Insulation repairs and maintenance
Wet, damaged or missing insulation and cladding fixed on live plant, for facility managers and maintenance contractors.
When insulation needs repairing
Insulation repairs are usually needed long before anyone notices the insulation itself. It shows up as water on the ceiling, a plant room that is hotter than it should be, or an energy bill that keeps climbing.
Once insulation is wet or damaged it stops doing its job. On chilled water and refrigeration lines the moisture keeps coming, and the steel pipe underneath can start to corrode. Fixing it early costs far less than replacing a whole run later.
What we do
- Strip out and replace wet or damaged pipe and duct insulation
- Repair and reseal vapour barriers on chilled water and refrigeration lines
- Replace damaged cladding with new cladding made in our factories
- Make removable valve and flange covers so plant can be serviced without cutting insulation
- Re-insulate after a pump, valve or chiller is replaced
- Work around live plant, out of hours or during shutdowns
Signs your insulation needs attention
If you see any of these in a plant room, riser or ceiling space, it is worth a look.
Water dripping from chilled water pipes
Condensation on the outside of the insulation, or water dripping onto ceilings, means the vapour barrier has failed and the insulation is getting wet.
Ice or frost on refrigeration lines
Frost on the insulation is a sure sign moisture has got in. Wet insulation stops working and the pipe can corrode under it.
Damaged or missing cladding
Dented, split or lifted cladding on roofs and plant decks lets rain in. Missing valve and flange covers after a service are common.
Crushed or sagging insulation
Insulation that has been stood on, crushed by supports or left hanging loses its thickness, and with it the R value it was installed for.
Hot surfaces in plant rooms
Bare or poorly lagged steam, hot water and flue lines waste energy and can burn someone who touches them.
Stains and mould on ceilings
Brown stains or mould under pipe runs often trace back to a wet section of chilled water insulation above.
Repairs that match what is there
Because we make our own cladding, a repair does not have to look like a patch. We measure on site, make the straights, bends and covers in our Melbourne or Perth factory, and fit them to match the existing finish.
Common questions
Can you repair insulation on plant that is running?
Yes. Most repairs are done on live plant. Where a line has to be isolated we plan it with the facility manager and the mechanical contractor, often out of hours.
Do you only do new construction?
No. Most of our work is new projects, but we also repair and replace insulation and cladding on existing buildings for facility managers and maintenance contractors.
Can you match the existing cladding?
Usually. We make cladding in Zincalume, galvanised steel, aluminium, stainless steel and Colorbond in our own factories, so repairs can match what is already there.
Found a problem?
Send us a few photos and the address, and we will tell you what it needs.
See our latest jobs on LinkedIn.