these

records and certificates so that you can provide evidence of the competencies of your team to

your customers.

Shrink Wrap Training – FAQ’s

Scaffold Wrap Training – Topics covered

Theory

• Equipment (Heat gun) familiarisation – Pre start checks. Connecting and disconnecting the

gun, hose and regulator. Safe use of propane gas and handling of gas cylinders. Materials

familiarisation – shrink wrap, patch tape, clips etc.

• Personal safety – PPE, safe use of heat gun and fire prevention.

• Shrink wrapping scaffold structures – weather conditions, setting up the scaffold structure

for best results, wrapping side elevations, wrapping temporary roofs.

Practical Skills

• Welding & shrinking scaffolding wrap.

• Repairing holes by patching / welding.

• In the practical session our trainer demonstrates each skill and then each trainee

practices. The training structure is wrapped and then stripped. Finally, working in two

teams, the operatives are assessed as they shrink wrap the training structure.

ME

ET T

HE

TR

AIN

ER

S

Steve Irlam

Steve has been shrink wrapping scaffolding since 2009. He started out ‘on the tools’ and has helped customers worldwide get the results they want from their scaffold shrink wrap projects.

Kris Martin

Kris has been shrink wrapping scaffolding since 2010. He supervises one of the Rhino installation teams and spends the majority of his time on site carrying out scaffold shrink wrapping.

Adam joined Rhino Shrink Wrap in 2011. He is a full time shrink wrap installer which means he has an in depth knowledge of scaffold shrink wrapping and how to overcome any obstacle!

Adam Newcombe

Thank you.

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