Wall Corner Guards
Protection and Design
No matter the damage, we have a wall corner guard for your needs.
They are considered to be the unsung heroes of interior protection. Unnoticed, yet so important.
Corners in commercial corridors and hallways are some of the most-vulnerable places in a building, because they’re … well, corners. They stick out … sort of. And that makes them highly susceptible to damage.
How do corners get damaged?
Often people don’t realize just how many people, bags, carts, and other wheeled things go through a corridor in a single day. Here are a few examples of what can cause damage to your corners:
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Hospitals:
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Senior Living
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Hotels + Resorts + Casinos
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Schools + Universities
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What kind of damage does a corner guards protect from?
Damage can be anything from your light bump and ding caused by a briefcase hitting the corner to a drywall gauging, corner crushing impact from a portable x-ray machine. Everyone wants to prevent any kind of damage that requires a patch or touch-up since there is a hidden cost to having to repair the corner over and over.
Hidden Cost – The Chronic Do-Over
Just about every building has that handful of areas that are constantly getting bashed and slammed. Usually it’s a corner or a section of wall in high-traffic corridors or lobbies. If the damage is in a public space, you don’t want to leave it looking wrecked, so someone on the maintenance staff is assigned to repair the area… again … and again … and again.
If a corner gets repaired three times a year, by the time the workman:
- Loads up the work cart
- Pulls the materials
- Moves to the damaged area
- Preps the area (including putting up dust barriers)
- Tears out the damaged corner pieces
- Cuts and installs the patch
- Preps and paints or covers the wall
- Cleans up the area (including dismantling the dust barrier)
- Moves back to the maintenance or carpentry shop
- Unpacks the work cart and discards the scrap …
How much time – in dollars – are we talking about? It could be $150 each repair. Now, multiply that by 3 repairs a year and you’re talking $450 or more. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but each building can have hundreds of corners that need repairing and patching.
The alternative to this is to install a wall corner guard. Typically a high-impact corner guard is around $25 and can be installed in a shorter amount of time. So for that one corner you have saved about $425. If that corner guard stays in place for five years; then you are $2,125 ahead.
Take a Tour of Your Building
May seem like a funny thing to do, but one of the best ways to understand the damage is to walk through your building. Watch the people as they move through open spaces and corridors. Watch the things that hit the corners. Is it the runaway luggage? The unwieldy meal cart? The heavy cash cart? Then take a closer look at the damage. Is it small dings or huge chunks? The type of damage will determine the type of corner guard you will need for that area.
Different Wall Corner Guards for Different Types of Damage
We have years and years and years of experience in providing protection for corners. We know that the cheaper the guard, the less protection it provides. It’s easy to run to the local home improvement store and buy inexpensive, tape-on or screw-on polycarbonate corner guards. They sell them by the barrelful for a reason. They often get smashed and cracked on the first hit or pulled off the wall that first time a cart catches it.
Good quality corner guards come in a variety of applications and the type of damage to that particular corner will guide your choice of which one to use.
Types of Corner Guards:
Minimal Damage:
Corners in low traffic areas with light chips or dents.
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Tape-on Corner Guard – Made from a rigid vinyl or clear polycarbonate, these corner guards have double sided foam strips where you peel off the tape backing and press it to the wall. These can come in a variety of colors to match your brand and design or clear to show the color through the guard. |
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Flexible Corner Guard – Made with flexible vinyl, these are great to use when you need a little give for imperfect corners and comes in a variety of colors to match your walls and applies with an adhesive. |
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Aluminum Corner Guard – For a design enhancing option for these light areas, the aluminum corner guard is applied with adhesive and comes in Black, Bronze, or Clear. |
Moderate Damage:
Corners that suffer gouges and cracks and need substantial patching.
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Surface-mount Corner Guard – These corner guards take an impact because of the three part design. The retainer provides support for the cover and added protection for the corner. The cover provides the look and even more protection and the top caps finish off the look. Learn more about our High Impact Corner Guards by visiting our Corner Guard Selection Guide. |
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Flush-mount Corner Guard – If a more seamless look is desired, a flush-mount is your option. These are mounted so that their main cover surface area is flush with the wall providing an improved sightline and can also have a fire rating if required. |
Heavy Damage:
Corners where machinery or other heavy equipment can take out large chunks.
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Rubber or High Density Polyethylene Corner Guards – Use these when protection over design is needed. Made to withstand the heaviest impacts these corner guards are great for warehouses, back-of-house or other out of sight areas. |
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Stainless Steel Corner Guard – Great for use with stainless steel wall panels and wall base. This provides strong reinforcement for corners and is great for commercial kitchens and back-of-house. |
To learn more about choosing the right corner guard for your needs, visit our Corner Guard Selection Guide today.