Creative Designs

Public buildings with high volumes of daily traffic all face the problem of wear and tear. Schools, hospitals and nursing homes are all subject to heavy and constant use, and the fabric of their buildings must be strong enough to withstand this.

It is important that these buildings are pleasant places to live, work or go to school. An environment that people spend so much time in must have the right atmosphere, and run-down, dirty buildings make a bad impression. It can be very costly to keep these buildings looking nice however, because of the amount of usage they receive. This is especially the case in schools, where the occupants may even damage the building deliberately.

Many public buildings are old and showing the signs of wear. As new equipment becomes available and new practices are brought in, the very layout of hospitals may not be suitable anymore. Building new complexes is expensive, and refurbishment may be the better option.

It is important when refurbishing a building that it is inexpensive and also lasts a long time. For example, repainting may look good for a little while, but is subject to the same wear as before and the finish will deteriorate quickly. Replacing the old doors with new ones is also expensive, and again they may not last for many years.

A more cost-effective option is to use a robust material to cover the surfaces, like a wall protection panel. These are incredibly durable and can cover a large area. They are available in many different colours and finishes that will last as long as the panel, so you can choose the decor of the building and be sure that it will look good for years to come.

Instead of replacing doors completely, they can be refurbished with door panels. These fit over the door, can be cut to shape to fit around glass sections, and again they are coloured to match the decor of the room. It is a cheaper solution than replacing the doors completely. Door panels can be tested to meet fire regulation requirements, so any building managers using them can be sure they meet all their targets.

There are also protection options that are fit for particular purposes. For example, in hospitals beds may bang against walls and cause damage. Bed head locators fit onto the wall and provide a buffer so that no damage occurs, and the bed is kept stable.

Handrails are suitable for hospitals and nursing homes and as well as providing support for the frail, they stop trolleys from coming into contact with the walls. They can be colour-coded for the visually impaired so they have three uses in one.

Reinforced surfaces that use solutions like those outlined above are more common that you'd think. Take a look around the supermarket or your gym, and you'll probably see some wall panels and buffer rails. They are easy to fit, provide a good solution to high traffic and heavy wear, and can be replaced inexpensively if the decor is changed.

Sylvia Kittens lives in Harrogate, England

posted by lks  # 4:39 PM 0 comments