If there is one thing most prison facilities have in common… they run on a tight budget and they’re usually housed in old, deteriorating complexes… ripe with maintenance and health challenges!

For Roxanne Quinonez, Physical Plant Director of Arizona State Prison – Phoenix Complex, dealing with dozens of maintenance issues every day is business as usual. Housed in a building complex built in 1979, along with additional buildings built in the early 80’s, the aging complex continues to create challenges that must be dealt with decisively.

The Phoenix Complex is a unique facility within the Department of Corrections. Four of its units are on the grounds of the Arizona State Hospital and leased through the Department of Health Services. The Alhambra Reception and Treatment Center, which opened in 1979, handles all incoming male inmates. Reception has a design capacity of 207; another 40 beds are in B-Ward, the Treatment Center; and there are 65 beds designated for resident workers.

The other units are Aspen DWI, a 200-bed facility which opened in 1983 for adult males. Now called Aspen MTU, it’s operated as a Mental Health treatment facility for high functioning male inmates. Flamenco Mental Health Center, a licensed 105-bed psychiatric hospital for adult males which opened in 1985 and now used to house Protective segregation and Max custody inmates; and Flamenco Health Center for Women, a licensed 20-bed behavioral hospital for adult females which opened in 1990.

With moisture and heat being the key ingredients for mold and mildew growth, shower and toilet facilities are prime locations for challenging maintenance tasks. Despite diligent cleaning procedures, for the Phoenix Complex, it wasn’t enough to satisfy the Dept. of Health because the tile floors and walls were absorbing dirt and grime, giving bacteria the perfect breeding ground and allowing mold and mildew to rear its ugly head up over and over again.

With grout crumbling, waterproof properties wearing off the tile and exposing the porous tiles to extreme moisture… change needed to happen. Constantly repairing and replace the tile wasn’t working out.

“Cheaper Products Were Used, But You Get What You Pay For. They Did Not Prevent Mold & Mildew From Forming”

With budget always being a big factor in the decision-making process, it’s no surprise that many maintenance management teams go with cheaper material options. Most manufacturers claim that their material protects against mold and mildew growth, but in practice… it doesn’t work.

Most flooring material, without factoring in the quality, have weaknesses. Seams, grout lines,  and porous material allow water to get underneath and break the bond between the substrate. Often, there is nothing that can be done to remedy these weaknesses by focusing on quality. Tile grout lines will still crack and absorb moisture.

And ignoring mold and mildew issues can create a hazardous condition for inmates, visitors, and employees health. Breathing in toxic mold particles can develop the following symptoms and diseases;

• Chronic Sinus Problems
• Nosebleeds
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
• Mold-Induced Asthma
• Skin Infections
• Neurological Problems
• Rashes
• Fatigue
• Aches and Pains
• Watery Eyes
• Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis
• Sore Throat
• Nausea and Vomiting

To protect her facility and the occupants from potential health issues and find a permanent solution to her mold and mildew problems in her shower rooms, Roxanne turned to Everlast® Epoxy Systems and their unique flooring solutions.

The Warden Gave Roxanne The Purchasing Power

To Test Out An Everlast Epoxy Floor

Taking it upon themselves to install the Everlast Industrial Floor, Roxanne and her team of maintenance technicians (along with inmate help) were able to successfully complete an entire shower area with no special training prior to their first installation. Through a combination of experience working with flooring material, an easy and risk-free installation process, and watching a helpful training video, the first project was a complete success.

It has allowed the facility to;

• Save money because the installation projects were handled in-house.
• Run the material straight up the walls, preventing moisture from getting into the walls behind.
• Because they didn’t have to snap lines and maintain tile spacing, Roxanne was quickly able to install entire floor and wall sections.
• Maintain a consistent look because you’re not beholden to manufacturing changes or discontinued use of a product line.
• Be secure in the fact that the flooring material cannot be turned into a weapon, like you can with a broken piece of tile.
• Kill bacteria before it starts to spread because the material is saturated in antimicrobial components which cannot be worn off.
• Prevent inmates from slipping on the floor because anti-slip properties were added to troublesome areas.
• Prevent inmates from chipping out the tile to create shanks.
• Make the facility look more appealing and brighter, creating a more inviting environment for Correctional Officers and help improve retention rates.
• And create a great opportunity to teach inmates a valuable skill to help integrate them back into society once they are released.

With tile, you need to have many different tools including a wet saw and cutting knives. With an Everlast Industrial Floor, you just need a few buckets, a mixing machine, and trowels. If you can follow basic instructions, you can install an Everlast Industrial Floor.

No more snapping lines, cutting around corners, making sure everything aligns up, and worrying if you’ve sealed tightly around drains or protruding pipes from the floor.

“I Have Completed 4 Shower Areas, 3 Staff Bathrooms And A Laundry Room With The Product. I Have 6 More Showers To Do And Will Continue To Use The Product.”

Through diligence, an onsite learning experience, and paying close attention to installation instructions, Roxanne and her team completed multiple floors, walls, and entire shower rooms without issues.

Starting with an initial shower room project, it became clear that the Everlast Epoxy Floor material was both simple to install, durable, and made the environment pleasant. After multiple projects completed, Roxanne wants to tackle six more shower rooms in the near future.

Problem – Solution – Results Quick Cap

Problem:
Mold and mildew was growing in the shower facilities despite diligent cleaning

Solution:
Everlast Industrial Floor was troweled on the floor and up the walls to completely seal the area off from mold and mildew development

Results:
Started off with a single shower room, worked their way to complete four showers, three staff bathrooms, and a laundry room… with six more shower rooms planned

If you’re interested in learning more about Everlast Epoxy floors and how they allow prison plant managers to finally put their flooring problems to rest, feel free to give our flooring experts a call at 615-994-1510 . They’ll happily answer any of your questions and help find the right solution to your flooring problems.