Fans of the cult classic TV show Breaking Bad will remember that Walter White, aka Heisenberg, liked a clean lab, cleaning all the machinery and equipment daily, and risking his life to swat a fly and ensure a quality “batch”.
This meticulous attention to cleanliness and the removal of contaminants is something that is replicated 1000x over in real world superlabs, hospitals and containment suites, all to ensure a quality product, test result or further essential research.
The cleanliness of a laboratory doesn’t just come down to how clean the lab equipment, machinery or items in the room are, but how clean the lab itself is and how easy it is to clean, from the floor to ceiling and everything in between. As Heisenberg demonstrated with the fly, anything and anyone that enters the lab can potentially cause a contamination, ruin a batch or spoil a test result.
Which is why a fabric first approach is key to ensuring a truly clean and contaminant free zone. For laboratories especially it is important to specify resilient and easy to clean wall, floor and ceiling finishes which are easy to clean and can withstand the intensive cleaning and decontamination regimes.
Most anti-bacterial paints incorporate a silver biocide in the top layer of the system to kill bacteria. But, over time intensive cleaning regimes dilute and wash away the silver biocide, diminishing its ability to kill bacteria. In some cases the cleaning regimes are so intense that they will actually dissolve the coating itself, leaving a horrible mess and an unusable laboratory.
Typically after 18 to 24 months, most of the silver biocide has leached out, micro-organisms can proliferate, and repainting is needed to restore the active ingredient. In addition, when subjected to impact, conventional paints can crack, allowing bacteria and fungi to multiply, with paint flakes also becoming a potential contaminant.
But how do you create a laboratory Heisenberg himself would be proud of?
Introducing CS Wallglaze Performance Coatings
To solve these problems, Wallglaze performance coatings have been specifically designed for the internal walls and ceilings of hygiene and contaminant sensitive environments, such as laboratories.
Wallsheen®
- Suitable for: Cat. 1
Download
- Specification
- Data Sheets
- Application Instructions
Wallflex®
- Suitable for: Cat. 1,2 & 3
Download
- Specification
- Data Sheets
- Application Instructions
Armourglaze®
- Suitable for: Cat. 3 & 4
Download
- Specification
- Data Sheets
- Application Instructions
Range of chemical resistance levels
Wallglaze offers a range of chemical resistance levels, ranging from resistance to mild alkalines, right up to the strong acids and solvents used in fumigation and radioactive decontamination. So whether you are using high concentrations of chlorine cleaner or hydro-chloric acid, Wallglaze can withstand it and won’t lose any of its anti-microbial properties.
Non leaching anti-microbial agents
Unlike conventional anti-bacterial paints, Wallglaze has non-leaching anti-microbial agents, which include bactericides and fungicides in every coat of the system, so even the most rigorous cleaning regimes do not diminish Wallglaze’s ability to prevent anti-microbial growth.
Complete defence against micro-organisms
Third party tests have verified that Wallglaze offers a complete defence against most species of mould, bacteria and yeasts including MRSA, Salmonella, E-coli, and many others. Unlike other paints, the active ingredients in Wallglaze do not leach out due to their multi-branched structure, and remain constantly active against micro-organisms for the life of the coating.
Elastomeric with reinforcement options
Wallglaze is also an elastomeric system, and can absorb impact without cracking or flaking. Fibreglass reinforcement options are also available across the Wallglaze product range for increased abrasion and impact resistance.
The Wallglaze range remains fully active against micro-organisms in excess of 15 years and is guaranteed to last 10 years, with a straightforward re-coating being all that is required to fully restore protection after this long lifespan.
