A Guide to Wall Cladding for Business
There are industries in which hygiene simply cannot be overlooked. Health clinics, hospitals, food businesses and more simply cannot underestimate the importance of hygiene to keep their business safe. Hygienic wall cladding is a straightforward way of guaranteeing that your business remains clean and extremely easy to maintain. Commercial businesses must ensure they are hygienic and wall protection is 100% necessary in sterile environments such as operating theatres and medical instrument production and assembly areas. Restaurant, catering and food businesses are also told that hygienic cladding on walls should be considered essential for kitchen areas.
The materials used in cladding need to be extremely easy to clean and stay that way. More importantly they need to be resistant to impacts and shock. The surfaces must be easy to disinfect and they shouldn’t allow dirt to become ingrained. There are many different materials which are considered ideal.
Plastic cladding materials are considered a good option due to the fact they need no structural support and they can remain in place without external support. This saves money for the business owner and means plastic cladding is a cheaper option but also the lack of need for supporting joists or structural supports means there are even less places for germs and dirt to build up.
Many business owners view their business like their homes and think ceramic tiles are a sensible, easy clean option. This simply isn’t true. They are completely unsuitable for medical environments due to the uneven grouting areas between the tiles. Anything could gather in these gaps. Wood, plaster and other regular building materials should also be avoided as they tend to be uneven providing more places for dangerous bacteria and germs to develop and grow.
PVC is a suitable hygienic wall cladding material for places where fire resistance is as important as hygiene. PVC is a commonplace material used in domestic environments and it’s likely you’ll already be acquainted by its easy wipe clean surface. It’s actually becoming a key material in the building industry because not only is it extremely versatile, it’s also affordable. PVC is resistant to impact, is strong in low temperatures and can be installed simply and easily. It can be purchased in sheets or panels and sizes can be specified before you make your order. You can even mix up the colours if you want to.
Where fire resistance isn’t a central concern then many business owners choose polypropylene for their cladding. It is suitable for low-temperature environments like PVC and resistant to water and mould. You will find polypropylene widely used in laboratories, hospitals and environments where sterility is completely essential.
There are industries where you have to put hygiene first. It may not be the most interesting or exciting part of your business but it is extremely important if you want to be able to remain open and functioning. You should never underestimate the importance of ensuring your business is structurally ready before you begin to trade.
