Overview
Phoenix containment weight, sold individually. Phoenix part number 4035853.
Containment weights hold the base of a poly containment wall or drying tent down, so the barrier stays where you built it. They are also available as a pack of twelve.
What they do
Weights are how you secure the bottom edge of containment without taping to a floor you may not be allowed to tape to, and without penetrating anything. On a job where the floor is finished timber, polished concrete, vinyl or tile, tape is either unwelcome or will not hold — and on a job where the floor is wet, tape will not hold at all.
They allow air seepage by design. That matters more than it first appears: a containment barrier weighted with something entirely sealed tends to balloon and lift under a negative air machine, while a weight that lets a little air past keeps the base of the sheet down and stable.
The construction is a durable outer with a separate inner liner, so the outer can be cleaned between jobs.
How many do you need
Enough to hold the base of the sheet along its whole length, not just at the corners. A weight every metre or so along a run is a reasonable starting point, closer where there is airflow across the barrier or where the sheet has to turn a corner.
Under negative pressure, the sheet is being pulled — so err on the side of more weights than you think, particularly at doorways and along the wall the machine is pulling towards.
Most contractors buy them as a pack of twelve for that reason. Buying them individually makes sense for topping up a kit that has lost a few, which they do.
Why containment integrity matters
On mould remediation and fire work, containment is not tidiness — it is the control that stops you spreading the problem through the rest of the building. A barrier that lifts at the base under negative pressure is a barrier that has failed, and it fails silently.
The base is where containment fails first, almost every time. It is worth over-weighting.
Care
Clean the outer between jobs, particularly after fire, sewage or mould work. The separate inner liner is there so the outer can be cleaned without the weight material getting wet.
Check for splits before you pack them. A split weight empties itself into a customer's room.
Frequently asked questions
Are they sold individually or as a pack?
Both. This listing is for a single weight; a pack of twelve is also available.
How much does each one weigh?
Phoenix does not publish the weight in the documentation we hold, and we are not going to quote a figure we cannot verify. Ask us and we will weigh one.
Can I use sandbags instead?
You can, and plenty of contractors do. Purpose-made weights are cleaner in an occupied property, easier to decontaminate and less likely to split.
How many do I need for a typical room?
Enough to hold the whole base of the sheet, roughly one per metre, and more where air is moving across the barrier.
Documents
Building a containment kit? Tell us the size of the jobs you typically do and we will help you work out weights, sheeting, zip doors and ducting as a set rather than piece by piece.
