As part of the Government's Building Schools for the Future initiative to create inspirational learning facilities for the twenty-first century, one of the most important considerations with any project is how facilities can be kept cleaner for longer. Aside from the obvious issues of hygiene, our physical surroundings and sense of wellbeing are inextricably linked and so a school that has tired, dirty or old internal decoration can be a major barrier to student learning.
Selecting a paint finish that offers exceptional durability is therefore vital as this can help to reduce ongoing costs by extending maintenance cycles. For example, Johnstone's Acrylic Durable Matt emulsion boasts a special washable formula allowing walls and ceilings to be regularly cleaned between redecoration programmes. As it retains a true matt finish even when it is scrubbed, meeting the standards of Class 1 of the ISO 11198 scrub test, it is ideally suited to even the most challenging of school environments. The matt finish also provides exceptional coverage and can be used to help disguise minor imperfections to achieve a high quality and attractive finish that is resistant to both yellowing and condensation.
As important as maintenance programmes are, so too are the redecoration programmes themselves and it is crucial that whatever work is carried out is done so quickly, effectively and with minimum disruption. Most of the products within Johnstone's Advanced Technology range are touch dry in one to two hours, allowing any additional coats to be applied quickly and with minimum fuss. More importantly however, the speed at which the paint dries dictates the amount of time needed before use of the facilities can be resumed.
In a busy high-traffic environment such as a school or college, it's vital that a high quality finish is the only thing that the specified product leaves behind as strong or unpleasant odours in a room can delay occupation. The use of low-odour water based paints such as Johnstone's Aqua Water Based Gloss is therefore ideal as it is low odour and touch dry in 30 minutes - meaning a freshly decorated room is reusable within hours of painting and projects can be completed in a day. More importantly however, such water-based products are also fully complaint with the current VOC legislation.
The legislation is designed to decrease the level of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are emitted into the environment. Although the use of solvent-based paints contributes to less than 2 per cent of all the UK's man -made emissions, the introduction of the first stage of the legislation in 2007 has led to manufacturers exploring new technologies to ensure that their products meet the new requirements without compromising on quality. Full compliance with the VOC legislation will come into force in 2010 and fortunately specifiers have been given a head start with the development of products such as Johnstone's Water-Based Aqua Gloss and Undercoat.
To help specifiers working in the education sector to select products that tick all boxes, Johnstone's also offer an additional resource in the form of its dedicated Specification Team. Providing guidance from initial design consultations, through to application and after-care, full details of the support services available can be found at http://www.johnstonestrade.com/
