“Wash our hands.”
“Don’t touch your face.”
“Social distance by remaining 6-feet apart.”
Personal hygiene is top of mind as we navigate the coronavirus pandemic. While we understand the most effective steps to slow the transmission of airborne pathogens like the coronavirus, we also know bacteria, mildew and mold, can also live on surfaces in our homes for several days.
Luckily, when it comes to specifying finishes, certain materials offer antimicrobial protection, killing microorganisms or stopping their growth completely. See which products we have been specifying prior to the “great pause” so you can limit the growth of microbes and other organisms in your home going forward.
SILESTONE + DEKTON BY COSENTINO
Quartz is one of the hardest non-precious stones on earth, therefore countertops made from quartz—a mixture of ground quartz combined and a small amount of resin—are hard, etch-resistant, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant, and antimicrobial. Quartz is completely non-porous, so sealing and resealing is not necessary. There are numerous Silestone and Dekton options making a wide variety of colors and finishes available for the home.
Photo courtesy of: Cosentino
PAINT SHIELD BY SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
Sherwin-Williams’ Paint Shield® is the first EPA-registered microbicidal paint that kills greater than 99.9% of Staph, MRSA, E. coli, VRE and Enterobacter aerogenes within two hours of exposure on painted surfaces. It continues to kill 90% of these bacteria even after repeated contamination on painted surfaces. The effectiveness lasts for up to four years as long as the integrity of the surface is maintained.
Photo courtesy of: Sherwin Williams
VOICE ACTIVATED FAUCETS BY BRIZO
Brizo’s VoiceIQ™ Technology makes life in the kitchen and bathroom easier. Just by speaking, you can turn your faucet on or off, dispense an exact amount of water, or use the innovative handwashing mode to ensure you’re following CDC handwashing guidelines to help protect your health. To use, simply install the Voice Activation module with a SmartTouch® faucet and pair it with a connected home device such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant-enabled devices, a power source, a Wi-Fi network and a Wi-Fi connected device for setup. Once it’s installed, you can start handwashing mode by activating your smart device and saying, “Tell Brizo to wash hands.” The water will turn on for a 5-second pre-rinse, then off for a 20-second interval to lather your hands with soap and on again for another 10-second rinse. You can also warm the water to up to 95°F or create custom presets to fill your espresso maker, stock pot, humidifier or other containers.
Photo courtesy of: Brizo
HYDROTECT BY CROSSVILLE TILE
Applied to Crossville Porcelain Stone® tiles through a proprietary process, HYDROTECT™ by Crossville® permanently infuses the purifying powers of antimicrobial metals, water, and oxygen into an invisible tile coating that’s scientifically proven to reduce bacteria by more than 99% on installed surfaces. HYDROTECT-coated tile also automatically breaks down odor and stain-causing bacteria, urea, and other organic substances to help keep spaces cleaner and fresher while working into a variety of home styles.
Photo courtesy of: Crossville
CORK + BAMBOO FLOORING
One of the best types of antibacterial flooring is cork, which is not just naturally antimicrobial, but it’s also water-resistant. This helps prevent the formation of mold and mildew. Similarly, bamboo flooring has an antifungal agent living in it, while cork flooring stops bacteria and microorganisms from growing. Both need to be sealed and resealed with a polyurethane coating. Continuous, nonporous flooring surfaces are the easiest to keep clean—the fewer joints, the better.
How will you protect your home with innovative products and finishes?
