Temporary tactile ground surface indicators such as tactile studs and strips may be called for in situations where there is a need to guide the visually impaired for a limited period of time or during such a time where repairs or maintenance is being carried out.
Situations where temporary tactile studs and strips can also be used:
Tactile ground surface indicators out of necessity will always look and perform the same way, depending on their material. The key difference is how they’re fixed onto the surface.
The two main types are:
Self-adhesive tactile studs and strips are installed by removing the backing from the self-adhesive and pressing the stud or strip down onto a clean and debris-free surface. They’re ideal for internal surfaces where they’re not going to see much in the way of contaminants or water. If that is a primary concern, they can be edge sealed to prevent water or other liquid contaminants from affecting and eating away at the adhesive.
Self-adhesive studs and strips are best used on smooth non-porous surfaces e.g., vinyl, plastic, metal, glass
To remove self-adhesive tactile studs and strips, isopropyl alcohol and a prying tool can be used to lift and clean away the adhesive. This leaves no marks on the underlying surface and the tactiles can be reused at a later time by reapplying an adhesive.
For detailed information on the installation of self-adhesive tactile studs and strips, you can read more here.
Screw-hole tactile studs and strips are more disruptive to surfaces than their self-adhesive counterparts. However, they are much longer lasting, particularly when installed on surfaces that self-adhesives aren’t suitable for, such as wood. Screw-hole tactiles can be described as a more short-to-medium term solution.
They’re installed by drilling into the underlying substrate to create a pilot hole, inserting a Rawl plug, before screwing down the tactile stud or strip.
Screw-hole studs can be installed into most surfaces e.g., wood, cement, stone, vinyl, ceramic
To remove screw-hole studs and strips they simply require unscrewing from the surface that they’re fixed into. The hole can then be filled with a wood, cement, plaster, or other appropriate filler. Thes studs and strips can then be reused in other projects or locations.
Both solutions are an ideal way to continue providing tactile assistance to the visually impaired in the absence of tactile paving. Temporary tactile ground surface indicators are also a quick fix in locations such as listed buildings with encaustic or mosaic tiles. Self-adhesive tactile studs and strips can be removed with little effort, with screw-hole requiring some finishing post removal. The key choice between the two fixing methods is down to how long the tactile studs or strips need to be there and whether the underlying surface can be drilled into, with screw-hole studs and strips being a longer-term solution but requiring some surface alteration.
If you require any help or assistance deciding on temporary tactile ground surface indicators, call us on 01686 807450 or email us at [email protected]
