Multiple Mapei products have been specified for an upgrade to the wall coverings at Holland Park Underground Station, situated in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The station had internal works done to the lower part of the walls in the tunnelled walkways, which are used by commuters on a daily basis between approximately 5am until 1am.

Previously painted with a textured coating, which had a very high dirt pick-up, Mapei were asked to come up with a solution to upgrade the existing coatings, with a smooth finish, to reduce the dirt pick-up. The solution was particularly significant, as it was the first project of its nature whereby London Underground (LUL) decided to use a new system, rather than simply repainting the walls; the decision to use the Mapei system means the walls will be much easier to maintain.

To prepare the substrate, the contractor cleaned the walls of dust and applied the first coat of water-repellent cementitious skimming mortar, Planitop 200. This was followed with the application of Mapetherm Net, an alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh. Subsequently, a second coat of Planitop 200 was applied to create a smooth finish.

Once the curing process had taken place, the walls were coated with Silexcolor Paint – the ideal solution for this upgrade due to its excellent longevity.

Silexcolor was also deemed a ‘quality’ product by Ross Mcloughlin as Project Manager from K+M Decorators. “Value for money, in the long run, is of more importance than a quick fix for LUL and K+M,” he explains.

Following a return visit to the site, Ross said: “It looks terrific… The fact the station cleaning staff can maintain the excellent finish and with the system being able to stand the test of time, is a testament to the paint quality and application.”