Steridex, a high performance, fungistatic coating, was applied to all operating theatre walls in the newly built Phase 4 development at St. James’ University Hospital in order to provide long-term protection against the growth of bacteria, mould and other micro-organisms.

Steridex contains an advanced protective system that eliminates    the    growth   of micro-organisms   and   is polymerically   bound

into the coating - so it will not leach harmful traces and remains permanently active. Water based, it contains no toxic solvents, phenols or heavy metal complexes and has a life span that is typically well in excess of 10 years. Available in a wide range of decorative colours, it produces a tough, highly elastomeric finish which will withstand abrasives, detergents and steam cleaning.

In order to bring facilities within the historic Portobello Swimming Pool up-to-date, Edinburgh City Council - with the aid of a £900,000 National Lottery grant - allocated £4.25 million for an internal facelift of the building. The modernisation included the installation of a state-of-the-art moveable swimming pool which allows the depth to be varied for teaching and coaching, and the restoration of Turkish and Russian baths, steam rooms, sauna and two hot baths.

A major part of the refurbishment involved coating all of the internal walls, both old and new plaster, the ceiling panelling and wooden panel lining. Sterisheen - a high performance, waterborne, modified acrylic coating - was chosen because it provides a highly decorative, low glare, semi-gloss finish with effective anti-microbial protection. As the product is water based, it cures without the release of strong odour or harmful solvents, and dries so rapidly that two coats can often be applied on the same day.

With a vapour permeable formulation, Sterisheen can withstand chlorine attack without degradation and far outlasts traditional gloss paints and other coatings, even in conditions of high humidity and under the most stringent of cleaning regimes. For this project, the standard colours chosen were white, cream and light green, and four special colours were also created to suit the architect’s exact specification.

In order to help maintain the highest possible standards of hygiene in Glaxo’s purpose-built Rotadisk plant in Speke, an elastomeric, solvent-free, fungistatic coating was required to protect walls and ceilings in all clean rooms.

In addition to providing unsurpassed protection against the growth of mould and bacteria, another key reason for the specification of Steridex was that its anti-microbial system is

permanently bound into the coating. It therefore remains active throughout the coating’s 10 - 15 year life span and does not leach out toxic traces which might otherwise contaminate production processes.

Finnish dairy and food processing specialist, Ingman Foods required a high performance hygiene coating for its new manufacturing plant near Helsinki.

A water based fungistatic finish was sought which would provide lasting protection against the growth of mould and bacteria in all food handling and product development areas.

Steridex was specified on the basis of its 25 year international performance record and because its anti-microbial system is polymerically bound into the coating and will therefore never leach out. Consequently, Steridex is safe to use in close proximity to food and remains permanently active throughout its 10 - 15 year life span.

Somerset Creameries manufactures a range of cheeses and other diary products at its production plant in Nottingham. The rendered walls of the cheese store were initially painted with a competitor's emulsion based product, but because of the high humidity and the paint's lack of protection against micro-organisms, mould was evident on the surface.

Liquid Plastics' waterborne hygiene coatings were chosen for application to the walls because they offer years of active protection against the growth of mould, bacteria and yeasts, and, unlike traditional fungicidal paints, they do not leach out fungicides which could be potentially harmful in food production environments.

The rapid cure time of LPL's coatings was also a distinct advantage, as the factory owners needed to keep the down-time costs to an absolute minimum. As mould growth was present, the walls were initially cleaned with Biocleanse, a multi-functional disinfecting agent, before Steridex, a waterborne styrene acrylic copolymer coating, was applied.

In order to ensure a mid-sheen finish, two coats of Sterisheen Ultra, a waterborne modified acrylic coating, were then applied in white. LPL Hygiene Sealant was also used to provide a hygienic, flexible seal over gaps and cracks in the wall and on ductwork.

An effective hygiene protection system was required for application to the existing tiled kitchen walls at a Venezuelan-based oil refinery. The tiles were in sound condition, but the client wanted to coat them with an anti-microbial product to ensure micro-organisms would not proliferate in the kitchens.

ASterisheen Ultra - a waterborne, modified acryliccoating rapidly applied by brush, roller or airless spray - was specified because it provides years of non leaching protection against the growth of mould, bacteria and yeasts, including E.coli. In addition to a multitude of other surfaces such as blockwork, metals or plaster, it can be applied to tiles to provide a hygienic, easy clean finish.

As the product is waterborne, it does not release strong, tainting odours or hazardous solvents during application - which is essential in food preparation environments such as this. Sterisheen Ultra has an attractive, mid-sheen, low-glare finish and is available in a range of aesthetic colours.