Four considerations when choosing temporary hoarding

Construction work that compromises the safety of others is unacceptable. Protection, health and safety and risk reduction – as well as meeting legal requirements – are just a few of the positives for temporary hoarding. The hoarding around a construction site is the responsibility of the principal contractor on the project and needs to be in place before any construction can start.

Sometimes the principal contractor will undertake the design and construction of the site hoardings themselves, or they might choose to employ the services of a subcontractor. Your temporary hoarding needs to be secure enough that it can’t be knocked or blown down; be high enough so that it can’t be easily scaled; it must obscure the site visually to deter opportunistic theft, and it must offer access to the site through secure access points.

However, there are considerations you must consider before choosing your temporary hoarding.

How long does your temporary hoarding need to last?

Essentially, the hoarding needs to last as long as construction on the site is underway and the lifespan of the hoarding will need to be discussed and agreed upon by all the relevant involved parties. Often hoardings will need to move or change in size and shape, which will need to be factored into this decision.

What does your temporary hoarding need to be made of?

Construction hoardings can be made with traditional building materials such as timber and steel or environmentally-friendly alternatives such as PVC-U. But, when choosing the type of material, make sure it’s of the right quality for your installation so it will last and remain stable without damage or decay.

How strong does your temporary hoarding need to be?

This really depends on the location of your site, but your temporary hoarding needs to withstand, stay upright and resist against a reasonable amount of stress. Is your hoarding outdoors? If so, then pressure from incoming winds can be significant and if the hoarding isn’t sheltered, this needs to be considered. A temporary hoarding by areas of heavy footfall, where a large crowd is likely to be walking past, needs to take crowd loads into account. A temporary hoarding close to a train platform or railway will also come under a huge amount of pressure so will it be able to withstand this?

How big does your temporary hoarding need to be?

In general, a height of around 2.4 metres is accepted as tall enough but depending on the situation it might be appropriate to construct a taller hoarding. If there are points that could be easily scaled then it might be necessary to construct this section of the hoarding at a greater height.

Why Plasloc is the perfect choice for your temporary hoarding?

Here at Plasloc, we provide internal and external hoarding systems for use in construction projects.

When preparing to install our external hoarding system, we use third-party structural engineers to calculate all potential factors with Plasloc in-house design team producing CAD drawings. We’re a SMAS accredited work safe contractor and have also been accredited by CHAS, demonstrating that we’re compliant with all areas of health and safety and every installation is performed by our expert team.

Constructed from 100% post-consumer or post-industrial PVC-U, it is fully recyclable so much friendlier for the environment than competing systems. It is exceptionally weather resistant and is quick and easy to fit and take down.

We have provided internal hoarding for use in Wembley Stadium, external hoarding for use in major regeneration projects and a host of other solutions to clients in a diverse range of sectors.

Do you require internal or external hoarding for your next project? Give us a call on 01626 356 995 or contact us online and see how we can fulfil all your hoarding needs.