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KEIM Mineral Paints

Fire Safety Without Compromise: Why Mineral Paints Are Becoming Essential in Modern UK Construction

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As fire safety continues to shape the specification of building materials across the UK, architects, contractors, and building owners are increasingly looking beyond structural components to ensure every element of the building envelope contributes to occupant safety. One area receiving greater attention is decorative coatings, where mineral paint technology is offering significant advantages over conventional organic paint systems.

How is KEIM different?

KEIM Mineral Paints, manufactured using naturally occurring mineral ingredients and silicate technology, provide an inherently non-combustible finish that does not contribute to fire growth. Unlike traditional petrochemical based coatings, mineral paints contain no petrochemical binders that can fuel a fire, making them an increasingly attractive choice for projects where fire performance is a critical specification requirement.

KEIM’s interior and exterior paint systems have been independently tested to the European fire classification standard EN 13501-1 and achieve an A2-s1, d0 classification. This indicates limited combustibility, very limited smoke production and no flaming droplets during fire exposure — key characteristics that help support safer building design. These credentials are essential for residential buildings over 11 metres in height, where external materials are subject to increasingly stringent fire performance requirements in the UK.

However, fire resistance is only one part of the story. KEIM’s mineral paint chemically bonds with mineral substrates through a process known as silicification, creating a finish that becomes an integral part of the surface rather than forming a film. This results in exceptional durability, outstanding colour stability and high resistance to UV degradation, helping to extend redecoration cycles and reduce whole-life costs.

How it works

The paints are highly vapour permeable, allowing buildings to ‘breathe’ naturally while helping to reduce trapped moisture that can contribute to substrate deterioration. Combined with their water-based formulation, absence of solvents and extremely low emissions, KEIM coatings support healthier indoor environments alongside long-term environmental performance.

For specifiers, the combination of verified fire performance, durability and sustainability makes mineral paints an increasingly compelling option across education, healthcare, transport infrastructure, commercial developments and high-rise residential projects. As building regulations continue to evolve, selecting materials that offer proven performance without compromising safety, aesthetics or longevity is becoming more important than ever.

In an industry where every specification decision matters, fire-resistant mineral paints are demonstrating that decorative finishes can play a valuable role in delivering safer, more resilient buildings.

Advantages of KEIM mineral paints and renders;

  • Environmentally friendly ISO 14001
  • High vapour permeability
  • Provides durable, colour stable protection
  • Fire resistant to A2- s1, d0
  • UV stable
  • Increases light reflectivity

What we recommend

Before you start your next painting project, take a moment to read the product label and safety data sheets. They contain essential information about technical performance, ingredients, application guidance, and fire resistance, helping you choose the right product for your project. Understanding what’s in your paint and how it performs ensures better results, safer use, and greater confidence that your chosen coating meets the requirements of your project.

Nature Plus and Cradle to Cradle Certified.

Interested to find out more?

View KEIM’s profile on Bpi – https://www.bpindex.co.uk/supplier/4136/keim-mineral-paints-ltd/

Find out more https://www.keim.com/en-gb/company/fire-resistance/

Tel: 01952 231 250

Web:  https://www.keim.com/en-gb/

Email: sales@keimpaints.co.uk.

Social Links:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/keim_uk/

Pinterest https://in.pinterest.com/KEIMMineralPaints/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/keim-mineral-paints-ltd/

Project examples include:

Holland Park Underground Station, London – KEIM Soldalit

How to protect, preserve, or add design flair to concrete projects

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Lime based mortar mixed with aggregates may have been used since AD50, but how, in the modern world, can designers, architects and concrete manufacturers ensure protection and preservation in today’s harsher environment?

KEIM Mineral Paints have the answers, with not one but several products in their portfolio specifically designed for use on concrete.

Whether you’re a pre-cast manufacturer, or use concrete for construction purposes, if you’re a designer or architect looking to enhance the appeal of concrete, or a facilities manager who needs to protect concrete surfaces from graffiti, KEIM has an armoury of products to help.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON PROBLEMS?

  • Exposure to the elements including car fumes and chlorides leading to carbonation, damage, and potential weakening
  • Colour variants or imperfections may occur during construction or patch repairs
  • Rust staining from shuttering

How to mask imperfections, defects, variations in concrete’s appearance?

KEIM products are used to …

  • Tint or blend imperfections or defects
  • Protect the concrete against water ingress
  • Colour match to the existing concrete
  • Minimise variations such as roller compacted concrete
  • Increase light reflectance; ideal for office environments

Products include – KEIM Concretal Lasur – simple application process for internal and external concrete

Project examples include: Park Hill Estate, Sheffield, Dudley Zoo, West Midlands, London Aquatics Centre, London

How to improve the longevity?

How do you protect and preserve concrete against the elements such as chlorides and carbon dioxide, and the ingress of water which can lead to damage or decay?

KEIM products are …

  • Applied to concrete surfaces to treat and protect against discolouration
  • Creating a protective coating that can last for decades
  • Designed to protect against weathering
  • Fire resistant to A2-s1, d0

Products used – KEIM Concretal W

Project examples include: Paradise View, Birmingham, Brunel House, Portsmouth, Loxford School of Science & Technology

How to bring creative flair to concrete projects?

Not everyone embraces the look of concrete and may consider it dull or boring. If that’s the case, then KEIM can transform with colour, and renovate building facades with the stroke of a brush!

Concrete walls can be painted in a variety of colours including blue, red, gold or even black.

Products used – KEIM Concretal-Black, KEIM Design Lasur, KEIM Soldalit

Project examples include: The National Theatre, London, Battersea Power Station, London, London Underground, Wessex Water Head Quarters

Concrete preparation and repairs

Alongside KEIM’s coatings and finishes there are cleaners and repair products too! Ranging from acidic cleaner for the removal of release agents and impurities, to repair mortar for larger scale reparation works.

Regardless of product application, all KEIM products follow the ethos; kind to use, kind to you, kind to the environment.

If you’re working with concrete and need some advice, why don’t you arrange a no obligation site survey, or talk to one of our specialists based in our Telford manufacturing facility?

Interested to find out more?

View KEIM’s profile on Bpi – https://www.bpindex.co.uk/supplier/4136/keim-mineral-paints-ltd/

Find out more https://www.keim.com/en-gb/products/concrete-systems/

KEIM – unparalleled performance and durability since 1878.

Tel: 01952 231 250       Web:  https://www.keim.com/en-gb/       Email: sales@keimpaints.co.uk.

Social Links:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/keim_uk/

Pinterest https://in.pinterest.com/KEIMMineralPaints/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/keim-mineral-paints-ltd/

Breathe easily with KEIM Mineral Paints

Building Products Index Ltd Paint Leave a Comment

View the KEIM Mineral Paints entry on BPindex

Visit the KEIM Mineral Paints website

Poor outdoor air quality, as result of air pollution, has negative impacts on both human health and the natural environment. Whilst levels in some areas have been declining, there are more measures which need to be taken, specifically with regards to Nitrogen Oxides.

Nitrogen Oxides are produced by combustion as emissions from cars, trucks, buses and power plants. Nitrogen Oxides contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, fine particle pollution and are linked with several adverse effects on the respiratory system.

Whilst outdoor air pollution is important, we also need to consider the potential health effects of poor indoor air quality. Indoor air quality can have negative impacts on building occupants, particularly for groups of people with specific sensitivity to pollution including the young, elderly and those who suffer with existing respiratory health conditions.

The impact of air pollutant on human health depends on their toxicity, concentration and exposure period, but with research suggesting that, on average, people spend 90% of their time indoors, the effects can range from odour, to irritation, to more serious toxic effects. In working and learning environments such as offices and schools, poor indoor air quality can significantly impact productivity and impair learning.

Indoor air pollution is created by a mixture of pollutants generated from inside the building and external pollution which migrates indoors.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that approximately 7,000,000 worldwide will be killed by air pollution every year.

KEIM have two paint solutions that can help neutralise air pollution, for internal – KEIM Ecosil-ME® or external – KEIM Soldalit-ME® use. Both systems are high performance photocatalytic mineral silicate paints and reduces noxious gases and odours, transforming them into natural substances.

Photocatalytic mineral paints provide long-life environmentally friendly, highly light reflective and pollution reducing paint finishes.

Other key features and benefits of KEIM Mineral Paints include easily cleanable, UV stability, incombustibility, extremely low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and resistance to mould and fungal growth.

KEIM Mineral paints are different, because they are manufactured using natural earth oxide pigments and potassium silicate. They do not contain any harmful ingredients such as solvents or petrochemicals and have no detrimental effect on either the substrate, environment or air quality. When applied to mineral substrates, KEIM Mineral paints penetrate into the surface creating a microcrystalline structure which provides an integral protective and decorative finish. This crystalline structure allows free passage of moisture vapour, eliminating blistering and flaking of paint. Mineral paints also protect the surface from the ingress of moisture.

As always, the experts at KEIM can provide on-site support or trials of all products, as well as bespoke training from our field-based team.

If you have a project you would like our advice on, please call us on 01952 231250 or email sales@keimpaints.co.uk.

For further information on KEIM Mineral Paints, please see https://www.keim.com/en-gb/.