Products / 4/4/2024

Resilient materials: maximum functionality

A race against time but also durability and comfort for surfaces in environments such as hospitals and hotels

Interviewee

Paola Di Silvestro

Corporate Product Manager – Resilient Line, Mapei Group

Resilient floor and wall coverings in the healthcare and hospitality sectors are essential. Mapei offers innovative solutions for quick renovations and rapid installation systems for resilient materials such as LVT and guarantees safety and sustainability with low-emission products. Paola Di Silvestro, Corporate Product Manager – Resilient Line, Mapei Group, shares her view with us.

Resilient floor and wall coverings are often chosen for hospitals and healthcare structures. Which innovations are the most significant for their use in such settings?

Hospitals seem to be non-stop building sites and in constant evolution: any renovation work needs to be carried out in as short a space of time as possible. Thanks to the wide variety of resilient materials currently available on the market, the most appropriate type can be chosen according to the various surroundings. For example, in corridors subjected to intense levels of traffic, or in areas where heavy instruments are standing, it is possible to opt for extra-resistant materials with the capacity to withstand much heavier levels of wear than normal. Their resistance, however, must not be to the detriment of comfort. And the fact that they are non-slip means they are also safer for hospital staff and patients.

Mapei has extensive experience in this sector and has developed a complete “Fast Track Ready” system for installing resilient floor which is being constantly updated with innovative products. The system is made up of MAPECEM PRONTO pre-blended mortar for screed, EPORIP SCR resin, ECO PRIM T PLUS primer, PLANIPATCH XTRA patching compound, ULTRAPLAN FAST TRACK levelling compound, ULTRABOND ECO FAST TRACK adhesive and MAPECONTACT PLUS adhesive tape, respectively) which enable floors to be completely restored in just 48 hours and localised repairs to be carried out in just 2-7 hours.

Mapei has developed a system that enables floors in hospitals to be renovated in just 48 hours

Amongst the various products of particular interest for hospitals, we must also mention MAPECOAT WET&DRY R11 protective, non-slip transparent finish. Apart from being easy to apply and its non-slip properties (it is certified class R11 according to DIN 51130 and AS 4586 and class A+B according to DIN 51097 and AS 4586), this finish is characterised by high resistance to aggressive chemicals, as well as to cleaning products and disinfectants. Its formulation was recently improved by adding special, wide-spectrum biological protective agents with the capacity to contrast the deposit and proliferation of bacteria on surfaces, as well as to obtain long-lasting protection resistant to cleaning operations and mould. This finish is also available in a coloured version, PU GYM REFRESH, which is used to freshen up and even out the surface of floors in the event of localised repairs, such as when patching up PVC or other resilient materials, even of a different colour.

Hotels are often the subject of extension work and renovation projects. What is the Mapei approach to carry out renovation work quickly and, where possible, without demolition work?

Hotels are often the subject of changes to the layout of rooms and any building work needs to be carried out as quickly as possible to prevent limiting services available to guests. Resilient and textile floor and wall coverings, particularly LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles) and decorative fiberglass or wallpaper, are the most adaptable materials to this use and need specific installation systems to be put into service very quickly. This is also why LVT is becoming more widely used in guest rooms. These new flooring materials replicate the look of wood, stone and ceramic tiles and have the advantage of being relatively thin, which means they can be used to overlay existing flooring. In addition, damaged areas may be replaced quickly and cheaply by using rapid installation systems.

Mapei solutions for installing LVT and textile materials stand out for the completeness and high performance which enable corridors and rooms to be accessible within a very short space of time. Besides, if noisy, dusty demolition work is required, Mapei has a portfolio of “Fast Track Ready” installation systems consisting of pre-blended screed mortars, primers, smoothing and levelling compounds, adhesives and complementary items so that floors can be installed and used very quickly.

In what types of environments are you able to intervene with Mapei products without causing disruption?

It is possible to intervene in any environment in a hotel and install materials with a low thickness, such as LVT or fiberglass and wallpaper, on existing floor and wall coverings that have become old and obsolete. Thanks to the new installation systems it is possible to operate in both dry and damp environments.

To renovate bathrooms Mapei has developed SHOWER SYSTEM 4 LVT, a complete waterproofing and installation system for LVT and SPC in damp environments and showers, including the overlaying of existing ceramic tiles and stone. The key product of this system is ULTRABOND ECO MS 4LVT WALL silylated polymer-based adhesive, which is resistant to water and suitable for non-absorbent substrates. This adhesive stops LVT and SPC (Stone Polymer Composite) from slipping when installed on walls.

Besides, Mapei proposes the DECOR line as an answer to the latest trend of using decorative fiberglass and wallpaper in damp environments and showers: complete solutions with no need to demolish or remove substrates and old covering materials. If you wish to “refresh” the look of ceramic tile coverings in a bathroom without having to remove them, you can apply a light coat of PLANIPREP 4LVT, a ready-to-use acrylic resin-based smoothing and levelling compound over the tiles and, after just two hours, bond decorative fiberglass or wallpaper with ULTRABOND ECO DECOR WET, a one-component, silylated polymer-based, reactive adhesive resistant to the type of moisture typically found in showers. Then, after a further two hours, you can apply MAPECOAT DECOR PROTECTION, an aliphatic polyurethane finish which prevents surfaces from yellowing and protects against UV rays. After 24 hours the shower is then ready to be used again.

In hotels wellbeing and comfort are fundamental. How do Mapei systems meet these requirements?

Manufacturers of resilient and textile flooring have launched new types of products on the international market, highlighting the aspects that contribute to wellbeing and sustainability. Resilient flooring, for example, have emissions of 10 µg/m3 to 100 µg/m3, 10 to 100 times lower than the requirements of the German and French standards and 15 to 150 times lower than the requirements of CAM, the Minimum Environmental Criteria which are mandatory for tenders of public buildings in Italy. What is more, not only are they 100% “recyclable”, in many cases they may also be “re-used” at the end of their service life as active compounds in the production of new resilient flooring.

For its part, Mapei develops products and solutions that have a low impact on the environment and measures the effect they have during their entire life cycle by applying LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methods and documenting the results with EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations). Mapei products can play a key role in the development of eco-sustainable building projects in compliance with the most widely adopted sustainable building protocols all around the world, such as LEED and BREEAM. The majority of Mapei adhesives have very low emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and are certified Emicode EC1PLus by GEV, Blauer Engel by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and M1, a Finnish certification awarded by Building Information Foundation RTS.