Monday, January 24, 2005

Claddng In Steamrooms

I have been asked again today whether our cladding can be used in a steam room.

As it is designed for use in the bathroom it will cope with the moist humid conditions with no problem. However there is a proble with the heat. The ambient temperature inside a steam room might well be less than 50 degrees centigradebut there will be hot-spots, especially around the steam outlets (see our technical details for more info) . Temperatures higher than this can lead to problems with the panels warping or buckling under the excess heat.

So even though the panels would probably cope quite well in a steam room , the cladding manufacturers will not guarantee their products for use in such circumstances, which is a shame as it would otherwise be an ideal choice for this type of environment - there are even plenty of woodgrain finishes that would be perfect for the "sauna" look.