Hygienic and impact-resistant wall coverings: from transport corridor to OR 

Healthcare environments often place specific demands on their wall finishes and wall protections. From transport corridors to waiting rooms, patient rooms, operating rooms, central sterilization departments, clean rooms, laboratories, (hospital) pharmacies and even kitchens: hygiene, impact and scratch resistance, cleanability and durability must be guaranteed down to the smallest detail. The wall coverings and wall and corner protections from M-Wall contribute significantly to this and combine functional properties with unprecedented design. Not for nothing do more and more architects and end users prescribe M-Wall wall coverings and wall protections in their projects....

M-Wall's wall coverings and wall and corner protections are essentially designed for highcare, but also excel in lowcare environments, says Michael Simon, Managing Director of M-Wall. "Our high-quality M-Wall Hygienic wall finishes, for example, can be found in many hospital corridors, where they serve as paneling and corner protection and beautifully and long-lastingly accommodate collision damage from beds, wheelchairs and carts. They are also ideally suited for High-Level Isolation Units (HLIUs) and sluices, as bed back walls and in pantries."

"With our M-Wall Hygienic and M-Wall Protect product series, we combine functional properties for healthcare with almost unlimited design freedom," Simon emphasizes. "For every space and every project request, we look for the best suitable solution. In doing so, we work closely with the architect, interior designer, contractor and/or healthcare facility. Our wall finishes are frequently used in patient rooms, where they serve as paneling or wall-high wall coverings, bed back wall, bumper, kick plate, door protection and/or corner protection." The products are also well suited for skirting and/or door plates. "M-Wall Hygienic is also increasingly used in wet rooms (showers) where hygiene and easy and quick maintenance play an important role. Not surprisingly, because this wall finish offers a very hygienic and antibacterial alternative to traditional tiles and grout, for example."

M-Wall Hygienic 
M-Wall Hygienic is specially designed for critical areas such as operating rooms, laboratories, pharmacies, central sterilization departments and other classified areas. The collection is manufactured from a 2 mm strong homogeneous PVC, which is free of plasticizers and emission and has a matte natural appearance. The wall finish can be applied to various substrates without expensive pretreatments, is actively antibacterial and has high chemical resistance. In addition, the material is fully recyclable. M-Wall Hygienic has a B-s2,d0 fire certification.

At the basis of M-Wall Hygienic and M-Wall Protect is a plastic panel with a fine surface structure, which is finished exactly to customer specifications. "Thanks to a thickness of only 2 mm, a flush connection with the floor covering is guaranteed," Simon explains. "Specific detailing of, for example, pass-through cabinets, washing and sterilization equipment or the integration of recesses for monitors or otherwise are very easy to detail. Nor do we turn our hand to special designs. In our workshop in Eindhoven, we can perfectly thermoform corners and curves, reducing seams to a minimum. Exactly in accordance with the slab plan and in a carefully defined project approach, which also does full justice to the intended design."

If desired, day edges and/or window sills can also be integrated into the wall covering. "In addition, to give the care environment a more pleasant appearance, it is possible to print an image of your choice on the panels. Application of a special Gecko foil is also possible, where the image can be easily replaced when room functions or customer requirements change." M-Wall Hygienic and M-Wall Protect are completely impact and scratch resistant and very easy to maintain, Simon says. "Even the most annoying stains from iodine and Betadine, for example, can be easily removed from the material."

M-Wall Protect
The M-Wall Protect collection is manufactured from a unique, strong 2 mm PET-G composition. The wall protection is not only antibacterial but also BPA-free and has FDA certification. Unique are its high chemical resistance and B-s1,d0 fire certification, allowing the panels to be used anywhere. The color palette of M-Wall Protect was put together with the help of several interior designers, making the natural look very evident.

M-Wall's range of wall finishes and wall protections consists of uncontaminated, high-quality raw materials. This allows the products to be collected at the end of their life or useful life and recycled into new products. In this way, the Eindhoven-based wall covering specialist aims to close the material cycle as much as possible. At the moment they are working hard on a wall finish based on 100% recycled content! More on this later...