Virgin First Class Lounge

The aim of this project was to install a high performance, durable and cleanable hygienic coating system to the high impact wall surfaces of the Virgin First Class Lounge at London Euston.

The problem experienced by Virgin (and to be resolved by the facilities management company Serco) was that the corridor, general circulation areas, toilets, and lounge walls were being continually marked and damaged by heavy usage. For example, laptop bags scraping the walls.

Virgin/Serco Project Services required a coating system which would be more durable than conventional paint, available in an attractive finish and colour to create a comfortable environment, and easily installed on a fast track basis. The coating also needed to be easy to maintain and clean in the future.

The Solution

After considering the solutions available and inspecting various product samples, the decision was made to specify a combination of two Liquid Plastics systems installed by the Approved Hygiene Contractor Goss Environmental Coatings Ltd. Liquid Plastics’ Steridex/Sterimatt system with Reemat Lite reinforcement was applied to the lower parts of the walls providing extra impact resistance to vulnerable wall surfaces.

The Sterimatt top coat was extended to the full wall height, to give a uniform appearance across the wall surfaces. Both Steridex and Sterimatt are waterborne, modified acrylic, hygienic systems that cure to form a highly durable, easily cleaned, aesthetic surface finish.

The nature of the area, a seven-day week operational first class lounge, meant that all work had to be completed during the night, with special consideration to Virgin/Network Rail/Serco operating and security procedures.

The low odour and fast drying nature of Liquid Plastics coatings, and the fast track approach of Goss Environmental Coatings working closely with the Serco Project Services, meant that all works were executed over a seven day period with no disruption to Virgin Customer Services.

The project was completed in a low hazard manner, satisfying the client’s key health and safety guidelines, which were paramount throughout the duration of the works.

The Benefits

In this instance Liquid Plastics’ hygienic coatings range represented a high performance and cost effective alternative to conventional coatings, enabling Virgin and Serco to offer a high performance environment to their customers.

The products were installed effectively and with minimum disruption. In addition, the products chosen will offer a significant improvement on lifecycle costs as the walls are now more durable and easily cleanable. Future maintenance will also be considerably improved.