Ecoglo Vs. Glow in the Dark Tape
When it comes to the emergency exit lighting in your building make sure you pick the very best! What may seem like an ideal luminous egress path marking product could end up leaving your building in the dark, or causing additional safety concerns.
Although similar in some ways, glow in the dark tape is too often chosen over luminous egress path markings. The ease of installation and low cost of glow in the dark tape may be inticing, but when compared to ecoglo®’s expertly designed luminous egress path markings, does photoluminescent tape stand up to the test?
Installation
The exit stairways in your building are subject to high pedestrian traffic on a daily basis, and even after all the daily wear and tear, the luminous egress path markings you install need to be ready and working on a moment’s notice.
The simple peel and stick installation of glow in the dark tape may be appealing and even seem like a quick way to complete the installation of luminous egress path markings in your building, but can photoluminescent tape withstand the wear and tear of everyday use?
Glow in the dark tape can quickly be rendered ineffective, as it begins to peel or fall loose from where it was installed. Consequently, photoluminescent tape may result in subjecting your building to potential building code violations and even liability issues.
To keep glow in the dark tape effective, it may have to be re-installed every few weeks, to avoid peeling.
With ecoglo®’s industry leading luminous egress path markings, which are made of durable rigid vinyl or backed by aluminum, installation only has to be done once for the emergency exit lighting system in your building to preform it’s best! Additionally, certified installers make brining your building up to code easier than ever!
Cost
The many options of stair nosings means there are many different looks, styles and finishes. The right stair nosing should enhance and modernize the look of your building, rather than distracting for the design. For example, the stair nosing for a hotel lobby should look more sleek and modern than the stair nosing in a large stadium.
An easily installed option may be a contrast strip, which combines anti-slip material with a photoluminescent strip to not only enhance step edge visibility but provide an additional level of stairway safety. This simple option, without an aluminum profile may not look as good as a sleek aluminum stair nosing as they would in a stadium.
Code Compliance
Not all glow in the dark tape meets building and fire code compliance! To meet code compliance, photoluminescent tape can only be used as luminous egress path markings if the products meet UL 1994, and most commonly, photoluminescent tape does not meet NFPA 101 codes. Due to the quicker wear and tear rates of photoluminescent tape, the product may not perform as needed, negating code compliance and failing to provide exit lighting during emergency egress.
Ecoglo products not only meet but exceed all relevant building, fire and life safety codes in regards to luminous egress path markings. Each luminous egress path marking product is UL 1994 certified and are compliant with IFC/IBC, NFPA and NYC LL. And because they do not require any maintenance, you never need to worry that they won’t meet compliance, they are always ready when you need them the most.
Step Edge Visibility
Arguably one of the most important aspects of egress safety is step edge visibility, in all lighting conditions. If used on step edges, glow in the dark tape can quickly become dirty, dimming their performance and decreasing step-edge visibility.
The tape can also quickly lose its stick, peeling in areas across the step creating tripping hazards. Additionally, glow in the dark tape does not offer any slip resistance like ecoglo®’s photoluminescent step edge markings do. With ecoglo® luminous egress path markings, the contrast between the non-slip material and the photoluminescent strip enhances step-edge visibility in all lighting conditions, making for a safer building!
When it comes to the emergency exit lighting systems in your building, it is important to chose the luminous egress path markings that continue to exceed expectations! Ecoglo offers a variety of code compliant photoluminescent egress path markings for every component within an egress pathway. Our dedicated service representatives are well versed in code compliance and can connect you with certified installers to bring your building up to code! Install ecoglo® and create a visibly better egress pathway in your building.