Vitrulan, an innovative wall-covering that boasts the advantages of high-quality textured finishes, hygiene and ease of maintenance, is set to be launched at the Big 5 show.

Produced by the Germany-based Vitrulan Textilglass, the product is a redevelopment of a glass fabric wall-covering that has been available on the market for a number of years. However, Vitrulan has taken the product and rejuvenated it to give it all the features that would appeal to today’s interior designer and home-owner, says a spokesman for the company.
“Available in a range of designs and textures, the product protects the surface from cracks, it is fire-resistant and hygienic and is being targeted at the medium and upper end of the market,” he says.
Elaborating on the product, the spokesman says: “Combined with suitable paints and adhesives, Vitrulan’s glass décor fabric truly creates modern walls. The fabric’s unique textile character allows for a huge diversity of fabric types and designs to be used. Starting from a classic, elegant appearance to lettering, corporate logos or decorative elements, any three-dimensional texture can be realised.
“These ‘walls’ by Vitrulan are extremely durable, highly-resistant to wear and tear and have excellent reinforcing characteristics, thereby reducing maintenance costs for new and existing interior walls. In addition, the life-cycle costs are extremely low as they can be repainted several times while retaining their impressive three-dimensional appearance.
“Thanks to these features, Vitrulan finishes are used not only in representative and private rooms, but are also popular in heavily-frequented areas and where wall hygiene is mandatory – such as health-care facilities.
“As glass is totally inorganic, Vitrulan’s glass décor fabric – in combination with latex paints, which are highly water vapour permeable – helps address problems of mould and mildew while improving indoor air quality. Combined with an appropriate paint, Vitrulan can meet strict fire codes.”
Vitrulan comprises natural raw materials such as quartz sand, dolomite stone, soda and lime, which are melted at a temperature of 1,300 deg C, transformed into fibres, spun into yarn, and woven into fabric. The fabric surface is sealed with high-quality polymers and starch, so that the product is robust, stable in form, soft in touch, and easy to install.
Citing some of the advantages of the system, the spokesman says that Vitrulan:
• Prevents plaster cracks in new buildings and covers existing cracks in older buildings;
• Is easy to care, washable, scrubbable and can be disinfected thoroughly – depending on the choice of the paint system;
• Reinforces the wall and – together with appropriate coatings – protects it from impact damage;
• Is certified to be non-flammable – bringing safety to smaller and larger buildings alike;
• Allows fascinating colour compositions, through creative painting techniques and intriguing combinations of different textural design;
• Is available in shades of bright white, delicate pastel hues or vivid colours, giving brilliant brightness or soft matte finishes to walls; and
• Has a competitive installed cost as it can be repainted up to eight times without losing its texture or designs.
Apart from being a choice covering for hospitals, Vitrulan glass décor fabric combines an attractive design with high functionality, making it a preferred wall-covering for hotels and restaurants, corporate offices, residential interiors, among others.  
“These robust glass fabrics are ideal for rooms that have heavy foot traffic,” says the spokesman. “Their textile designs, along with a colourful interplay with light, create a personal ambiance. The fabric – being of a woven construction – makes it possible to weave corporate names and logos into it.”
Application of Vitrulan is easy and quite similar to conventional wall-paper,  he points out.
Although new to the region, the product has been successfully used on a number of projects worldwide including the Lourve in Paris (France), a university in Seoul (Korea), Munich Airport (Germany) and the Coca Cola Corporation in Houston (US), among several others.
While a local agent for the product is yet to be appointed, the German manufacturer’s agents for its industry-leading Paladin reinforcement fabrics – the Bahrain-based Al Nasir Concrete Repair and Trading and Al Semsam Building Materials in Dubai – will channel all enquiries in the region for the wall-covering.
Al Nasir Concrete Repair and Trading is the sole agent for Paladin, while Al Semsam is an authorised distributor for the UAE and Oman.

Paladin
Meanwhile, Paladin plaster reinforcing fabrics continue to gain strength in the Gulf, having secured their biggest market in the region in Dubai.
The product offers reliable protection against cracks in indoor and outdoor walls and ceilings. It blends ideally into any plastering system to create top-quality, durable walls and ceilings, says Jalil Al Sairafi of Al Nasir Concrete Repair and Trading.
“In particular, its ability to perform well under extreme temperature fluctuations and uneven surface characteristics makes Paladin a key construction product in the hot humid climate of the Gulf.
“Paladin reinforcing fabrics are also an integral part of Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS), which are high-performance building insulation systems.
“Paladin lasts for years as reliable reinforcement for polystyrene or mineral wool-based systems – as testified by the millions of square metres of facade reinforcement that have been installed in Europe and worldwide,” he adds.
In the Gulf, the Paladin plaster reinforcing fabrics have been an integral part of major construction projects, particularly in Dubai, contributing to the demanding quality of construction development in the region, he says.
“Paladin has been doing very well over the past two years with sales for the product having doubled over the period,” says Mohammed Kazi, assistant manager at Al Semsam. “Paladin is being used on a majority of the projects being developed by the leading property developers in Dubai including Emaar, Nakheel and Union Properties, who account for about 75 per cent of our sales.”
 “We anticipate a growth in business of about 25 per cent over the next year,” he adds.
Besides supplying the product, Al Semsam also plays a role in getting Paladin specified and approved for projects, Kazi says.
Paladin reinforcing fabrics have been used on the Grand Hyatt Hotel and furnished apartments, Dubai Marine, Emirates Lakes and Hills villas, Dubai Media City, Jebel Ali Gardens, Royal Mirage Hotel and chalets at the Jumeirah Beach hotel.  In Bahrain, Al Nasir Concrete Repair has supplied to a number of Ministry of Housing projects, Zayed Town, Dana Resort, Citibank building and BMMI Complex.
“Sales of Paladin in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia are on the rise. In addition, Qatar offers enormous scope for our product and I am currently looking at appointing dealers in that market,” Al Sairafi adds.
Vitrulan offers a variety of reinforcing fabrics products, thus providing a solution for individual requirement in most areas.
Founded in 1921, Vitrulan currently has more than 300 employees operating at three of its facilities in Germany. The company produces glass décor fabrics, reinforcing fabrics and other technical products on a textile glass base, in line with the latest industry standards.
Vitrulan has been able to provide innovative and high-quality solutions worldwide, thanks to its quality management system certified under DIN EN ISO 9001, customised research and development as well as the provision of comprehensive services to its partners, says the spokesman
“The high quality of our products, coupled with our vast know-how, outstanding service and perfect reliability are Vitrulan’s internationally-acknowledged hallmarks,” he concludes.