The remains of Grenfell Tower will be covered in a protective wrap in August, to help with forensic investigations, site manager Michael Lockwood told a public meeting on Wednesday.
Lockwood said that he expected the deconstruction of the block, where at least 80 people died, would begin “towards the end of 2018”, the BBC reports.
Speaking at the Notting Hill Methodist Church, Lockwood said the recovery operation in the Kensington tower block could last until November this year.
The criminal investigation into the building – which requires material to be collected – could go on until January.
The covering of the 24-storey tower block will use scaffolding, which Lockwood said would aid workers in demolishing the building.
Any decision on what happens to the site after its deconstruction would be made with input from the community, he added.
Some flats in the building remain “completely untouched and in perfect condition” he said, while others are devastated.
There are some 33 flats in the block from which some possessions could be retrieved and returned to residents “in the next week or so”, he added.