Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Things to Know About Wall Protection

  • By Renee Hite
  • 10/01/18

Wall protection is a necessity in busy environments to preserve the look of a building and reduce continuous maintenance and repair costs. Here are three things to keep in mind when choosing wall protection.

1. Location.
Deciding on the placement of wall protection can be a challenge. Common areas, like gymnasiums and cafeterias, are prone to wall damage from moving furniture and equipment and may be good starting points. Knowing where damaging objects may regularly hit a wall can help determine where the protection should be placed.

2. Levels of impact.
Wall protection products should be chosen based on the amount of impact the wall may encounter. These products include feature rails, crash rails, rigid sheet, and more. Feature rails can withstand lighter impact from objects such as chairs. Crash rails and corner guards are thicker and designed to keep items further from the wall while withstanding more frequent, intense impacts. Rigid sheet wall protection provides significantly more protection from damage than Type II commercial wall covering. Wall panels are an even more durable option for protection from heavier impacts, as they are considerably thicker. Utilizing wall protection will reduce maintenance and labor costs like drywall repairs and repainting.

3. Special conditions and applications.
Curves and radiuses play a large role in architecture. Graphic wall protection can be used around a column to create unique design elements, such as the imitation of a marble column in a highend space. Certain handrails can be specified for wide or tight wall radiuses. They can even be formed at custom angles on a horizontal plane for ramps and transitions, ensuring mobility and stability for those who rely on both.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management October 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Renee Hite is the assistant Business Development manager for interior wall protection at Construction Specialties. To learn more visit www.c-sgroup.com, call 800/233-8493 or email Renee at [email protected].

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.