Altro Whiterock PVCu wall cladding systems

More than twenty year's experience enables us to provide the highest standards of integrated hygiene solution systems required by our customers.

• Full range of decorative colours
• Fully hygienic, easy clean finish- wipedown, steam or pressure hossable, low maintenance
• Hygienically sealed finishes - fully bonded, impervious, grout free
• Hygienic rounded corners - easy clean, pencil round corners, thermoformed on-site
• Hygienically sealed finishes - to window/door reveals and fittings/penetrations
• 10 year product warranty
• Exclusive to Altro - welded joint for even higher levels of hygiene
• Excellent Fire Rating - Class 1 and class 0, BS 476; Parts 6 and 7
• Easy to install - direct to sound substrates for less downtime and lower costs
• Excellent chemical restistance
• Excellent stability - with flexiblity to accommodate substrate movement without expansion joints
• Extensive choice - colours and finishes to complement decorative schemes

Advantages over ceramic tiles

Alto Whiterock semi-rigid hygienic PVCu wall cladding has many advantages over the traditionally used ceramic tiles which, while installed for many years, were never designed to cope with modern conditions and hygiene requirements. Published figures from the Ceramic tile Federation show up to 65% of all tile installations are fixed incorrectly.

Some of the advantages of Alto Whiterock are:

• Lower Costs - approximately 20% lower lifetime costs slightly lower total installation costs
• Fewer Joints - far less jointing area and no water or other penetration (into grouting and behind tiling to cause failure)
• Better impact restistance - in standardised tests
• Better Stain restistance - no penetration of damaged surfaces no staining of grout
• Very low water vapour transmission - no penetration of damaged surfaces or grout
• Better initial appearance - no variations in tile shades to even out
• Better appearence retention - no staining, no grout, no replacement of damaged tiles
• Flexibilty to match substrate movement - no expansion joints required
• Easy to install - in most cases panels can be fixed direct to brisk and blockwork

Product comparison

Altro has commisioned the following studies from independent bodies, to copare Altro Whiterock and ceramic tiles.

Typical installed costs

*NB Assuming typical conditions with impervious epoxy grouting, and a sand/cement scrim render over a sound substrate.

Alto Whiterock adhesive is suitable for virtually any sound substrate.

Additional costs.
This comparison does not include possible additional installation costs for tiling:drying of render 1 - 2 days; drying of tiling cement prior to grouting. (Application of Alto Whiterock wall cladding two part adhesive, installation of wall cladding and jointing is one continuous operation.

Life cycle costs

The following chart demonstrates Life Cycle Cost relationship between hygienic PVCu wall cladding systems and ceramic tiles.

Impact resistance

In busy locations, impacts are frequent between walls and floors and equipment such as trollys, knives or dropped loads. Glazed ceramic tiles are easily scatched, chipped and cracked under impact creating surface damage which can be infiltrated by water, stains and bacteria.

Altro Whiterock is highly resistant to impact and does not depend on a glazed surface layer for resistance to moisture penetration or staining.

Impact Tests

These were conducted using a 322g steel ball (BS EN 438) dropped from various heights on to the flat surface, join edge and corner. (Minimum height of test was 25mm).

* Maximum height of test apparatus Stain resistance

Surface damage is likely to result in penetration of materials and micro-organisms which can cause unsightly staining and act as a breeding ground for contamination. This as often very difficult or practically impossible to eliminate and will severely compromise hygiene. Test to BS EN 438-2 Section 15 involved Altro Whiterock and ceramic tiles subjected to impact by a 322g steel ball exposed to a natural fruit juice (blackberry) for 24 hours, washed and left for an hour then examined from 400mm. Visual evidence was rated on the standard's scale from 5 - 1.

Scratch resistance and water ingress

Tests were conducted on samples that were subjected to 5 hairline scatches, 5 point impacts with a dropped small kitchen knife and a combination of 3 scatches and 2 point impacts.

Water was then applied to the front face and ingress measured after 24 hours. No damage was visible on Altro Whiterock after this treatment.

Technical downloads:

Cleaning Guides
(Wall cladding cleaning card PDF 47.23 KB)


Life Cycle Cost Comparisons
(Wall cladding life cycle analysisPDF 60.2 KB)


Product Information
(Wall cladding range overview PDF 276.5 KB)


Product Information
( The complete shower system PDF 853.85 KB)

Technical Data Sheets
(Altro Whiterock Standard White 143.34 KB)

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