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Concealing pipework simply & cost-eff ectively with Encasement


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n any property, whether it’s a new build or a refurbishment project, there are oſt en exposed interior and exterior pipes that


need concealing to improve safety or aesthetics. Covering exterior pipework is also common practice to provide protection from accidental damage and act as a deterrent to tampering or vandalism. For social housing providers, large quantities


of exposed pipework can present several challenges, as part of the property management process, especially when dealing with older housing stock requiring upgrades such as retro-fi t fi re sprinkler systems or low-carbon, fuel effi cient heating system improvements. To illustrate this, where fi re sprinklers need to be


located within individual fl ats and communal areas, they can be readily incorporated into new builds at the design stage and can be hidden within risers and ceiling voids. However, for retro-fi tted installations, this is not an option and in most cases the surface mounting of sprinkler pipework is the only practical cost-eff ective solution. It’s a similar situation for heating system


refurbishment programmes. Upgrading boilers to more fuel-effi cient models together with new radiator pipework or the installation of low-carbon district heating schemes, all involve the surface mounting of pipes and, in many cases, electrical cabling, all of which need to be concealed. A key advantages of surface mounted pipework,


whether it’s for sprinklers, heating systems or boilers, is the simplicity and comparative speed with which it can be installed by skilled contractors, which helps keep costs under control. Clearly, choosing a method of concealment that is also quick and easy to install, makes sound economic and practical sense. Encasement’s pre-formed plywood boxing and


casing solutions have become the preferred solution for many HAs and LAs when concealing interior pipework, while its ‘Arma’ range of metal pipe boxing, manufactured from tough aluminium, is used to cover and protect exterior services, such as


Versa 5 sprinkler boxing


gas supply pipes, electrical cabling and distributed heating pipework. For interior use, the company’s comprehensive


range includes Riva; Versa 5 and Versa 8 pipe and fi re sprinkler boxing products, as well as boiler pipe casings, which are all pre-fi nished in white melamine. T is removes the need for on-site painting, which helps save time and money. Information gathered by Encasement from its


own experience of working with contractors on countless UK social housing projects has shown that the company’s pre-formed pipe and fi re sprinkler boxing can be fi tted in less than half the time of traditional boxing methods that are fabricated on site. A further advantage to Encasement’s pre-


formed casings is apparent when assessing ‘whole life’ costs, which escalate signifi cantly when routine maintenance visits are considered. In most situations, site made casings are damaged or destroyed during their removal, as screw heads are usually fi lled and painted over, making them impossible or extremely time consuming to dismantle or re-assemble.


Managing routine maintenance and inspection


can also become more complex. For example, a joiner may be required to remove the site made boxing prior to any maintenance being carried out by a service engineer and would then need to revisit the property once the work is completed to either refi t the casing or construct a new one. With preformed pipe boxing solutions, it is


usually a simple process of removing the securing screws and then the individual lengths of boxing can be removed and replaced quickly and easily. For boiler pipe casings, this process is even simpler, as they are oſt en self-supporting and require no screws to hold them together, so they can be easily removed and replaced in just a matter of seconds. With more than 40 years manufacturing


experience in the design, manufacture and supply of casings to this sector, Encasement estimates that well over 100,000 kilometres of its pipe-boxing have already been installed in social housing projects throughout the UK.


01733 266 889 www.encasement.co.uk


Riva pipe boxing HMM02_Encasement_FPAdv.indd 1


Arma metal boxing


Boiler casing www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMMFebruary/March 2022 | 39 08/02/2022 11:16


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