Guide to Resin Wall Coating Systems

Walls & Vertical Resin Floor Finishers

The background of Hygienic Wall Coatings - The ‘hygienic surface’ concept has become an issue of growing necessity and therefore commercial interest. The control of harmful micro-organisms in industry and our communities today may now be costing in excess of 2 billion euro per annum - just within the EU. With the addition of the collateral costs from illness and product spoilage, then the real total cost to the economy could actually far exceed this value.

The basic materials used for the construction of buildings and other facilities do not generally provide internal surfaces themselves that are easily maintained and thoroughly cleaned, particularly for walls and surfaces that are deemed to be in ‘hygienic’ environments. This is because concrete, cement render, gypsum and blockwork surfaces are all generally porous and difficult to clean, which makes them susceptible to mould and bacterial proliferation, especially in and around any fine cracks or irregularities in the surface profile.

Walls and other internal surfaces in these environments need to be finished and protected so that they can be kept in the required hygienic condition. The easiest and also the most widely established and proven method of doing this is with so-called ‘hygienic wall coatings’ and some of their typical areas of use are summarised below; it can be surprising to see the extent of different industries and facilities that now and increasingly must have ‘hygienic surfaces’ to comply with Standards and Regulations for ensuring the safety of people and the environment.

In addition to hygienic wall coatings, many projects can require wall coatings which are not necessarily required to be 'hygienic' as such; however the wall coating is required to have other characteristics or performance properties according to the areas they are to be applied in. We supply a large range of wall coatings materials for many different types of area in many different industries - including everything from simply dust-proofing, providing protection against water penetration or for anti-carbonation treatment, to protection against severe liquid or gaseous chemical attack for example. If you know the requirements, then we can find you the right wall coating system - Just call any of our office and one of our speciliasts with be pleased to assist you.

Hygienic Wall Coatings – Typical areas of use

Food and beverage industries e.g. meat, sea food, fruit and vegetable processing, milk and dairy, brewing and other drinks etc.
Hospitals, Healthcare & Leisure Centres
Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics industries
Agricultural, Veterinary and Zoological facilities
Power industry including Nuclear facilities
Military and Defence facilities
Detention Centres, Prisons etc.

When you need help and assistance with specific advice or guidance for your project – no matter what type or size of facility, please call any of our offices and one of our specialists will be delighted to assist you.

Hygienic Wall Coating – Requirements

The wall and ceiling coatings for many of these industries, facilities and areas must therefore be completely hygienic in themselves, meaning that they must provide dense, smooth and easily cleaned surfaces that are non-leaching, with proven long term protection against the growth of mould, bacteria and other harmful micro-organisms. Additionally dependent on the exposure anticipated, there can be many other requirements including chemical and mechanical resistance, flexibility and crack-bridging capabilities, resistance to temperature extremes (high and low), plus UV-light resistance and colour stability for example. Wall coating systems today also have to comply with the relevant National and International Standards and Environmental Regulations.

Hygienic wall coatings also need to be quick and easy to apply by brush, roller or airless spray to all of the most common building substrates used in the construction of these facilities, including concrete, cement render, blocks and plaster-work. These hygienic wall coatings must also be fully tested and proven to give them a long durable, service-life, protecting your business and the investment in your facilities.

Some of the most important wall coating system performance requirements are detailed below:

Hygienic Wall Coatings Resistance to Bacteria, Moulds and Yeasts -

The wall coatings in sensitive hygienic environments must protect against the growth of micro-organisms. To do this the hygienic wall coatings generally contain an active ingredient and dry film protectant that kills bacteria on contact and which also prevents the growth of moulds and yeasts on the surface. For selection of the most appropriate wall coating solution, it is normally recommended that the particular micro-organisms that the surfaces must be resistant to are identified, together with the specific environmental exposure requirements on each project, or even within the different specific areas of each project.

Tough, Shock and Mechanically Resistant Hygienic Wall Coatings -

In addition to hygiene there can also be a requirement for increased resistance to water ingress and chemical attack, resistance to mechanical abrasion or impact, accommodation of thermal shock and movement, plus additional needs for flexibility and crack-bridging capabilities over surface imperfections etc. All of these loadings and stresses must be withstood by the hygienic surfaces of the wall coating system. Thermal shock exposure specifically means that the wall coatings must be able to maintain their performance at lower temperatures for use in chiller areas, or in cold storage and freezer rooms themselves; or alternatively wall coatings have to perform at higher temperatures in cooking and heat treatment / processing areas.

Hygienic Wall Coating Requirements – A Summary

-Hygienic Wall Coating Product / System Characteristics:

Rapid drying and easy to apply
Available in a wide spectrum of colours
Suitable for use in areas of high relative humidity
Environmentally friendly (Low VOC’s, low emissions, non-taint, non-leaching)

- Hygienic Wall Coating Performance Requirements:

Chemical resistance
Abrasion and impact resistance
UV stable and light-fast
Ability to withstand extreme service temperatures (i.e. - 50 °C to + 80 °C)
Flexibility and crack-bridging abilities
Watertight and impermeable
Vapour permeability
Durability and a long service-life

Hygienic Wall Coatings for Different Industries

As previously stated there are different requirements for the hygienic wall coatings according to the type of industry and the specific areas in which they are required. Some of the most important areas of application and the demands on wall coatings in these industries are given below:

Hygienic Wall Coatings for the Food and Beverage Industry

Specialist wall coatings are required for ensuring hygienic surfaces on internal walls and ceilings in food and beverage production plants for example. These hygienic wall coating systems in these industries are typically also required to withstand what can be considered as extreme environmental conditions, including exposure to:

high humidity and wet conditions due to the amount of water that has to be used for flushing and cleaning the processing equipment and the adjacent building surfaces;
high humidity and wet conditions due to the amount of water that has to be used for flushing and cleaning the processing equipment and the adjacent building surfaces;
many other specific performance requirements that must be met by the wall coatings (as well as by the floor coatings), according to the specific nature of the individual area and the type of project.

In summary, hygienic wall coatings in the food and beverage industries have to be suitable for direct contact, or to be in close proximity to food stuffs, without adversely affecting them: as well as being able to withstand the relevant temperatures, intensive cleaning regimes and frequent exposure to detergents etc.

Hygienic Wall Coatings for the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry

The coatings for walls and ceilings in Hospitals, Healthcare facilities and the Pharmaceutical industry have to fulfil the highest hygiene standards and increasingly very specific requirements for the prevention of contamination. These hygienic wall coating products and systems have to provide smooth, dense, easily cleaned surfaces to prevent microbiological growth, and must be resistant to stringent cleaning regimes with the use of disinfectants and detergents.

Hygienic Wall Coatings for the Nuclear & Electronics Industry

Hygienic may not just mean the provision of surfaces that are easily cleaned to prevent the growth of micro-organisms, but also to prevent any build-up of dust and fine particles, or the release of any emissions into the internal environment and conversely the escape of any contaminants into the structure or the external environment. Indeed one of the main objectives of hygienic wall coatings in cleanrooms for the Nuclear, Electronics or Automotive industries for example, is to prevent the potentially damaging effects of VOC’s or AMC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds or Airborne Molecular Contaminants), being released into the atmosphere and affecting the quality of the extremely sensitive materials produced and handled in these areas

Nuclear facilities of all types require that all of the wall and ceiling surfaces can be easily cleaned to remove and ensure that there is no build-up or escape of radiation.

Hygienic Wall Coatings – Recommended Products & Systems

The ideal wall coating products and systems for this application in most types of facility today are water-dispersed, especially in fast track new construction and almost all refurbishment situations, so that they can be applied on relatively new concrete and other substrates with a relatively high moisture content, because whilst being completely watertight they are also water vapour permeable, which allows each way water vapour diffusion in accordance with Standard Building Physics, thus preventing the build-up of pressure behind the wall coatings that could otherwise lead to bubbling and blistering in service. These high performance, water dispersed wall coatings are completely safe to use in food and drink handling areas without fear of contamination from hazardous solvents. Equally these water dispersed wall coatings are used in non-food industry applications because they can be safely applied whilst work and other trades continue in adjacent areas – also reducing closure and downtimes, particularly in maintenance situations as there is no strong odour or risk from flammable solvent vapours.

The surface film or membrane formed by high performance hygienic wall coating products is also generally preferred to be elastomeric and therefore also able to absorb a significant degree of thermal and structural movement, without cracking and allowing aggressive material ingress into the substrate and contaminants to accumulate or grow on the wall; or for the wall coating system to flake or peel off, requiring costly closure and refurbishment of the area.

Hygienic wall coatings also need to be quick and easy to apply by brush, roller or airless spray to all of the most common building substrates used in the construction of these facilities, including concrete, cement render, blocks and plaster-work. These hygienic wall coatings must also be fully tested and proven to give them a long durable, service-life protecting your business and your investment in the facilities.

In refurbishment situations and upgrading works it may also be necessary to apply the new hygienic wall coating system over exisitng coated surfaces. Several of our recommended hygienic wall coating products and systems are designed to be used in such over-coating situations. In these situations then it is always a prerequisite for the exisiting substrate to be clean and sound, plus the exisiting coating must be fully bonded, with no blistering or flaking from the substrate

When you need help and assistance with specific advice or guidance for your hygienic wall coating project – no matter what type or size, please call any of our offices and one of our specialists will be delighted to assist you.

We work continually with many different specialist resin flooring and wallcoating contractors around the whole of the UK. Between them they work with all of the different resin flooring and wall coating systems on the market so this pprovides us with a huge reservoir of information and support for you on your project

These contractors include companies of all different sizes and specific areas of expertise; some will only work locally in major cities such as London or Manchester, though most tend to work regionally and others operate nationally; so we can always provide you with the details of at least one or more experienced resin flooring and wall coating contractors. These speciaolists will always provide you a free quotation for your project, in line with one of our detailed specifications and method statements, which we will also provide you with ‘FOC’ and with no obligation.

The best flooring and walling contractors will always provide you with a copy of their own specific project and client reference portfolio. We strongly advise that you should check, and where possible visit, at least one of their previously completed projects for your own peace of mind. You will also undoubtedly gain much additional information and advice from such a visit that will be to your clear advantage and financial benefit., in addition to ensuring you make the selection of the most suitable resin flooring and wall coating contractor for your facilities. Importantly - It will very often not be the cheapest price that is the ‘Most Cost Effective’ solution in the long term – so please choose wisely!"

For advice on finding and selecting the right specialist resin flooring contractor for your project - please call any of our offices and one of our Resin Flooring specialists will be more than able to assist you.

We hope the information relating to your industry area and project is useful and of initial assistance. You are also welcome to call us for our FREE support at any time on: 01257 266696 Alternatively, you can email us technical@resinflooringsite.co.uk and we will get back to you just as soon as we can.