The durability or useful life of materials is the estimated time that an object can properly fulfill the function assigned in their employment. This aspect is important to contemplate, because an object or material is worn out or in poor condition can cause a lot of scenarios of insecurity, bad performances, huge economic expenses and the increase of waste. The life time will also depend on several factors such as: quality, installation, environmental conditions, maintenance, and the mode and intensity of use. Maintenance is one of the main agents that affect the useful life, due to which it is a methodology of constant monitoring of the state of the material or equipment. Below, we will be introducing 5 materials (you may be interested) very used to increase its useful life due to a correct maintenance:
Melamine.
Melamine is formed by a particle board of wood particle (MP) - coated on both sides with a sheet decorative and another resin(melamine), which provides a surface completely closed, hard and wear resistant surface. Finally add cover edges as a decorative finish and protective. One of its advantages is its low cost and endless variety of designs in the market. Their life time is approximately 5 to 10 years, however, this can be extended with proper care until 10 to 15 years approximately. The maintenance of the melamine involves caring for the cover edges, since it is very common to their detachment to a steady employment.
Laminate Flooring.
The laminate is a floor synthetic that imitates wood, with a system of easy assembly. It is comprised of 4 layers, a bottom layer as balancing and insulation; the next layer panel is a core of HDF (high density fibre); the third by a sheet of melamine with a printed design finish of the floor and, finally, it adds a protective layer to reduce the damage. The laminate flooring is an inexpensive alternative, rapid installation and a variety of finishes. The average durability of a laminate floor is between 15 to 20 years, however, with good care can reach up to 35 years. The maintenance consists of daily cleaning, in case you find scratches repair with clay, wood, or change the affected area to prevent the spread of damage.
Walls of Drywall.
The wall of drywall is a construction system partitions that employs the use of a structure-based profiles of galvanized steel modulated and fixed to floors and ceilings. Between the structure adds panels of glass wool (as thermal and acoustic insulation) to finally be coated by a layer of drywall (interior) or asbestos cement (exterior). Their advantages lie in the speed, economical installation and an element of light that does not compromise the structure of the buildings. The useful life of this equipment is approximately 35 to 40 years, however, the useful life of the material can be extended up to 20 years. This is due to the care, cleaning and maintenance must be given. Some recommendations for care: do not place heavy items on the plates, avoid shock, moisture and a qualified staff to review annually the state of the plates and structure.
Paint.
Painting is not only to add color, also means to add value, protect, and generating a feeling of cleanliness. In the current market there is a great variety of paintings suitable for different surfaces, weather conditions, quality and finishes. It is as well as varies its composition, and, by extension, your life. However, it is a constant in almost all the options of paint that, with proper care and maintenance it can retain a greater amount of time. Experts recommend to renew the paint at least every 3 or 4 years. However, with a good maintenance can extend to 5 or 6 years. A few recommendations for maintenance is cleaning the surfaces to keep the intensity of the paint over time, to ventilate, to avoid moisture condensation in the plane painted and prevent rubbing, scratches or other damage that could peel the paint.
Metal surfaces.
The large part of the metals in the market are made of steel and derivatives. The steel is a material with excellent mechanical properties, highlighting its ability to retain its shape after being subjected to great efforts. The steel also has a long shelf life, it is estimated that approximately with a minimum protection to the corrosion can exceed 60 years. However, this amount of years you can extend more with regular maintenance to perform diagnostics of the state of the steel and make the necessary corrective measures. Their maintenance is to avoid oxidation and corrosion of its surface, this is achieved by using coatings or paints, insulating the metal os external agents. However, it is important to periodically review the lining of the structures, especially those that are exposed to rain, wind, or salinity.
