KSPACE WITHOUT THE WORRY


e and hygienic environment; the cleanability of surface materials is under close scrutiny. Dave mmon materials and how simple, smart swaps can meet safety, aesthetic and comfort criteria.


keep the area hygienic. This results in patchiness, reducing the overall aesthetic appeal and requiring extra maintenance.


Tiles are another popular wall or floor finish, and although easier to clean than paint they too create hygiene headaches. Grout is often the weak spot for hygiene – it often becomes porous with age which means it will harbour microorganisms, providing breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses. Grout is difficult to clean and can shrink and cause gaps between the tiles, again providing the perfect environment for microorganisms to multiply.


Cracked or shattered tiles also lead to ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and viruses, and as individual damaged tiles can be difficult to remove, the problem perpetuates.


Wall cladding systems remove many of these risks. Altro’s systems are 2.5mm thick, with colour throughout the thickness of the product. They are durable and robust, with life expectancy of up to 25 years and come in a wide range of colours and bespoke options.


Altro Whiterock hygienic wall cladding has a smooth, non- porous surface and comes in sheets to provide coverage from floor to ceiling with no grout required. It is easy to clean, with detergent, up to 60ºC. As a fully bonded and watertight system, there is nowhere for microorganisms or bacteria to hide.


faster, with products less likely to cause damage to the floor and also dry faster for a speedy return to service.


With budgets under scrutiny too, you need to have confidence that what you invest in will maintain its appearance and performance for years to come. Quality vinyl flooring is a proven, robust solution, not affected by indentation from office furniture movement or rolling loads, and with guarantees of up to 20 years.


PAINT AND TILES VS WALL CLADDING The World Health Organisation has proved that the COVID-19 virus will live for 72 hours on hard surfaces such as walls, therefore necessitating regular detergent cleaning. However, only certain surfaces are suitable for cleaning in this way. PVC wall cladding can be cleaned with detergent, up to 60ºC. Many other surfaces are not robust enough to cope with such cleaning. For example, paint is only microns thick and is easily damaged. Plasterboard under paint tends to be weak, absorbent and easily dented or damaged, particularly below waist height where walls can be prone to knocks and scrapes. Damaged surfaces can harbour microorganisms more readily than undamaged, smooth surfaces.


Emulsion paint is not designed to be wet cleaned and can come away when cleaned with water – a process which is exacerbated when cleaned with the detergents required to


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Altro Fortis wall protection protects the wall and substrate from bumps and scrapes, again giving nowhere for microorganisms to hide and breed. For a total hygienic system, install vinyl flooring combined with wall cladding and doors.


We want to play our part in helping the country get through this difficult time. We have extensive experience working across all sectors providing specification and technical support, whatever the challenge. Please get in touch if you have any questions.


Because it’s vital to clean floors, walls and doors effectively, we’ve produced a range of cleaning guides to help you get it right first time. Visit www.altro.com to find out more.


www.altro.co.uk KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK - ARE


YOUR SURFACES UP TO THE TASK? • Are floors, walls and doors easy to clean?


• Does dirt sit on the surface or penetrate into the pile of a carpet, the grout or cracks on tiles or the substrate on a damaged painted wall?


• Are surfaces cleanable at more than 56ºC?


• Do surfaces have a high chemical resistance to allow for regular disinfection?


• Are surfaces impervious, hard and non-porous so microorganisms have no place to hide?


FEATURE | 27


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