Flexiscreen temporary weather protection enables early fit-out works, preventing project delays

Temporary weather protection for a live life sciences construction environment

Democo is one of Belgium’s leading contractors, working across residential, commercial, industrial and healthcare projects. At a biopharmaceutical site in Belgium, the contractor needed temporary weather protection to keep wind and rain out of the building envelope before the permanent cladding was installed.

With large facade openings exposed to the weather, the project team had to keep the internal site environment operational, protect ongoing works, and ensure conditions were right for early fit-out activities to begin. Westgate Global installed a temporary Flexiscreen weather-protection system, creating a robust barrier along the open elevations while work on the external envelope continued.

Why weather protection matters 

For any construction project, delays to facade or cladding packages can quickly affect timelines, particularly when early fit-out works depend on dry, protected internal areas. In life sciences environments, that risk is heightened, with environmental control, cleanroom construction and equipment installation all requiring stable, contamination-free conditions.

Without an effective barrier in place, weather exposure risked disrupting internal works, damaging materials, and slowing the transition into fit-out.

Protecting progress before cladding installation

The open elevations created a direct route for wind and rain into the building. Democo needed an enclosure that could be installed quickly, span the open facades, and withstand active-site conditions without obstructing access routes, visibility, or ongoing works.

Traditional temporary sheeting was impractical for the scale and shape of the openings, and wouldn’t have withstood the required wind loadings. Following a full survey, which included wind-load calculations, Flexiscreen’s suspended, modular system was used to form a large-scale barrier across the exposed facade areas, shielding the internal environment while the construction programme continued.

A flexible temporary enclosure for complex construction openings

Designed for large, awkward or temporary separation requirements, Flexiscreen is an ideal solution where a conventional wall isn’t practical. The system installs to any height and length (subject to survey), and the panels are suspended from the building’s existing steelwork using clips and s-hooks, with no additional supporting framework or scaffold required. For the large building facades on this project, the system was fitted around the structural layout and temporary works, with the sheeting secured to give coverage across multiple large openings.

“The challenge on this project was to protect large facade openings before the permanent cladding was installed, without slowing the site down. Flexiscreen gave Democo a fast, adaptable way to do exactly that — keeping the site operational and allowing early fit-out works to begin with greater confidence.” John Becher, Technical Executive,  Westgate Global.

The panels were joined using V-overlap connections, providing over 99% air- and dust-tight seal which shielded the open buildings from weather, regulated temperature and humidity, and prevented dust from spreading to operational areas. Roll-up sections were also included, to ensure easy access without impacting the seal.

The result was a more controlled internal environment and reduced risk of weather-related disruption to the works inside.

Supporting early fit-out and programme continuity

With the internal areas protected, the project team could bring forward key follow-on and fit-out activities rather than waiting for the external envelope to be completed. The site stayed fully operational, internal working conditions were safer and more practical, and early fit-out could begin with less dependency on the cladding programme.

For a life sciences project where quality, sequencing and programme control are essential, protecting the work area at this early stage gave the team a practical way to protect momentum.

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