Apprentice of the month – June

Matt McHugh is a second-year apprentice from Auckland, who earned the honour of being named June’s Apprentice of the Month for overcoming a unique challenge

Matt was asked to install a product that no one in his company had worked with before – Kooltherm K17 insulated plasterboard.

Adding to the difficulty was the fact that they received the wrong quantities, meaning there weren’t many extras. This meant that Matt not only had to figure out the best way to attach the sheets, but also fix them in the most efficient way to reduce wastage.

First, he carefully read the product installation instructions. Secondly, he used 50mm ramset nails in areas that were going to be covered by paper tape and plaster to keep the sheets in place while the glue he used to fix them dried.

To work around the shortage, Matt created an extra sheet join on one wall – a much better solution than waiting a week for more of the specialty product.

The end result was a top finish, which earnt Matt praise from his foreman and from the judges “for thinking outside the box and being solution-focused”.

“When you face a tough situation, generally you can achieve the desired result using what is already available on site,” says Matt. “If you think outside the box a little, you may surprise yourself. Attaching insulated plasterboard with concrete nails is pretty far-fetched, but it worked a treat!”

Don’t forget!

Each winner of Apprentice of the Month is entered in the selection process to be named ‘The Novice Who Nailed It’. The winner will receive the ultimate bragging rights and a prize valued at over $500 (inc GST).