New writing walls

The vitreous enamelled steel writing walls newly launched by Vitrex are produced using the company’s architectural cladding panels to create large writing surfaces. The writing walls – a first for South Africa – can be custom-made by Vitrex  at its Jet Park factory to suit specific room layouts and wall sizes. They offer much bigger writing surfaces than traditional writing boards as well as added benefits.

Cristian Cottino, sales and marketing director at Vitrex, says, “The writing walls can be supplied with graphics and screening options. They are ideal for meeting rooms, boardrooms, computer rooms, laboratories and ‘think tanks’.”

The first installation of a Vitrex writing wall was recently completed at the Sandton premises of a leading advertising agency. Designed by Design Inline, five white VE panels make up the writing wall, five metres long and two metres high.

Vitrex subsequently also secured a contract for a 5.6m long and 2.4m high writing wall for the Venue Operations Centre meeting room at the Moses Mabhida Stadium  in Durban. Five VE panels make up the writing wall, as specified by architects, Ibhola Lethu Consortium (ILC).

In both instances, white writing walls were specified.

Cottino says alternative painted steel surfaces, which are often classified with vitreous enamel under the generic banner ‘magnetic surfaces’, and high pressure density laminate writing surfaces (‘non-magnetic’), may be cheaper in the short term but cannot match VE steel for material construction and long-term performance. A vitreous enamelled steel surface is the ideal writing surface, particularly in high-use applications.

VE chalk boards and white board surfaces are easy to clean. The VE white board prevents ghosting, which occurs on other writing surfaces when pen marks cannot be completely removed – even with chemicals and vigorous cleaning – because the ink has been partially absorbed into their slightly porous surface.

VE writing walls have a surface hardness similar to glass. They are resistant to scratching, mechanical abrasion, and chemicals and they are colourfast.

“Vitrex guarantees its VE writing surfaces and workmanship, in respect of normal usage, against colour fading and deterioration or failure of component vitreous enamelled parts, for 20 years,” Cottino adds.