Applications
Familiar scenes on a corridor wall or a lounge door can give care home residents something to recognise and talk about. For those graphics to keep helping, they need to go up with minimal fuss, survive daily handling and cleaning, and be easy to change. Landor’s combination of Phototex self-adhesive fabric and a clear protective coating was developed with exactly that in mind.
In Landor’s case study with Radwraps Wall Graphics Systems, the installer describes using local images of natural beauty that residents are likely to have visited over many years. The aim is to evoke long-term memories, provide talking points for carers, friends and family, and create a calm setting where residents feel safe. The same article cites Alzheimer’s Society figures of more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK.
The design work belongs to specialists like Radwraps. The print supplier’s job is to make sure the chosen imagery stays clean, clear and intact in a busy home.
Radwraps stresses that installation in care homes and hospitals must cause minimal disruption. Phototex helps because it is quick to fit and remove, has no smell, and is designed to leave no residue when peeled away. According to the case study it can be applied to walls, doors, floors and ceilings, and it is recyclable.
That removability also matters later. When a home wants to refresh a scene, or a resident’s room changes hands, the graphic can be peeled off and replaced without redecorating. Plan the installation for a quiet part of the day, and if the building is very warm or cold, Landor’s general advice is to fit adhesive graphics in the cooler early morning or evening.
In the Radwraps installations, the Phototex prints are coated with Landor ColourShield anti-microbial liquid laminate to protect the image from day-to-day exposure and damage. Landor states that this coating is tested to ISO 22196. The installer notes that, once applied, the coating is barely noticeable on the finished graphic.
Finish is a design decision as much as a protective one. Landor’s Wallpaper Matt is designed for inkjet wallcoverings, especially Phototex, and gives a low-reflection, low-glare surface. Satin and gloss versions are available if the scheme calls for more sheen. Whichever you choose, let the print dry fully before coating and test on an offcut of the same Phototex grade first.
Graphics in care settings are not only murals. Landor highlights the places in care homes that are touched most often, among them door handles, walkways with handrails, tables and counters, kitchens and dining areas, and washrooms. Printed wall decorations and information boards also get frequent handling.
Where a printed element sits on one of these touchpoints, the same anti-microbial coating can be specified for it. Phototex is useful here too, because it can carry the graphic and the coating on surfaces the home would rather not paint or permanently cover. More on the range is on our anti-microbial coatings page.
Care homes clean often and thoroughly, so ask the home which products are used and how. An anti-microbial coating is intended to supplement normal cleaning and sterilisation, not replace it. For routine care of coated graphics, Landor suggests a soft cloth or sponge with warm water and a mild detergent, testing any stronger product on a small area first, and avoiding abrasive scrubbing. Allow the coating to cure fully before the first clean.
It also helps to leave the home with simple written care notes: which cloths and products to use on the graphics, what to avoid, and who to call if a panel is damaged. Because Phototex can be peeled off and replaced, a single damaged section can usually be reprinted and refitted without disturbing the rest of the scheme.
Yes. Phototex is designed to peel off without residue or damage to the surface, so images can be replaced when the home wants to refresh them, with little disruption to residents.
Landor’s coatings are clear and come in matt, satin and gloss. Wallpaper Matt keeps reflections low. Ask for a sample so the home can see the finish before installation.
Landor states that its ColourShield anti-microbial coatings are tested to ISO 22196. They work alongside, not instead of, the home’s cleaning and infection-control routines.
Call +44 1252 624411 or email info@liquid-lamination.co.uk for advice, samples and pricing.
