Tough Bradite is a high flyer
Bradite’s 2K Floor and Wall EW99 specialist coating was recently specified as part of the rebuild of the Gatwick Aviation Museum. Located north-west of Gatwick Airport in the Surrey village of Charlwood, this aerospace museum houses a unique hands-on display of British designed aircraft ‘from post-war to cold war.’
Now run as a charitable trust, the museum began in 1981 when local businessman and aircraft enthusiast, Peter Vallance, transformed a run-down battery farm to house his growing collection of aircraft, parts, models and memorabilia. However, as the collection grew, most of the aircraft had been stored outside for more than 20 years, a situation which had been causing space and maintenance problems.
To ensure the heritage of this significant collection, a new structure has now been built to house a number of historic aircraft, iwhich will soon be moved into the new building.
When it came to the floor treatment, the application of a high performance non-slip coating was imperative: this would allow visitors to get up close to the aircraft safely and ensure the floor itself could withstand heavy traffic during the museum’s busiest times.
To meet these requirements, Bradite’s 2K Floor and Wall EW99 was specified, and supplied by the Horsham branch of Brewers. This two-pack water-thinned, epoxy coating and finish paint is designed for application to floors, walls, structural steel and machinery. Delivering a tough, hard-wearing film, EW99 is easy to clean and decontaminate, and it can be used with a low-slip additive for extra performance in projects such as the Gatwick Aviation Museum.
Ashley Colella, the museum’s manager, commented “ As we brought in more equipment and displays, including our large collection of very heavy and awkward engineswe were delighted to see that the floor paint was holding up with no problems. It withstood the weight of the aircraft and the tug without peeling or loosening, and even survived the unavoidable scratching and scuffing resulting from the forklift we were using. We were all extremely
Resistant to many chemicals and solvents, EW99 inhibits the growth of fungus and bacteria, and can also be used as an anti-graffiti coating in common internal areas. As there are no solvent fumes, no odour and no tainting of food, there is no discomfort or disruption caused to nearby operatives; this avoids the costly inconvenience of shutdowns during application. Safe after use, this floor paint is certified as class O for surface spread of flame to BS476.
EW99 delivers a spreading rate of approximately 12 square metres per litre and is surface dry in two hours, with overcoating possible after a minimum of 16 hours. Complete cure is achieved in six days. Recommended application is by brush and roller, by conventional air spraying or by airless spraying.
“For this project, Bradite’s SA12 aggregate was used in conjunction with EW99 to reinforce the low-slip finish. This additive, which consists of tough, hard-wearing particles, is suitable for use with all types of floor and deck paint to give a low slip surface in areas of heavy traffic and helps to prevent accidents on wet floor areas.