More than four kilometres of 'Versa 5' pre-formed plywood fire sprinkler boxing from Encasement is being used to provide an aesthetic finish to the installation of new fire sprinkler systems at three Liberty Heights student accommodation blocks in Wolverhampton.

Operated by the UK's second largest student accommodation provider, Liberty Living, the three blocks, one of which is 25 storeys high, provide 657 beds for students attending the nearby University of Wolverhampton and City of Wolverhampton College.

The fire sprinkler system protects corridors, kitchens, lift lobbies and public areas, in addition to the individual student rooms, and the installation was undertaken as part of an accommodation refurbishment and improvement programme by Liberty Living after acquiring the properties in early 2017.


Encasement's pre-formed fire sprinkler boxing was chosen by the contractor as it provided a cost effective and easy to install solution to conceal the thousands of metres of orange sprinkler pipework while also providing an aesthetic finish, as the boxing is pre-finished with white melamine.

Three different sizes of 5mm thick Versa 'L' shaped sprinkler boxing was used on the project, as well as dedicated accessories, such as internal and external corners, to ensure that the finish to the entire sprinkler system was consistent and integrated with the building décor in each of the blocks.

To accommodate the sprinkler heads, the Versa boxing is designed to be drilled easily on-site, so that the position of the individual heads can be aligned accurately and the white cover caps can be fitted to complete the installation.

Martin Taylor, Encasement's Managing Director, explained: "Fire safety and protection in multi-storey residential blocks is clearly a priority for many local authorities, housing associations and specialist student accommodation providers and the installation of fire sprinkler systems is an essential part of this process. We have more than 40 years experience in manufacturing and supplying pre-formed pipe boxing and decorative casings, which have been installed in countless UK and overseas projects. I'm delighted that we were chosen for Liberty Heights, which has proven to be so successful and we are currently involved in a large number of other fire sprinkler projects in social and private housing."