URSA glass mineral wool loft roll, partly unrolled

Taking Delivery of Insulation and Plasterboard: Access and Storage Checklist

By , Managing Director

Insulation boards and plasterboard are bulky, heavy and easily damaged by rain, and a few minutes of planning before the lorry turns up can save a lot of wasted material. This checklist covers ordering, taking delivery and storing insulation, plasterboard and drylining materials on site or at home, drawing on manufacturers' storage guidance.

Before you order

  • Put the whole job on one order. One delivery of insulation, plasterboard, metal and fixings is easier to receive and store than several part loads, and means nothing holds the job up.
  • Order in good time. Delivery timing depends on stock and location, and we do not offer next-day delivery. Orders placed outside office hours are processed the next working day. If you need materials by a particular date, call us to confirm it before you order.
  • Check we deliver to you. We deliver to mainland England and Wales, but not currently to Scotland, Northern Ireland or the islands.
  • Check the details. Our delivery information page sets out delivery charges and terms, and our refund policy covers failed deliveries.

Plan the drop point

Most of our orders arrive on a lorry fitted with a truck-mounted forklift (often called a Moffett), which lifts the load off and places it on the ground.

  • Choose a drop point on firm, level ground, as close as practical to where the materials will be used and away from where other trades will be working.
  • Keep the route from the road clear of skips, vans, scaffold and loose materials.
  • Tell us in advance about anything that could affect access: narrow or unmade lanes, weight or height restrictions, steep drives, parking restrictions or a site with set delivery times.
  • Where you can, have someone there to show the driver where to put the load and to check it on arrival.

On the day: check the delivery

  • Check the delivery against your order: product, thickness, board type and quantity. Look closely at boards that look alike, such as standard and moisture resistant plasterboard.
  • Look for damaged corners, crushed packs or wet packaging.
  • If anything is wrong or damaged, take photos and contact us before you use or return it. We will sort out anything delivered incorrectly or damaged.

Storing PIR insulation boards

Kingspan's guidance for its PIR boards sums up good practice:

  • The polythene wrapping is not adequate protection outdoors.
  • Ideally, store boards inside a building.
  • If they must be stored outside, stack them clear of the ground and cover them with an opaque polythene sheet or weatherproof tarpaulin.
  • Do not use boards that have been allowed to get wet.

Keep packs flat so boards do not bow, and weigh down covers on windy sites. Foil facings are slippery when wet, so do not leave loose offcuts where people walk. Browse our PIR insulation boards.

Storing plasterboard

  • Store plasterboard flat, on a level surface, indoors and dry. Boards stored on edge or unevenly supported can bow and are easily damaged.
  • If you use bearers to lift the stack off the floor, use enough of them to support the boards along their full length.
  • Keep it away from wet trades and damp areas, and protect edges and corners when moving sheets. Carry boards on edge, not flat.
  • A full stack of plasterboard is very heavy, so think about where it is placed on suspended floors and upper storeys.

See our plasterboard range.

Storing loft rolls and mineral wool

  • Keep rolls and slabs dry and under cover. The packaging only offers short-term protection.
  • Many loft rolls are compression-packed. Open them where they are going to be laid, as they expand quickly once the wrapper is cut.
  • Throw away any insulation that has become wet or damaged, as its performance will be affected.

Browse our glass wool insulation. Our loft insulation guide covers storage and fitting in more detail.

Metal studs, track and fixings

  • Store metal sections flat and supported along their length so they do not bend or twist, and keep them off wet ground.
  • Keep screws and fixings in their boxes, dry and off the floor.

Order with confidence

Use our drywall partition calculator, MF ceiling calculator and PIR U-value calculator to get the quantities right first time. Questions about an order or a delivery date? Call us on 03330 908479, email sales@insulationwarehousedirect.co.uk, or order online.

Sources: Kingspan Thermapitch TP10 brochure, "Packaging and storage"; our own delivery information. Correct at the time of writing.

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