Protec International have some strong links overseas and export temporary protection products for building sites all across Europe, Asia and the U.S. Outside of the U.K and U.S, where temporary protection isn’t often used, it is normally the case where we need to educate people on the benefits of temporary protection. This was the case in Equatorial Guinea. A forward thinking contractor based in the region knew temporary protection would be beneficial in limiting accidental damage to fixtures and fittings and keeping their build schedule on time, so sought Protec International’s help on the best solutions for the job. We talked through the specific problems being faced and an order for various items of floor and door protection were soon on their way to the middle of Africa!

No matter where you are in the world please get in touch if you need to discuss solutions regarding temporary protection for building sites.

Protecting building sites from cold weather.

The majority of the UK has been put on either Yellow or Amber cold weather alert. The last few winters we have seen a rise in the severity of cold weather conditions with roads and transport being affected and Protec has also experienced its construction clients also having to prepare against the ice and rain with various temporary protection materials on the building site.

With increasing snow risk and plunging temperatures it may be of value to consider some specific protection solutions against snow.

Unlike weather such as rain snow is insidious often sneaking in overnight and disrupting the building site through requiring clearing of access ways and, when coupled with wind, finding its way into buildings, melting and subsequently causing possible water damage to floors.
Temporary protection materials can help prevent snow entering anywhere it shouldn’t, protect building materials and speed up any jobs clearing the snow away.

Make sure all opening are covered. Protec supply various forms of plastic sheeting such as 500 gauge Polythene, Proscaff Scaffold Sheeting or Barrier Sheeting which can be secured over openings (doors, windows and vents that are yet to be completed). They are all strong, waterproof and durable protection materials that will withstand wind, sleet and snow. This can be fixed in place using a strong adhesive 100mm Cloth Tape or with staples if possible. To be extra sure Proplex Window & Door Sill protectors can be butted up at the bottom of a door to stop anything blowing beneath it.
Cover all materials and work. Large format protection coverings are ideal used indoors and outdoors to cover any work or materials being stored. Barrier Sheeting or Promesh HD are both supplied in 4m x 50m rolls so a large area can be covered and protected so that if there is any snow fall anything beneath will remain snow-free.
Ice Reduction. Protec Handrail Protector and Protec Bubble wrap are great for wrapping around external handrails so as to provide a non slip surface that snow and ice can be brushed off easily.

These simple tasks should help time spent battling snow and ice on a building site and help protect any valuable building materials. We are very enthusiastic in hearing any clients’ new ideas to help construction sites in cold weather so please let us now any tips or call us if you need any advice on any other issues brought up by cold weather on site.

Our next few blogs will also address some other weather issues a building site may come up against so keep your eye out to find out how to protect your site in the wet and windy months ahead.

November 2012 is seeing an exclusive opportunity for the general public to take a look inside some of the UK’s most exciting construction sites

On the 9th and 10^th November, across England, Scotland and Wales, 91 sites will be opening their doors for tours as part of a pilot project – ‘Open Doors’ - on behalf of the construction industry

The aim of Open Doors is to help show Construction in an exciting and engaging way while presenting some of the opportunities of working in such a dynamic industry. The project will also demonstrate the economical importance of the construction industry on a national and regional scale.

The UK Contractors Group (UKCG), CITB-ConstructionSkills, The Considerate Constructors Scheme and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have all partnered together to trial this scheme.

Some of the sites included in the project are the Olympics Aquatic Centre by Balfour Beatty, Tate Modern extension by Mace, Skanska’s Brent Civic Centre in North London, Leeds Arena by BAM and Carillion’s Southmead Hospital in Bristol. These represent just some of the 23 major construction employers that are taking part in this year’s pilot.

Stephen Ratcliffe, Director, UK Contractors Group who was speaking on behalf of the Open Doors Partnership, commented: “Construction is undergoing rapid change and needs to develop a skilled workforce to meet the challenges it faces. Nowadays construction is more about careers than jobs and the expected increase in demand for specialist and management roles in the next few years means that we need quality talent entering the industry now to fill these future positions.

“‘Open Doors’ is a unique opportunity for the industry collectively to display the complexity and scope of modern construction projects and give people a taste of what it’s really like to work in the industry today. It’s an exciting initiative which we hope will encourage more people to consider construction as a prospective career with good opportunities.

“The scheme will also allow the industry to engage with local communities and strengthen relationships at a local level. What the public will see is a skilled, sophisticated and progressive industry – the Open Doors weekend will is certain to challenge perceptions.”

Protec International are doing their part in trying to help with the project by offering their clients who are taking part branded temporary protection materials to help keep the sites protected and safe throughout the duration of the project.

If you want more information on the contractors and sites taking part or want to register then visit http://www.opendoorsweekend.co.uk

Proplex Corrugated Sheeting used for protecting tv/film sets and filming locations.

We have supplied a number of production companies with Proplex corrugated plastic sheeting (similar to and often reffered to in the industry as ‘Correx’) for protecting floors while on set or location. The material is perfect as it is robust and lightweight and solves the big problem of protecting various surfaces from large production teams and their equipment.

A high profile use of our material was exciting when used on the set for the Scorsese film Hugo. Despite a lot of our materials being made for construction a number of other materials have also been used for similar applications such as temporary screening to hide scretive sets from photographers. A perfect example of this was a lot of screening material being used to conceal the set of Snow White and the Huntsman released the past year.

If you work for a production company and require any of these materials or simply need some advice on the best products to protect floor on set or location or even conceal high profile filming then give our enquiries team a call on 0800 834 704.

Our Scoreline Football Competition, exclusive to Protec customers, has got off to a flying start.

We have already got past our first, 4 week, Manager of the Month competition with a host of winners all receiving Amazon Vouchers.

In 1st Place: Liam Martin

Runner-Up: Darren Bell

Runner-Up: Clive Brook

Runner-Up: Michelle Blaymire

Runner-Up: Martin Kingston

Runner-Up: Sean Ringrose

Runner-Up: Steve Whitaker

We are now halfway through the second Manager of the Month competition and have just added a new function where you can track your monthly performance as well as the overall leaderboard. Good luck this weekend and see how far up the table you can get to be in for a chance of this month’s prizes!

Last week Protec attended the Toolfair exhibition at Coventry Ricoh Arena.

We were showing off our new door-way dust seal, ZipDoor. With lots of tradesman varying from builders and electricians to joiners everyone was pleased to see a very quick and cost effective solution to limiting dust travelling around a house when carrying out any messy work. Usually this is a problem point that is resolved by using dust sheets and tapes however this is never as simple as it sounds with dust sheets often being heavy and falling down and not to mention getting very dirty with continual use. All of this is a clear indication of the benefits of ZipDoor but the overiding factor that brought people to purchase the product was its professional look when using it in a residential/domestic setting. Whereas a dust sheet can look unprofessional and messy people loved how ZipDoor looked when used and clearly saw how their clients would appreciate it being brought along to a job. Within an industry when so much business is based upon reputation and referrals ZipDoor is a perfect addition to any tradesmans arsenal of tools.

Visit the product page here and give one a try, we know you won’t be dissapointed.

Protec are again attending the Toolfair Exhibition, this time around its in Coventry!

We will be showing off our new product, ZipDoor, at the Ricoh Arena where we will be running demonstrations and offering it at a discounted tradeshow price!

So if you’re a tradesman in Coventry, come and give us a visit, we will be at stand G16.

Printed banners for scaffolding and fencing can make the most of your construction site

Protec have supplied various protection materials for construction sites such as scaffold sheeting for decades. What a lot of our contractors or their clients don’t know is that we can also print large banner advertising for sides of buildings that are undergoing work. Whether this is to inform the public on what is being constructed or to make the construction look more aesthetic it is becoming an opportunity not to be missed.

A good example of this are universities which often contract in work over the summer holidays while students aren’t usually there as its outside the academic year. This makes a lot of sense however this is also the time when prospective new students also visit universities to decide where to take their studies. Printed banners can turn a building with a lot of scaffolding from looking like a building site into a way of showing what is being built and the benefits for future students. Southampton University is one of our latest clients to do this and it looked great as you can see in the pictures below.

This is the same for a new block of flats being built in a city, why not advertise the new accommodation on the side of the building while it is under construction rather than leaving it to look like an anonymous building being built.

So are you planning on a new development? Carrying out the contracting work and want to show who is responsible? Give our enquiries team a call and see what we can do with printed banners for scaffolding or heras fencing on 0800 834 704 and you will be surprised in how quick we can suppy you with something suitable.

How to keep your clients happy by being a considerate builder

It is often said that “your home is your castle”. Whenever a homeowner decides to carry out any work on their home, whether it is an extension, a new conservatory, or more simple refurbishments like a new fireplace the impact of that work on the home is a big factor, particularly as the residents plan on living in the while the work is being done.

There are a number of ways that the contractors carrying out the work can ensure their customers have peace of mind whilst on the job and this is where Protec like to help. Two of the main issues are dirt and dust being carried through the home and there are two very easy solutions. One is sealing off any room work is being carried out in using ZipWall ZipDoor kits. They are easy to install and not only stop dust travelling from areas that are being worked in to areas being lived in. There was recently a brilliant review written attesting to this application specifically on the product page and was particularly important due to the clients suffering from asthma.

Perfect Solution for a dust free zone

by Claire Rumble, 08 Aug 2012

Usage: We are having an extension but trying to live in our house throughout the build. I therefore wanted to be able to avoid the rooms we are living in becoming dusty. Particularly as my husband and I both suffer from Asthma.

Opinion: I am so impressed with this product. It was very easy to assemble and is exceeding all expectations I had of its capability in stopping dust getting into the rooms we wish to protect. It is also easy to get in and out of. Most people complain about dust getting everywhere in the house when having an extension – this is definately the answer to avoid that happening. I would not hesitate to recommend this product to others.

The ZipDoor is also great for the builder in terms of limiting the clean-up to specific rooms and also ensuring the residents know work is being done and for them to not enter that room. The second solution is using Trapmats at any main doorway entrance that will help prevent dirt being trampled over any unsuspecting carpets in rooms that aren’t being worked on. They are sticky mats which pick off any dirt from work boots and then can be peeled away to reveal another sticky matt beneath.

These are two safeguards that our consumer clients love and often stress their builders use and we have also had great feedback from our clients who are tradesman themselves who can now show an extra degree of consideration when working in a residential home and are benefiting from the subsequent recommendations. It doesn’t have to stop just there either as overshoes, carpet protection and full temporary screening systems have all had similar feedback and can be found on our site.

Are you a builder/contractor and use these sorts of products? If so then let us know and if not then give it a try and it may just even secure you that next refurbishment job!

How to secure tiles or mosaics during transport, storage and installation.

We have lots of customers who are involved in flooring whether it is supplies or installation and a large majority of them work with ceramic tiles or mosaics. One of these customers approached us to help find a solution to secure and hold together tiles and mosaic pieces for packaging, transit, and installation. The material needed to be easy to use, strong without leaving adhesive residue and clear in colour so as to see the mosaic or tile pattern through it.

Our Protec Hard Floor Film was supplied and worked perfectly, holding the individual tiles in place whilst it was being transported and then installed. This greatly reduced the installation time as well as looking very professional in front of the client.

For more information on Protec Hard Floor Film being used to secure tiles or mosaic in position during transport, storage and installation please contact our enquiries team on 0800 834 704

Category Archives: News

Temporary Protection in Equatorial Guinea!

Preparing Building Sites for Cold Weather Warning

Protecting building sites from cold weather.

‘Open Doors’ Project – Opening Uk’s Construction Sites

November 2012 is seeing an exclusive opportunity for the general public to take a look inside some of the UK’s most exciting construction sites

Corrugated Plastic Sheeting for Film & TV Productions

Proplex Corrugated Sheeting used for protecting tv/film sets and filming locations.

Scoreline Football Competition

Coventry Toolfair – ZipDoor Success

Protec at Coventry Toolfair

Printed Banner Advertising for Scaffolding & Fencing

Printed banners for scaffolding and fencing can make the most of your construction site

Are you a considerate builder?

How to keep your clients happy by being a considerate builder

Perfect Solution for a dust free zone

Hard floor film used as Tile Tape

How to secure tiles or mosaics during transport, storage and installation.