SIP Abacus runs after-school education centres focused on Abacus learning — an international education programme which helps children improve maths skills, concentration and learning ability. Country Head of SIP Abacus New Zealand, Harpreet Singh, worked to introduce this innovative learning method to New Zealand, starting with a centre in Flat Bush, Auckland. He wanted to open a second centre within an existing commercial building in Mount Roskill, but a plasterboard shortage was threatening to hold the project back. Luckily, ClimateLine plasterboard was readily available and thanks to its pre-finished surface, the project could be completed in record time.

“I wanted the new academy to be up and running really quickly, but at that time there was a plasterboard crisis with 6-month lead times,” explains Harpreet. “I needed something that was quick and easy to install, with a much shorter lead time. ClimateLine was the only plasterboard available and it looked like a very good product.”

ClimateLine is a Global GreenTag certified powder coated plasterboard system made from 100% NZ-made materials including GIB plasterboard. The system eliminates the need to plaster and paint on-site, reducing trades and helping to keep projects on track.

While availability was the critical factor for specification, Harpreet quickly discovered the additional benefits of choosing the pre-finished ClimateLine over standard plasterboard. “At our first site in Flat Bush, I remember the pain of installing the plasterboard, then plastering and then painting — it really adds time to the project,” he says. “If it takes longer to get the building ready, I lose out on both business and rent. So even though ClimateLine costs a little more than standard plasterboard, it is well worth the cost.”

The ClimateLine plasterboard with a factory-applied powder coat in white was supplied by distributor Comfortech. It was used for wall linings in the reception office and classrooms of the Mount Roskill centre, providing a high-quality finish throughout. The Climate team supported the installation with drawings, cut-to-size panels, and easy-to-follow instructions for installers, making it a quick and easy process.

And the fact that the wall linings were already finished, also meant minimum mess on site. “With Climate we didn’t have to worry about painters coming in and messing up the floor,” says Harpreet. “It’s a very clean install.”

For the SIP Academy classrooms, which are decorated with colourful math-themed stickers, the durable VOC-free powder coat surface offered another advantage over traditional plasterboard. While the SIP team had experienced issues with these stickers peeling off at their Flat Bush site — an issue that could only have been avoided by waiting three months after the paint had dried on-site before applying them, at the Mount Roskill site there were no issues. “With ClimateLine there’s no problem at all as it’s powder coated, so when we apply the stickers, they don’t peel off over time.”

The SIP Abacus Academy in Mount Roskill, which opened in April 2022, has benefitted from the clean finish, robust plasterboard and time savings the ClimateLine plasterboard offered. Importantly, it helped the SIP Abacus team open their new centre quickly and has ensured ongoing low maintenance.

“We’re really happy and have no issues since we’ve installed it,” says Harpreet. “Since Mount Roskill, we’ve also installed ClimateLine in our newest centre in Hillcrest, and we’ve installed this product in a new room we’ve added to our Flat Bush centre. Even though standard plasterboard is now freely available, we still prefer this product.”

The Climate Surfaces team pride themselves on supplying a system that makes specification and installation easy and are pleased to share new updates being rolled out to further improve the system. Climate now manufactures its powder coating material in-house under the same roof that it is applied to the plasterboard, reducing waste, lead times, shipping and packaging. And they are releasing new two-piece board jointers and matching skirting/scotia mouldings to ensure ClimateLine is even quicker and easier to install.