‘Easy’ solutions are not always the best. But for insulation company Westby & Mork, the encounter with the Paroc Pro Clad pipe insulation system has been a positive surprise.
Westby & Mork is a small insulation company run by Robert Westby. The company has a workshop at Alnabru, four employees and, thanks to a good reputation in the market, has more than enough to do.
Like most business owners, Westby is constantly on the lookout for solutions that can increase efficiency without compromising on quality and price. Following a tip from Isopartner, he recently tested Paroc Pro Clad T Section 140 as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional pipe bowl combined with an aluminium jacket.
- ‘We've been a very satisfied Isopartner customer for many years. They give us fast and good service, and if they don't have what I need, they'll sort it out one way or another. So when they tipped me off about a solution that could save us time in a hectic day, I took up the challenge,’ says Westby on the phone from his home office in Mortensrud.
Paroc Pro Clad - pipe insulation and cladding in one product
PAROC Pro Clad T Section 140 is an industrial pipe bowl for thermal insulation of pipes outdoors. The pipe bowl is coated with a strong fibreglass cloth and aluminium, which eliminates the need for a steel jacket. Paroc Pro Clad is UV and water resistant and has high resistance to mechanical damage.
The insulation system consists of the following products:
A solid first impression
Westby decided to test Paroc Pro Clad on a pipe section for a ventilation system on the roof of a housing association in Stovner. Now the product would really be put to the test by skilled and experienced professionals.
- On rooftops, there are often a number of seagulls and crows that like to peck at things, so we pounded hard with a ballpoint pen in the bowl of the sample we received, without damaging the product or creating dents, which often happens with aluminium sheathing. The first impression was that this is a very solid and compact product of high quality,’ says Westby.
We saved a surprising amount of time!
Under a bright blue autumn sky, two of Westby's men set to work ripping off old insulation and installing Paroc Pro Clad on the pipe section that supplies heat to the ventilation system from a ventilation unit. It was quicker than they had expected.
- ‘As expected, we did the job in one operation instead of two, which means less hauling of materials onto the roof. But we were actually surprised at how much time we saved. We had calculated five days for the job, but managed it in three and a half days,’ says Westby.
Only need one tool
A day after we spoke to Westby, he gets in touch again:
- ‘I came up with another big plus of using Pro Clad versus traditional sheathing, which we didn't talk about. You only need an insulation knife as a tool, so you don't have to carry things like plate shears and pop rivet pliers. Traditional sheathing requires a lot of tools for both prefabrication and installation. Besides, I think it must be better to use the metal used for sheathing pipes for other sensible things than wrapping pipes, as long as there are good alternatives.
