Increase demand for plastic pipework

A Durapipe product story

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team May 25, 2006

Enquiries for plastic pipework have reached record levels following recent hikes in the price of copper according to Durapipe UK.

Enquiries for plastic pipework have reached record levels following recent hikes in the price of copper according to Durapipe UK.

Recent weeks have seen Durapipe UK witness a 20% increase in enquiries for its high performance plastic pipework systems and has attributed the rise in part to specifiers and contractors' need for alternative materials to help combat the copper crisis.

The plastic pipe manufacturer is further preparing itself for another surge in sales conversions as copper prices are set to soar again from June.

The industry has seen copper prices increase by 50% since the beginning of the year and in addition to incurring record material costs, the trade is also facing another crisis in the form of theft.

Durapipe is receiving regular reports of thefts of copper from sites and merchants, with some extreme cases even seeing installed copper tube being stripped from the walls, as copper reputedly becomes a more valued commodity in its scrap form.

Copper price hikes and its direct impact on pipe specification first hit the headlines in 2004 and with this year's price increases, look set to cause continual problems for all involved in the specification and installation processes.

Commenting on the issue, Martyn Rowlands, head of marketing for Durapipe UK said: "Our teams, across the country, are receiving an uplift in calls from concerned parties as to how they can combat the knock on effect of the copper price hikes and are increasingly turning to high performance plastic pipework to address these issues".

"It would appear that this is a problem that is not going to go away, with the price of copper having risen in excess of 50% this year and set to record double-digit increases from June".

"As a result, we are seriously recommending that if specifiers and contractors have not already considered alternative, innovative materials such as plastic, there is no time to waste, it is essential that all options are considered from immediate effect to offer the most cost effective option in today's climate".