Schenectady, New York’s Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center is all about change, even on the walls. At a medical center where the focus is on serving the community and reinventing healthcare – one patient at a time, the newly renovated nursing home facility has been no exception to the rule. When the 82-bed residential and rehabilitation center moved from Ellis Hospital to the Ellis Health Center, the 1970s building was taken down to the studs. Once the walls went back up, a new, high-performance wallcovering system from Vitrulan was put in place.

​​While the conversion of the building to a nursing home facility was a major undertaking, the choice in wallcoverings was an easy one. “Unlike other wallcovering products we’ve used in the past (like IPC and Acrovyn), The VRP® Wall System offers the ability to change the color of the walls without removing the product,” explains Amy Pressman, whose firm designed the space. “Clients always want a timeless look, but that’s not realistically possible. Styles and colors are going to change. And in the case of assisted living an environment, change is expected as today’s facilities become more like hospitality settings.”

​​Used in the corridors, behind beds and in bathrooms, the Vitrulan Reinforced Polyurethane (VRP®) Wall System was painted in warm earth tones in varying colors that differentiate one floor of the facility from another. With the Vitrulan wallcovering system, color accents can be easily changed. The product, which is installed similarly to wallpaper, can be painted as often as needed, while still retaining its threedimensional appearance.

“The Vitrulan wallcovering system balances the desire to make this a home-like environment with the necessity for low maintenance and easy cleaning,” says Pressman. “It offers texture and the ability to change the colors of the walls, along with the ability to create a seamless, infection controlled surface.” The VRP® Wall System creates a smooth, seamless surface, with a high permeability rating, making it the perfect choice for hygiene-sensitive areas. Made of an inorganic material, the Vitrulan product directly addresses any mold and mildew concerns and improves indoor air quality. With this wall system, there are no pores and pockets in which micro-organisms could accumulate. Plus it can be easily cleaned and even scrubbed or powerwashed, without causing any surface damage.

“This product allows us to maintain a residential quality, while still meeting our demands for easy maintenance and durability,” says Donald McLaughlin Jr., Ellis Medicine vice-president of Facilities & Support Services. “Besides being less institutional looking, Vitrulan does not come with the maintenance and replacement issues that typical vinyl wallcovering comes with.” In areas where wheelchairs and spills are the norm, the wallcovering needed to be extremely durable and easy to repair. Made of 100 percent finely spun glass yarn, Vitrulan wallcovering is pound for pound stronger than steel in tensile strength. The result is a wallcovering that can withstand even the toughest wear and tear.

“This product is much more durable and stronger than others I’ve worked with. You can even feel the difference when you touch it,” says Saban Maslesa, whose company, Saban Painting, handled the installation of the VRP® wallcovering system. “This was the first time I used the Vitrulan product, and I was really surprised by how nice and smooth the installation was. This product is much easier to use, especially considering how much lighter it is than 54-inch vinyl products. Also, if any glue gets on the surface of the product, it doesn’t show up like it does with vinyl products. And it was very easy to match up in the installation.” Vitrulan wallcoverings are also easy on the environment. Manufactured from abundant natural raw materials (quartz), Vitrulan products contain no plasticizers or any harmful chemical agents. The wall system is chlorine-free and emits low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), allowing for healthier indoor air quality. In the case of Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center, change is definitely good. All those involved in the specification and installation of the Vitrulan wallcovering system experienced a new product with major advantages over those used in the past. The result is a beautiful wallcovering that will last for years to come, but will allow for easy change as time and styles go by.