In public spaces, a lot is required of paint: surfaces are subjected to hard wear and intensive cleaning. With the right type of paint, it is also possible to prevent the bacteria from growing on the surfaces and thus reduce the number of contagious infections.
"Many infectious diseases spread via contact with contaminated surfaces on public spaces. Therefore, it is important that when designing public spaces, attention is paid not only to their functionality but also to the choice of materials,” says Jussi Ahola, Vice President RDI at Tikkurila. "In public spaces, wall and ceiling surfaces must fulfill very high requirements of durability and hygiene. For this kind of use, we have developed Argentum 20, a special finishing paint that forms a hygienic surface that is easy to keep clean. The product contains active silver as an effective agent that will, together with good hygiene, prevent bacterial growth on painted surfaces.”
Argentum 20 is a waterborne, semi-matte special finishing paint for professional use on walls and ceilings that require high level of hygiene. It is suitable for hospitals, other healthcare facilities and service homes among others. Argentum 20 tolerates heavy use in challenging environments and repeated cleaning with detergents and disinfectants used in hospitals, for example.
Argentum was used, for example, in the New Children’s Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, a project that was completed in 2018. Tikkurila supported the project by donating the interior paints and fillers for the new hospital.
"Argentum was specified in the New Children’s Hospital for spaces with particularly strict hygiene requirements, like laboratories, operating rooms, reception areas, patient rooms as well as corridors and elevator hallways. The paint beautifies and protects the hospital surfaces. Anti-bacterial finish also helps to protect the people who are treated, working and visiting there,” says Ahola.
"There is growing interest in this kind of paint. We have seen growth in our sales also outside Finland, for example in Russia, China and Kazakhstan. The COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened the demand, especially in hospitals and service homes, where the high standard of hygiene has become even more important.”
